A weekly roundup of economic indicators
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Number of foreign travellers entering Canada, by country of residence
Top six countries, excluding the United States
SOURCE: Statistics Canada, Cansim 427-0003
Canada welcomes jump in Chinese visitors
Buses full of visitors from mainland China has been a welcome sight for weary tour operators stung by a downturn in American and European customers. Statscan reports that China is now No. 4 as the overseas country of origin for visitors to Canada, having passed Australia in May. The U.S. still sends the largest number of tourists to Canada by a large margin. Read Andy Hoffman's full story here.
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Selected products from the monthly survey of large retailers
In thousands of dollars
SOURCE: Statistics Canada
The sure sign of summer in Canada
Who needs a calendar when there's Statistics Canada to tell us when summer arrives in Canada? A look at the month survey of large retailers only confirms what we already know - it's a month of planting flowers, arranging the patio and firing up the bbq with a few cold ones.
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Consumer Price Index (CPI): 12-month change
The 12-month change in the CPI and the CPI excluding energy
SOURCE: Statistics Canada
Consumer Price Index
Canada’s annual inflation rate rose slightly to 1.5 per cent last month, but most consumer prices stayed well in check and there were few signs of building cost pressures in any region of the country. Statistics Canada said increases in the price of passenger vehicles, electricity, food, and homeowners’ replacement costs were mostly responsible for June’s slightly higher inflation rate, which was up three-tenths of a point from May. Economists had actually projected an even greater uptick given May’s extremely low reading of 1.2 per cent. But they also cautioned that most of the increase would be temporary, caused by unusual base-effects from a year earlier when gas prices were receding and auto dealers launched an aggressive program of discounting. (Canadian Press)
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Employment Insurance claims
Monthly, May 2007 to May 2012
SOURCE: Statistics Canada
Employment Insurance claims
The number of people receiving regular Employment Insurance benefits totalled 512,600 in May, virtually unchanged from April. This followed three months of consecutive declines. The number of beneficiaries decreased slightly in Alberta, while it edged up in New Brunswick. (Statscan)
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Monthly manufacturing sales
In billions of dollars, seasonally adjusted
SOURCE: Statistics Canada
Canadian manufacturing sales
Canadian manufacturing sales dropped slightly in May, but that hasn't stopped factory owners from hiring. Despite a drop of 0.4 per cent, sales are up 5.6 per cent compared with May, 2011, and month-on-month employment was up 2 per cent. Employment in the sector has increased by 4.5 per cent since January, 2012, for a total 1.8 million workers.
