Phil Smith
@philsmith26.bsky.social
Canadian economist and statistician. https://linktr.ee/philsmith26
Quarterly population growth rates continue to be at historically low levels (the peak COVID quarters excepted) as NPR levels are gradually brought back down to earth. #cdnecon
September 23, 2026 at 1:03 PM
Quarterly population growth rates continue to be at historically low levels (the peak COVID quarters excepted) as NPR levels are gradually brought back down to earth. #cdnecon
Canada's population increased by 42,844 people (0.2%) in the 2nd quarter, StatCan reported today, with decreasing non-permanent residents continuing to be a drag on growth. #cdnecon
September 23, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Canada's population increased by 42,844 people (0.2%) in the 2nd quarter, StatCan reported today, with decreasing non-permanent residents continuing to be a drag on growth. #cdnecon
Here's a link to a very interesting speech a couple of days ago at the ECB by Paul Krugman in which, among other things, he looks at the role of economic size and economic power in world trade, focussing in particular on US, EU and Canada. www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0Vx...
Live - ECB Annual Research Conference 2026 (Day 2)
YouTube video by European Central Bank
www.youtube.com
September 19, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Here's a link to a very interesting speech a couple of days ago at the ECB by Paul Krugman in which, among other things, he looks at the role of economic size and economic power in world trade, focussing in particular on US, EU and Canada. www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0Vx...
There is considerable variation in the gap between the unemployment rate and the EI insurance rate across provinces. It's currently around 5% in ON, AB and BC, 3-4% in NS, QC, MB and SK and close to zero in NL, PE and NB. This relates to the 'economic region' criterion in the EI program. #cdnecon
September 17, 2026 at 6:49 PM
There is considerable variation in the gap between the unemployment rate and the EI insurance rate across provinces. It's currently around 5% in ON, AB and BC, 3-4% in NS, QC, MB and SK and close to zero in NL, PE and NB. This relates to the 'economic region' criterion in the EI program. #cdnecon
Prices for new housing continued to drop in August. They were down -0.1% in the month and -2.0% over the last twelve, StatCan reported this morning. They have been on a slow decline for 4 years now. #cdnecon
September 17, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Prices for new housing continued to drop in August. They were down -0.1% in the month and -2.0% over the last twelve, StatCan reported this morning. They have been on a slow decline for 4 years now. #cdnecon
The pickup in Canadian new car sales, in value terms, that had begun in January, fell off a bit in July according to data released by StatCan today. #cdnecon
September 16, 2026 at 12:40 PM
The pickup in Canadian new car sales, in value terms, that had begun in January, fell off a bit in July according to data released by StatCan today. #cdnecon
Statistics Canada reported this morning that labour productivity increased 1% in the second quarter. #cdnecon philipsmith.ca/labour_produ...
Canadian Quarterly Labour Productivity Dashboard
philipsmith.ca
September 3, 2026 at 12:58 PM
Statistics Canada reported this morning that labour productivity increased 1% in the second quarter. #cdnecon philipsmith.ca/labour_produ...
The joy of winning and the pain of losing
static01.nyt.com/athletic/upl...
static01.nyt.com/athletic/upl...
static01.nyt.com
September 2, 2026 at 8:55 PM
The joy of winning and the pain of losing
static01.nyt.com/athletic/upl...
static01.nyt.com/athletic/upl...
StatCan reported capital expenditure survey results for Canada's O&G industry yesterday. Investment, seasonally adjusted, was up 7% compared to the first quarter, but down -2.3% compared to a year earlier. #cdnecon
September 2, 2026 at 1:36 PM
StatCan reported capital expenditure survey results for Canada's O&G industry yesterday. Investment, seasonally adjusted, was up 7% compared to the first quarter, but down -2.3% compared to a year earlier. #cdnecon
View my three Canadian economic statistics browsers here:
Quarterly nat. accts: philipsmith.ca/nataccts/
Monthly national economic indicators: philipsmith.ca/macroindicat...
Monthly by-province economic indicators: philipsmith.ca/provindicato...
#cdnecon
Quarterly nat. accts: philipsmith.ca/nataccts/
Monthly national economic indicators: philipsmith.ca/macroindicat...
Monthly by-province economic indicators: philipsmith.ca/provindicato...
#cdnecon
Canadian Income and Expenditure Accounts Dashboard
philipsmith.ca
August 29, 2026 at 3:27 PM
View my three Canadian economic statistics browsers here:
Quarterly nat. accts: philipsmith.ca/nataccts/
Monthly national economic indicators: philipsmith.ca/macroindicat...
Monthly by-province economic indicators: philipsmith.ca/provindicato...
#cdnecon
Quarterly nat. accts: philipsmith.ca/nataccts/
Monthly national economic indicators: philipsmith.ca/macroindicat...
Monthly by-province economic indicators: philipsmith.ca/provindicato...
#cdnecon
A reminder: If you are interested to view the latest monthly economic indicators for a Canadian province, you can do so in my provincial economic indicators dashboard: philipsmith.ca/provindicato...
Canadian Provincial and Territorial Economic Indicators
philipsmith.ca
August 28, 2026 at 11:52 AM
A reminder: If you are interested to view the latest monthly economic indicators for a Canadian province, you can do so in my provincial economic indicators dashboard: philipsmith.ca/provindicato...
Total hours worked in Canada rose 0.5% in June, continuing the solid uptrend that started in February this year StatCan reported this morning (in SEPH). #cdnecon
August 27, 2026 at 12:38 PM
Total hours worked in Canada rose 0.5% in June, continuing the solid uptrend that started in February this year StatCan reported this morning (in SEPH). #cdnecon
Here is a chart showing the pre-trade-war relative trends in Canada's imports from the US, by major NAPCS product group. It will be interesting to watch how these lines move in the year ahead. #cdnecon
August 26, 2026 at 8:21 PM
Here is a chart showing the pre-trade-war relative trends in Canada's imports from the US, by major NAPCS product group. It will be interesting to watch how these lines move in the year ahead. #cdnecon
BEA released its second estimates of US real GDP in the second quarter. The US economy grew 1.5% at annual rates. See my browser at the address below for details. #economy #useconomy #business #gdp
philipmsmith.shinyapps.io/NatAcctsUSA/
philipmsmith.shinyapps.io/NatAcctsUSA/
August 26, 2026 at 2:31 PM
BEA released its second estimates of US real GDP in the second quarter. The US economy grew 1.5% at annual rates. See my browser at the address below for details. #economy #useconomy #business #gdp
philipmsmith.shinyapps.io/NatAcctsUSA/
philipmsmith.shinyapps.io/NatAcctsUSA/
Part of Paul Krugman's ([email protected]) commentary today on the US-CA trade war. www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPcy...
Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know (Official 4K Music Video)
YouTube video by Alanis Morissette
www.youtube.com
August 24, 2026 at 3:51 PM
Part of Paul Krugman's ([email protected]) commentary today on the US-CA trade war. www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPcy...
Here's my CPI browser with all of the price indexes released by Statistics Canada today. #cdnecon philipsmith.ca/CPI/cpi.html
Canadian Monthly CPI Dashboard
philipsmith.ca
August 17, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Here's my CPI browser with all of the price indexes released by Statistics Canada today. #cdnecon philipsmith.ca/CPI/cpi.html
Perhaps already proposed, I don't know, but if Canada must retaliate I suggest we impose 5% export taxes on electricity, potash and O&G, using the revenues from the tax to compensate firms in the those industries as much as we can. If the US retaliates to this, raise the tax to 10%. #cdnecon
August 15, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Perhaps already proposed, I don't know, but if Canada must retaliate I suggest we impose 5% export taxes on electricity, potash and O&G, using the revenues from the tax to compensate firms in the those industries as much as we can. If the US retaliates to this, raise the tax to 10%. #cdnecon
Herewith a simulation of Canadian labour market monthly flows among employment, unemployment and not in the labour force, done using the Claude AI Agent. #cdnecon philipsmith.ca/Cdn_labour_f...
Canada's labour-market conveyor — a particle view
philipsmith.ca
August 11, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Herewith a simulation of Canadian labour market monthly flows among employment, unemployment and not in the labour force, done using the Claude AI Agent. #cdnecon philipsmith.ca/Cdn_labour_f...
Foreign purchases of Canadian financial assets have been on a tear for the last two years. Evidently foreign investors' confidence in our economy is very much on the rise. #cdnecon
August 8, 2026 at 1:28 AM
Foreign purchases of Canadian financial assets have been on a tear for the last two years. Evidently foreign investors' confidence in our economy is very much on the rise. #cdnecon
The hours-worked growth gap since January 2024, between the O&G-producing and non-O&G-producing provinces remains wide. In July it widened further in goods-producing industries and narrowed in services-producing industries. #cdnecon
August 7, 2026 at 1:34 PM
The hours-worked growth gap since January 2024, between the O&G-producing and non-O&G-producing provinces remains wide. In July it widened further in goods-producing industries and narrowed in services-producing industries. #cdnecon
August 5, 2026 at 10:08 PM
On July 29 StatCan released a 'corrected' version of its table 36-10-0713-01 with annual labour productivity statistics for 2025, by industry and province. They contrast greatly with the annual version of the quarterly LP statistics released June 3. Hard to know what's going on with Canadian LP.
August 5, 2026 at 1:45 PM
On July 29 StatCan released a 'corrected' version of its table 36-10-0713-01 with annual labour productivity statistics for 2025, by industry and province. They contrast greatly with the annual version of the quarterly LP statistics released June 3. Hard to know what's going on with Canadian LP.
Canada's monthly exports to EU nations are volatile, but have been trending up since early 2024. They plunged during the pandemic period, but have now recovered to the pre-pandemic level. The government is doing what it can to keep them growing at a strong pace. #cdnecon
August 4, 2026 at 12:59 PM
Canada's monthly exports to EU nations are volatile, but have been trending up since early 2024. They plunged during the pandemic period, but have now recovered to the pre-pandemic level. The government is doing what it can to keep them growing at a strong pace. #cdnecon
Among the economically advanced democracies, it seems the smaller ones tend to have the most prosperity. The US, UK and Canada should learn from this although what the key lessons are, I am not sure. More decentralization perhaps? Or perhaps the opposite? prosperityindex.com/rankings
Rankings :: The Legatum Prosperity Index
Explore the Legatum Prosperity Index rankings. Compare how 161 countries perform across the Development, Freedom, and Society domains with detailed pillar breakdowns.
prosperityindex.com
August 1, 2026 at 12:51 PM
Among the economically advanced democracies, it seems the smaller ones tend to have the most prosperity. The US, UK and Canada should learn from this although what the key lessons are, I am not sure. More decentralization perhaps? Or perhaps the opposite? prosperityindex.com/rankings
With 0.9% real growth (3.5% at annual rates), as reported by Statistics Canada today, the Canadian economy was steaming in 2026 Q2. #cdnecon
July 31, 2026 at 12:44 PM
With 0.9% real growth (3.5% at annual rates), as reported by Statistics Canada today, the Canadian economy was steaming in 2026 Q2. #cdnecon