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Oil Prices Are Spiking — Here's What It Means for Your Gas Tank and Grocery Bill

  Published July 17, 2026 Crude oil is trading near one-month highs this week, and if you've filled up your tank recently, you've probably already felt it. The culprit: an escalating conflict in the Middle East that's disrupting one of the world's most important oil shipping routes — and it's starting to show up at Canadian pumps and, eventually, on grocery store shelves. What's happening with oil prices West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the North American benchmark, has been trading around the $79–$80 per barrel range this week — up roughly 5% over the past month. Brent crude, the global benchmark that matters more for what Canadians pay at the pump, has been hovering near $85 per barrel, also near a one-month high. The spike traces back to renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. reimposed a naval blockade on Iran and has intensified strikes, while Iran has responded with attacks on U.S. bases and threats to disrupt regional energy shipments further. ...
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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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