http://www.carmagroup.ca// CARMA - Central Alberta Rural Manufacturers Association - Latest News en-ca http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/05/16/daily-economic-comment-manufacturing-flattens-out/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/05/16/daily-economic-comment-manufacturing-flattens-out/ Factory floors and refineries in Alberta have been a blur of activity lately. However, the rate of increase seems to have levelled off somewhat in the first quarter of 2012. Manufacturers in Alberta shipped a total of $6.4 billion worth of goods in March. That is only a slight improvement over... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/05/14/daily-economic-comment-regional-differences-in-unemployment/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/05/14/daily-economic-comment-regional-differences-in-unemployment/ With Alberta’s economy back in the groove, it’s a job bonanza for a lot of people—employment is at a record high. Still, the potential job opportunities are not uniform across the province for job seekers. Surprisingly, the highest rate of unemployment in Alberta is in... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/05/07/daily-eonomic-comment-construction-intentions-rise-in-march/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/05/07/daily-eonomic-comment-construction-intentions-rise-in-march/ Build it and they will come? Well first, you need permission to build—and the permission slips for Alberta home and non-residential developers are on the rise. The value of Alberta’s building permits issued in March rose to $1.21 billion, an increase of 5.6 per cent over February, and a... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/30/daily-economic-comment-canada-s-gdp-takes-a-dip/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/30/daily-economic-comment-canada-s-gdp-takes-a-dip/ Sometimes with the economy, it's two steps forward and one step back - and in February - the Canadian economy saw itself shuffling in reverse. The value of all goods and services produced in the country, the gross domestic product or the GDP, contracted by 0.2 per cent in February.  That was a... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/26/daily-economic-outlook-fatter-paycheques-for-albertans/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/26/daily-economic-outlook-fatter-paycheques-for-albertans/ Our booming economy is giving Albertans more reason to smile these days - with employees walking home at the end of the week with fatter paycheques than a year ago. In February, the average weekly earnings for employees in our province was $1,057.57, an increase of 2.6 per cent from a year... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/25/daily-economic-comment-rail-carloads-trend-higher/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/25/daily-economic-comment-rail-carloads-trend-higher/ Economists track several indicators to get a sense of how the overall economy is performing. One of the best indicators comes from the transportation industry.Statistics Canada reports railway carloads for everything from grains and copper ore, to steel pipe and intermodal containers carrying flat... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/19/daily-economic-comment-are-albertans-ready-for-higher-rates/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/19/daily-economic-comment-are-albertans-ready-for-higher-rates/ William McChesney Martin, the ninth longest serving chairman of the Federal Reserve, is quoted as saying the job of the central bank is to take the punchbowl away, just as the party gets going. Cheap money gets the party going, but keep it around too long and someone will have a mess on their... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/17/daily-eonomic-comment-manufacturing-ticks-higher-in-february/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/17/daily-eonomic-comment-manufacturing-ticks-higher-in-february/ The level of activity in factories and refineries across Alberta is an important barometer of the overall economy. In February, the province’s manufacturers were churning out product at a fast pace, nearly surpassing a recent record high. But more importantly, they’re making more... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/12/daily-economic-comment-trade-numbers-fail-to-impress/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/12/daily-economic-comment-trade-numbers-fail-to-impress/ It was hoped that international trade would pick up to help offset an expected slowdown in economic growth resulting from government spending cuts and eventual reduced construction activity in the GTA. Today’s merchandise trade numbers might have thrown a little cold water on that... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/10/daily-economic-comment-albertan-tax-refund-intentions/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/10/daily-economic-comment-albertan-tax-refund-intentions/ Easter’s over and the next big date on the calendar is the end of the month, tax filing season is upon us. While it’s hard to find anyone who actually enjoys paying taxes, it’s a necessary evil and more Albertans than not will actually be receiving money from the... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/05/daily-economic-comment-alberta-job-market-inches-forward/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/05/daily-economic-comment-alberta-job-market-inches-forward/ Alberta boasted the best labour market in the country last year, creating half of all new jobs from coast to coast. In the spring of 2012, the province is still creating jobs, but at a somewhat slower pace. And in March, central Canada’s job market was playing catch-up to Alberta. According... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/03/daily-economic-comment-keep-on-truckin/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/04/03/daily-economic-comment-keep-on-truckin/ The movement of goods and materials is something that most of us take for granted, but without a reliable and profitable transportation sector, Alberta’s economy would stall. Trucking makes up an important part of overall transportation in the province, with both revenues and expenses... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/03/19/daily-economic-outlook-alberta-s-low-post-secondary-enrollment/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/03/19/daily-economic-outlook-alberta-s-low-post-secondary-enrollment/ Alberta may top the other provinces in a lot of economic and social indicators, but in terms of enrolment in post-secondary education programs, Wild Rose Country is lagging behind most of the others. According to numbers released today by Statistics Canada, only 4.95% of Albertans were enrolled... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/03/14/motor-vehicle-sales-soar-in-january/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/03/14/motor-vehicle-sales-soar-in-january/ Shopping for a new car or truck is an activity usually associated with rising consumer confidence and optimism in the economy. If that’s the case, Albertans are feeling better about their job and wage opportunities than they have at any other point since the beginning of the downturn in... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/02/16/daily-economic-comment-manufacturing-simmers-down/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/02/16/daily-economic-comment-manufacturing-simmers-down/ Refineries and factory floors throughout Alberta really ramped up production last year. But by the time December 2011 rolled around, it appears that some of them were ready for a bit of a break. Sales from Alberta manufacturers slipped in December to $6.322 billion—down 3.5% from the... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/02/10/daily-economic-comment-alberta-s-surging-population/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/02/10/daily-economic-comment-alberta-s-surging-population/ The 2011 Census confirmed what most people already knew; Alberta's population is growing at almost twice the national rate.  Ontarians should rest assured of their dominant place in confederacy because even at current growth rates it would take well over 150 years before Alberta is the most... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/01/19/pipeline-rejection-angers-manufacturing-groups/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/01/19/pipeline-rejection-angers-manufacturing-groups/ U.S. manufacturing groups ripped President Obama's decision Jan. 18 to reject a construction permit for the Keystone XL pipeline as a major setback to the nation's energy security. "The decision to say no to a project that would create 20,000 manufacturing and construction jobs - with an... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/01/19/daily-economic-comment-manufacturing-rides-the-100-oil-highway/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/01/19/daily-economic-comment-manufacturing-rides-the-100-oil-highway/ Across North America, a nascent recovery in manufacturing is raising some hopes fo the general economy returning to health.  Factory floors and refineries in Alberta were doing more than their part to boost shipments towards the end of last year. Alberta manufacturers shipped $6.4... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/01/09/daily-economic-comment-canadian-businesses-less-optimistic/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/01/09/daily-economic-comment-canadian-businesses-less-optimistic/ Economists track a lot of numbers - stock market movements, capital flows, and currency exchange rates - to get a sense of what the economy is doing.  But much insight can be gained simply by going out and asking companies what they’re experiencing.  And according to one survey... http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/01/06/daily-economic-comment-alberta-businesses-look-to-the-bright-side/ http://www.carmagroup.ca/news/2012/01/06/daily-economic-comment-alberta-businesses-look-to-the-bright-side/ As 2011 drew to a close, the Canadian economy appeared vulnerable to a myriad of global concerns, But according to a survey of members by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, small and medium-sized enterprises are becoming somewhat more optimistic- a trend that is particularly evident in...