Core inflation rate now well below Bank of Canada’s target
Growth falls short of expectations as nine sectors report sales declines
Unemployment rate remains at 8.2%
StatsCan reports first increase in productivity in four quarters
Stock market gains, higher real estate prices support wealth of Canadians
Unemployment rate slides to lowest level since last April
Strong growth in imports indicates rising domestic demand
Sharp decline mainly a result of strike by Toronto civic workers
But while June’s drop was milder than expected, economists said the weighting to self employed and part-time positions is not encouraging
Economists say sharper than expected drop for retail sales in April indicates that recovery is not yet underway