BoC Widely Expected to Cut Interest Rates Today, Odds Leaning Toward Half-Point Cut

BoC Widely Expected to Cut Interest Rates Today, Odds Leaning Toward Half-Point Cut
A worker rolls signs past the Bank of Canada, on April 10, 2024 in Ottawa. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld
The Canadian Press
Updated:
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The Bank of Canada is set to make its final interest rate announcement of the year this morning.

Forecasters are widely expecting a half-percentage point interest rate cut.

That would bring the Bank of Canada’s key rate down to 3.25 percent.

The November labour force survey solidified those expectations, as the latest employment figures showed the jobless rate rose to 6.8 percent.

The central bank lowered its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point in October in response to inflation returning to its two percent target.

Governor Tiff Macklem wouldn’t say at the time whether the central bank would follow up with another jumbo cut in December, and instead said the decision would be data-dependent.