Andrew Grantham, an expert in Canadian economics, discusses the Canadian economy's unexpected growth in Q4, factors shaping the economy, labor market trends, and the potential impact of policies on inflation. The podcast also touches on the correlation between demand and production functions, the implications of quantitative tightening, and market predictions for interest rate cuts in the US and Canada.
Manufacturing sector shows strong growth post-supply disruptions, indicating capacity for GDP increase.
Decline in Canada's unemployment rate masks underlying labor market weakness and job creation challenges.
Deep dives
Non-inflationary growth and available low-hanging fruit in the Canadian economy
Despite initial concerns about non-inflationary growth, the demand portion of the economy has surpassed expectations. The manufacturing sector, in particular, has shown significant growth, driven by a rebound in supply after disruptions like strikes and wildfires. The availability of low-hanging fruit in manufacturing capacity suggests that further production increases are possible. These positive trends in growth and capacity utilization indicate potential for a half to 1% increase in GDP if supply issues are resolved, further supporting non-inflationary growth.
Labor market undercurrents and implications for the Canadian economy
While the recent unemployment rate in Canada appears to have declined, a closer look reveals that the decline is driven by a drop in participation rather than meaningful job creation. This suggests ongoing difficulty for job seekers who have been unemployed for three months or longer. Private paid full-time employment has experienced consecutive declines, signaling slower momentum in the labor market. Moreover, Canada has seen a higher growth rate in public sector employment compared to the private sector, indicating some labor market weakness. These factors imply that the overall labor market situation in Canada is more complex than the surface-level unemployment rate suggests.
Quantitative tightening and its impact on the Canadian economy
The Bank of Canada's quantitative tightening (QT) program has prompted discussions about its timing and the resultant effects on the economy. The injection of long-term liquidity through QT has supported the banking sector and potentially prevented deeper deleveraging. As the bank considers winding down QT, there may be changes in liquidity demand, and the bank might resume bond purchases in the primary and secondary markets. Concerns about reaching an optimal level of reserves and managing overnight repo rates have also arisen. The upcoming speech in mid-March is likely to provide additional guidance on the future of QT, offering insights into the changing liquidity environment.
Reassessing inflation measures and policy decisions in Canada
The Bank of Canada's attention is shifting towards evaluating different inflation measures and their implications for policy decisions. While previous measures like trim and median were heavily influenced by factors like food prices, new considerations like CPI X shelter are being explored. CPI X shelter has remained in a 2% inflation range since last year, indicating that inflation may be under control apart from shelter costs. This new focus suggests the central bank's recognition of potential issues with previous measures. Considering these factors, market expectations for future rate cuts by the Bank of Canada and the Federal Reserve have been reevaluated, with lower expectations for Bank of Canada cuts and greater alignment with market projections for the Federal Reserve
Ian is joined by Andrew Grantham this week, and the show begins by discussing why the Canadian economy appears to be growing much faster in Q4 compared to BoC expectations. The impact of previous supply-side restrictions, like the tragic wildfires in 2023 and the port strikes, are starting to filter through the data. This means Canada is seeing low-hanging fruit on the supply side of the economy, which should not have a big impact on inflation. The duo also discuss recent labour market trends in North America, and why conditions look to be less strong under-the-hood. Ian gives an update on CORRA and the eventual QT cessation announcement, focusing on the recent announcement that the Bank will discuss balance sheet normalization at an upcoming speech. The pair tie everything together and discuss the policy path priced by the market, and why it feels too ‘light’ given all the risks in the economy.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode