Wholesale Trade, January 2014, published March 19
Wholesalers sold $50.0 billion worth of goods and services in January, up 0.8% from December and 2.4% higher than in January 2013. Excluding the automotive sector, wholesale sales were up 2.6% from January 2013. In terms of volume, wholesale sales were up 0.4% in January from December. Annualized wholesale sales grew in seven provinces. Saskatchewan (+11.4%) led the way, followed by Prince Edward Island (+9.4%). The largest decrease occurred in Newfoundland and Labrador (-9.1%). Ontario’s wholesale sales in January were up 2.9% from a year earlier while Quebec’s...
Read MoreMinistry of Labour Expanding Training Standard for Fall Restraint
The Ministry of Labour, Ontario (MOL) is in the process of expanding the training standard for fall restraint training to include a 3.5 hour classroom component to be taught by a qualified trainer in fall arrest and safety. The training standard is attempting to address concerns about safety training in the construction industry, however if the standard training syllabus is expanded to include the classroom component, all businesses will have to train and qualify their employees to the new standard. We have communicated our concern s to the group developing the standard and have suggested...
Read MoreBuilding Permits, January 2014, published March 6
Municipalities issued $7.0 billion worth of building permits in January, up 8.5% from December and 21.9% higher than in January 2013. Seven provinces reported an increase in permits over a year ago. Double-digit gains were recorded in all seven. Alberta led the way (+49.2%) followed by Newfoundland and Labrador (22.7%0 and Ontario (+21.6%). Double-digit annualized decreases over January 2013 occurred in New Brunswick (-37.6%) followed by Nova Scotia (-32.3%). Quebec recorded a 13.6% annualized increase. Builders took out residential building permits worth $4.6 billion in January, up...
Read MoreLabour Force Survey, February 2014, published March 7
Employment in February was virtually unchanged from January. The unemployment rate was 7.0% also unchanged from January. Construction employment fell by 0.3% from January while manufacturing employment increased 0.3% from a month earlier In February, employment stood at 17.8 million, up 0.5% from February 2013. Full-time employment grew by 18,900 from January, while part-time employment decreased by 25,900 from the previous month. Full-time employment was up by 69,600 from February 2013, while part-time increased by 25,100 over the same period. Employment over the past year grew in three...
Read MoreConsumer Price Index, January, 2014, published February 21
The Consumer Price Index rose by 1.5% in January compared with January 2013, following a 1.2% increase in December. The CPI for goods increased by 1.2% in the 12 months to January while the CPI for services was up 1.8% over the same period. Gasoline prices increased 4.6% from January 2013, after gaining 4.7% in December. Overall, energy prices grew 4.8% between January 2013 and January 2014, following a 4.6% increase in December. Excluding energy, the Consumer Price Index rose 1.2% in January, after growing by 1.0% in December. Food prices rose 1.1% in the 12 months to January,...
Read MoreRetail Trade, December 2013, published February 21
Retail sales in November were $40.2 billion, a decrease of 1.8% from November and up 3.4% from December 2012. Excluding sales by motor vehicle and parts dealers and by gasoline stations, retail sales were up by 1.1% from December 2012. Retail sales in volume terms fell 2.2% from November. Decreases in month-over-month sales were reported in 9 of 11 sectors representing 79% of retail trade. Total retail sales for 2013 were $477.4 billion, up 2.5% over the same period last year. December 2013 sales over December 2012 were up in all provinces. Alberta led the way with a 7.3% sales...
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