U.S. Federal Reserve holds interest rate, saying it will take ‘longer than expected’ to start cutting

The U.S. Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday and signaled it is still leaning toward eventual reductions in borrowing costs, but that cuts could be delayed as recent inflation numbers have strayed further from its two per cent target. Indeed, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said it was likely to take longer than previously expected for Fed officials … Read more

Lengthier job hunts for recent graduates could be major factor in unemployment rate

Nearly a year after graduating from Carleton University with a degree in engineering physics, Surya Nareshan is still struggling to find employment. Nareshan, who lives in Ottawa, has applied for dozens of positions since May — mostly in software engineering and optics. While he’s made it through multiple rounds of interviews, including elaborate proficiency testing, he hasn’t yet found … Read more

U.S. inflation ticked up in February, driven by higher rent and gas prices

U.S. consumer prices increased solidly in February amid higher costs for gasoline and shelter, suggesting some stickiness in inflation that could delay an anticipated June interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve. The consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.4 per cent last month after climbing 0.3 per cent in January, the Labour Department’s Bureau of Labour Statistics … Read more

Lawyer Explains Why Termination Meetings Are Short and 3 Questions To Ask When You’re Fired

According to new figures, published by payroll provider Deel, the UK is witnessing a rapid increase of contract terminations compared to more than 160 countries across the globe. Deel’s statistics highlighted the sharp 14 per cent rise in contract terminations around the world towards the end of 2023, jumping from 28 per cent to a … Read more

Quebec tightening French-language requirements for storefronts, labels

Quebec business owners have about a year and a half to ensure all signs on businesses, aside from the company name, must be predominately in French.  Also, loopholes are being closed to ensure all products sold in Quebec have descriptions in the province’s official language. “Most of the companies won’t have any changes to make,” said … Read more

Unemployment rate held steady last month, StatsCan says

Statistics Canada says the total number of jobs in December was virtually unchanged for the month as the unemployment rate held steady at 5.8 per cent. The agency says the economy added a total of 100 jobs for the final month of the year. The result came as the number of full-time jobs fell by 23,500 in December, offset … Read more

Have you seen viral videos of long lineups of people looking for work? Here’s the possible reason for them

Videos and pictures of hundreds of people lined up outside businesses in Ontario in efforts to land jobs have gone viral on social media. The videos, taken in Waterloo region and other cities, include ones on the social media platform Reddit, where users reported seeing lineups at a Dollar Tree in Windsor in October and a Food Basics in Hamilton … Read more

U.S. Federal Reserve leaves key interest rate unchanged, expects 3 rate cuts in 2024

For a third straight time, the U.S. Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday, as it signalled its expectations to make a series of quarter-point cuts to the benchmark interest rate next year. Those envisioned rate cuts — which wouldn’t likely begin until the second half of 2024 — suggest officials think high borrowing rates … Read more