5 min read
ICBA ECONOMICS: Focus on B.C. Construction Labour Supply & Demand
By Jock Finlayson, ICBA Economics The availability and cost of qualified workers is a day-to-day concern for many ICBA members as well as for the...
Economics (9)
3 min read
ICBA ECONOMICS: Household Formation, Immigration and Housing Markets
By Jock Finlayson, ICBA Chief Economist The 2024 federal budget unveiled dozens of new initiatives intended to address Canada’s unfolding housing...
2 min read
ICBA ECONOMICS: Trudeau Government Creating Difficult Fiscal Legacy
By Jock Finlayson, ICBA Chief Economist When future historians assess the economic and fiscal record of the Justin Trudeau government, they are...
5 min read
ICBA ECONOMICS: Thoughts on Canada’s Productivity Crisis
By Jock Finlayson, ICBA Chief Economist With the 2024 federal budget due to be delivered on April 16th, now is a good time to summarize the major...
2 min read
ICBA ECONOMICS: The Role of the Construction and Real Estate Industries in 'Corporate B.C.'
By Jock Finlayson, ICBA Chief Economist Recent news that the Royal Bank has completed its planned takeover of HSBC Bank Canada points to a further...
1 min read
ICBA ECONOMICS: Sluggish Building Construction in Most of Canada
By Jock Finlayson, ICBA Chief Economist Nationally, investment in building construction fell slightly in January 2024. Investment was lower (-1.4%...
2 min read
ICBA ECONOMICS: Canada’s Prosperity has Flatlined since 2014
By Jock Finlayson, ICBA Chief Economist Canada’s economic prosperity is stagnating, at best. Many readers may feel this, based on their own...
4 min read
ICBA ECONOMICS: Damn the Fiscal Torpedoes! Assessing the 2024 B.C. Budget
By Jock Finlayson, ICBA Chief Economist Any lingering doubts as to whether government is now the principal “growth industry” in British Columbia can...
2 min read
ICBA ECONOMICS: Income Trends Key To Creating Affordability
By Jock Finlayson, ICBA Chief Economist At a time when affordability and the cost of living have emerged as top-of-mind issues for many Canadians, it...
1 min read
ICBA ECONOMICS: Building Permits Slowing as Economy Softens
By Jock Finlayson, ICBA Chief Economist In the waning weeks of 2023, Canadian building permits turned lower, consistent with a stagnant national...