{"id":2233,"date":"2021-03-05T10:19:18","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T15:19:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianlending.ca\/investors\/?p=2233"},"modified":"2023-05-17T16:20:28","modified_gmt":"2023-05-17T20:20:28","slug":"the-5-most-important-graphs-for-canadians-to-watch-in-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.canadianlending.ca\/investors\/the-5-most-important-graphs-for-canadians-to-watch-in-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5 Most Important Graphs for Canadians to Watch in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"
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After an unprecedented year, 2021 brings hope of revival for public health, the economy, and personal finances. For many Canadians, however, the new year began with strict lockdown orders that mirrored the first pandemic wave in March. Although the World Economic Forum is talking about the \u201cgreat reset,\u201d<\/span> most Canadians are merely looking for a semblance of normalcy in the wake of the pandemic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While nobody knows for sure when life will return to normal, there are five charts Canadians should monitor if they wish to truly gauge the post-Covid recovery. These charts provide a good barometer for assessing the performance of our economy and the resilience of our public health system in 2021.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Covid-19 Cases\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The number of daily Covid-19 infections is perhaps the single-most important indicator to keep track of in 2021. Cases skyrocketed in the fall, eventually peaking in January before levelling off in the latter half of the month. In terms of raw numbers, the second wave has been far more severe than the first.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Provinces across Canada locked down their economies in the fall to combat the spread of the virus. Ontario issued a stay-at-home order, Quebec implemented curfews, and some Atlantic provinces restricted travel.<\/span><\/p>\n Provincial governments are monitoring their caseloads <\/span>as they carefully<\/span> begin the process of reopening their economies. So long as regions remain in lockdown, the prospect of a healthy economic rebound could be jeopardized.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The silver lining is that highly effective treatments to reduce the severity and spread of Covid-19 are on the way. Despite being delayed in transit, vaccines are expected to arrive in greater numbers over the coming months with most Canadians expected to be vaccinated by the third quarter.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Unemployment<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Canada\u2019s employment picture improved significantly throughout 2020, as the nation recouped millions of jobs that were lost during the first wave of the pandemic. Between May and November, the nation added more than 2.6 million jobs, partially recouping the more than 3 million jobs lost in March and April combined. The unemployment rate also fell from a record high of 13.7% in May to 8.5% in November. The jobless rate ended the year at 8.6%.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The national unemployment rate was 5.6% before the pandemic began. A sustained decline back towards that level would offer a compelling sign that the economy is returning to normal.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For Canada\u2019s employment picture to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, the economy would need to add roughly 100,000 jobs per month, which is much larger than typical recoveries. Assuming a more modest pace of expansion, a full employment recovery could take until the end of 2022. <\/span>In the meantime, the unemployment rate could provide important clues about our return to normal. Although joblessness has declined significantly since the spring of 2020, it remains well above pre-pandemic levels. The labour recovery stalled in the fourth quarter as more provinces reverted to lockdown measures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Percentage of Canadians Teleworking<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The pandemic appears to have accelerated a societal and attitudinal shift towards decentralization, as more people work from home than ever before. During the first wave of lockdowns, Statistics Canada reported that nearly 42% of employees worked from home. Although that figure has declined over the past six months, more than a quarter of Canadians are still working remotely.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It appears that a large segment of the knowledge economy has shifted permanently or semi-permanently to remote work. More employers have acknowledged that their staff can effectively do their jobs at home. In fact, a quarter of Canadian businesses expect that 10% or more of their staff will continue to telework after the pandemic is over.<\/span> So, while it\u2019s reasonable to expect that telework will decline once vaccinations are rolled out, a large segment of the population will probably continue to work from home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Work-from-home trends over the next 12 months could signal an important shift underway in the economy. If the trend continues, as many expect it should, work-from-home could have a significant impact on housing trends, public transportation, and even gasoline purchases.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Federal Debt<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n When it comes to the federal deficit and gross debt, there\u2019s no way to sugar coat it: Government lockdowns have put significant strain on our finances. As the chart above illustrates, there have been four spikes in federal government deficits and debt over the past 100 years. We are currently living through the fourth one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Projections based on Chrystia Freeland\u2019s <\/span>Fiscal Update<\/span><\/i> show that debt-to-GDP levels are expected to remain well above pre-pandemic levels for the next several years. At the peak, the deficit is expected to reach 17.5% of GDP. The gross debt is projected to hit 79% of GDP.<\/span><\/p>\n From inflation to higher taxes, massive budget deficits can have several unintended consequences.<\/span> Last November, Ottawa said it expects the federal deficit to exceed $381 billion due to emergency spending.<\/span> Deficit projections could shift in the coming months as the federal government revises its fiscal outlook. These projections will serve as a benchmark for evaluating the severity of the public health crisis and its impact on public finances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Toronto\u2019s Condo Market<\/b><\/p>\nCovid\u2019s second wave has been much more severe than the first. | Source: <\/i><\/b>CBC<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n
Canada\u2019s unemployment rate peaked in May 2020, but the path to pre-pandemic levels remains a way off. | Source: <\/i><\/b>Statistics Canada<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n
By the end of 2020, more than a quarter of Canadians were still working from home. | Source: <\/i><\/b>Statistics Canada<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n
Canada\u2019s deficit-to-GDP has reached the highest level since the Great Depression. | Source: <\/i><\/b>Macleans<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n