The Top Economic Stories of 2020 Part 4 of 5

Notwithstanding the many American citizens who live in Canada, most of us cannot vote in U.S. elections. And yet, we pay attention to them as much or more than we do our own—at least when the presidency is on the line. The U.S. is, after all, our neighbour, largest trading partner, military ally, main source of tourists and the winter landing spot for many snowbirds from Canada. 

The recent race between President Trump and former Vice President Biden for what is arguably the most powerful elected position in the world was particularly gripping.

What does…

The Top Economic Stories of 2020 Part 3 of 5

China has become, and will continue to be, a source of important economic news. From a trade war with the United States to its rapid economic recovery in the face of COVID to the signing of the The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), China continues to make large economic waves with ripple effects felt around the world, including Alberta.

Some of us on The Owl team are long enough in the tooth to remember when the big economic player and newsmaker in Asia was Japan. China was barely on the radar.

Fast forward to today, and even though…

The Top Economic Stories of 2020 Part 2 of 5

ATB Economics

Second only to the pandemic in terms of its negative impact on the Alberta economy in 2020 is the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia.

Back in January 2020 before COVID was a household word, the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) forecast for the average price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude in 2020 was $US59. As of December 8, the EIA expects the 2020 average to come in just under $39. The price averaged $57 in 2019.

The demand destruction brought on by the pandemic is the main reason for the difference, but bad…

ATB Economics | August 13, 2020

Home building activity in Alberta picked up in July, but remains relatively low.

The number of seasonally adjusted housing starts in June fell to their lowest level since October 1991, but rebounded by 52 per cent in July.

Unfortunately, starts in the province were still down by 22 per cent compared to July 2019 and by 12 per cent over the first seven months of 2020 versus the same period last year.

The situation is markedly different in central Canada.

Despite falling to zero in April in the face of public health measures,…

The Ripple Effects Of Lower Oil Production and Investment

Between the pandemic and oil price crash, oil producers in Alberta have been compelled to cut both capital expenditures and production. This, in turn, means fewer jobs, lower exports, reduced demand for goods and services used by the oil sector, truncated government royalties and stunted economic growth overall.

In an effort to quantify the economic impact of the cuts, Statistics Canada released a study last week entitled “The Decline in Production and Investment in Canada’s Oil and Gas Sector and its Impact on the Economy.”

The study found…