Bank of Canada head says ‘shock-prone world’ shows need for productivity – National

Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says the world has become more prone to supply shocks, creating more risks to inflation.

He said now that inflation is under control, the central bank is in a better place to deal with any shocks.

Macklem spoke to reporters from Washington, where he was attending International Monetary Fund meetings.

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He spoke about the need to increase productivity, or how much work gets done in a given time frame.

He said productivity has been a longstanding problem in Canada, which is a risk to GDP and can add to inflationary pressures.

Macklem also said the Bank of Canada is digesting the federal government’s announcement Thursday that it is slashing immigration targets for the next few years.