It is a universal element of the human condition that we seek out individuals who are similar to ourselves. People who share our values, traditions, culture, religious beliefs, political leanings, and even entertainment preferences. The upside of this type of behaviour is that we tend to lead more enjoyable lives and feel more fulfilled because we are surrounded by others who validate our existence. The downside is that we lead…
The Canadian dollar is on track to experience its second-biggest decline on record against the U.S. dollar, and analysts forecast the currency could go lower before it bounces back next year. The loonie is now down nearly 17 per cent against the greenback for 2015, the biggest drop since 2008, when it lost 18.6 per cent against the U.S. dollar due to a collapse in commodity prices. With nine trading…
In its latest World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) puts the chances of growth in global output falling below the recession threshold of 2% next year at just one in a hundred. Is this too sanguine a view? Global recessions are quite rare events, so if you had to put money on it, you’d go with the IMF. Even when one part of the world is in recession,…
Canada’s economy expanded at a 1.8 per cent annual pace during the last quarter, the same growth seen at the start of the year and slightly better than what economists were expecting. Statistics Canada said Friday that an increase in business investment was the biggest factor contributing to growth. Economists had been expecting a 1.6 per cent gain. The Bank of Canada, however, had been forecasting the 1.8 per cent…
The growth rate of the Canadian economy slowed to a crawl in the fourth quarter of 2011, Statistics Canada reported Friday. At an annual rate, real gross domestic product (GDP) grew 1.8 per cent in the fourth quarter, after a 4.2 per cent increase in the third quarter. The actual growth in the quarter was 0.4 per cent, compared with one per cent in the third quarter, the agency said. …