An article on the lack of benefits provided by small- and medium-sized employers in Eastern Canada was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. 80% of SMEs in Eastern Canada don’t provide employee benefits: survey 2. Bank of England intervened in bond market to […]
Canada’s employment insurance system requires modernization to weather negative economic shocks, according to a new report by the C.D. Howe Institute. The report, which analyzed unemployment rates across Canada over 13 years, found 85 per cent of the variation in rates reflects provincial differences, including layoffs occurring in regions characterized by persistent high unemployment rates […]
While publicly traded real estate investment trusts have been impacted by rising interest rates, the extent of the impact varies from market to market, said Corrado Russo, managing partner and head of global securities at Hazelview Investments, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2022 Risk Management Conference. “It’s not shocking to see those [markets] that […]
In the midst of historically high inflation and ahead of a possible recession, it’s important for employers to offer benefits like financial counselling and flexible spending accounts to support employees’ financial and mental well-being. Mercer Canada predicts a 40 per cent chance of heading into a recession, according to feedback from investment managers and relevant data. […]
With increased market volatility due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, central banks in the West looking to tighten monetary policies as the world begins emerging from the coronavirus pandemic and higher, more persistent inflation than anticipated, bond investors are in for a wild ride, said Samantha Klein, lead of institutional business for T. Rowe Price […]
The governor of the Bank of Canada said managing the risks from the pandemic is more critical than ever and it is key to a recovery and the stability of society. Tiff Macklem said in a Thursday morning speech that a second historic recession in just over a decade underlines how managing financial system risks […]
For the second year in a row, Canada ranked No. 8 among developed nations for retiree well-being, according to Natixis Investment Managers’ annual global retirement index. The index, which provides an overview of the relative well-being and financial security of retirees in 44 countries, examined 18 factors across four categories: finances in retirement, material well-being, […]
Developing economies in Asia will contract in 2020, the first such downturn in nearly 60 years, the Asian Development Bank said Tuesday in an update to its forecasts. The update of the ADB’s outlook estimates the regional economy will contract 0.7 per cent this year, recovering to 6.8 per cent growth in 2021. Conditions could […]
Economists say there is no doubt that Canada is experiencing a recession, but the exact criteria determining one is underway can be fraught with confusion. Broadly speaking, a recession is a period of business contraction where economic activity declines. But what exactly constitutes a decline, and over what time period, is the subject of much […]
U.S. public pension funds can expect to see hurdles from the coronavirus crisis similar to those experienced in past recessions, according to a new report by Cerulli Associates. In the past two recessions, public plans saw a decrease in their funded statuses. “According to survey data gathered form the National Association of State Retirement Administrators, […]