Content and data provided by various third parties and Fidelity - Terms of Use
Print.Print
Small font size A Larger text size A Largest text size A

Canada's Labor Market Shows "Some Signs of Stabilization" in March, But There Are Buts, says Desjardins

BY MT Newswires | ECONOMIC | 04/10/26 09:14 AM EDT

09:14 AM EDT, 04/10/2026 (MT Newswires) -- After a string of job losses to begin the year, Canada's labour market had "some signs of stabilization" in March, says Royce Mendes at Desjardins after the release of Friday's Labour Force Survey (LFS) showing the Canadian economy added back 14,000 jobs in March, leaving the unemployment rate unchanged at 6.7%.

But, he adds, all of the new positions were part-time, with full-time jobs "stable" after a "devastating" decline of 108,000 in February.

Mendes also notes while the year-over-year pace of average hourly earnings accelerated in March, the pickup was due to compositional effects as Statistics Canada said average hourly earnings rose just 3.6% when keeping the composition fixed, suggesting wages "aren't actually heating up."

The bank's tracking for Q1 gross domestic product remains around 1.5% to 2.0%, roughly in line with the Bank of Canada's January forecast.

Overall, Mendes adds, there's nothing in Friday's LFS to suggest that the economy is perking up. Despite upgrading its oil price forecasts, Desjardins continues to believe central bankers will remain on the sidelines for the remainder of this year, given persistent slack in the economy.

MT Newswires does not provide investment advice. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

More Fixed Income News

All Fixed Income News

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

© 1998 – 2014 FMR LLC.

All rights reserved.
fir_news_article