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Wall Street Pauses as Earnings Season Heats Up

U.S. stock futures were mixed on Wednesday as investors braced for a wave of corporate earnings that could set the tone for markets in the weeks ahead. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq 100 hovered near flat, while S&P 500 contracts edged slightly higher. The cautious mood followed a record-setting session for the Dow, which closed at an all-time high above 47,000 on Tuesday, buoyed by strong results from blue-chip names like Coca-Cola. However, sentiment was tempered after Netflix shares tumbled more than 6% in after-hours trading on weaker-than-expected quarterly results. All eyes are now on Tesla, IBM, and other major companies set to report later today. Tesla’s earnings, in particular, are expected to be a key test for the so-called “Magnificent Seven” tech giants that have powered much of this year’s rally. Meanwhile, bond markets remained steady, with the 10-year Treasury yield holding just under 4%. Investors are also watching closely for signs ...

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Population growth outpaces job creation in Canada

 


Canada’s labour market is facing a challenge as the number of people looking for work is growing faster than the number of jobs available. According to Statistics Canada, employment increased by 25,000 in November, but the unemployment rate rose to 5.8 per cent from 5.7 per cent in October. This is because the population aged 15 and over grew by 870,000, or 2.7 per cent, since the beginning of the year, while the net job gain was only 430,000.

The Bank of Canada has been raising interest rates to curb inflation, but this has also slowed down the economy and the demand for labour. Some economists expect the central bank to start cutting rates in the second quarter of next year to stimulate growth and stabilize the labour market.

The job gains in November were concentrated in the private sector, full-time work, manufacturing and construction. However, some industries, such as wholesale and retail trade, finance, insurance and real estate, saw job losses. Younger workers (15 to 24) also faced higher unemployment than other age groups.

Average hourly wages rose 4.8 per cent year over year in November, matching the increase in October. The Bank of Canada is monitoring wage growth for signs of inflationary pressure. Total hours worked across the economy fell 0.7 per cent in November, indicating a weak performance of gross domestic product that month.


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