Here is a roundup of tales from The Canadian Press designed to carry you up to the mark on what it’s essential to know at the moment…
StatCan to launch January jobs report
Statistics Canada is ready to launch January job numbers this morning.
RBC says it expects Canadian employers added 10,000 jobs final month, which received’t be sufficient to maintain the unemployment charge from rising amid inhabitants development.
The financial institution says the unemployment charge doubtless rose to five.9 per cent, up from 5.8 per cent in December.
Canada’s labour market has cooled considerably during the last 12 months as excessive rates of interest have weighed on the economic system.
Economists count on this pattern to proceed in 2024, which might push the unemployment charge even larger.
30% of Canadians utilizing AI instruments: ballot
Despite worries synthetic intelligence lacks empathy and might be coming to steal their jobs, a rising variety of Canadians are turning to AI instruments, a brand new ballot suggests.
Thirty per cent of Canadians now use synthetic intelligence instruments, the Leger ballot prompt, up from 25 per cent a 12 months in the past, although two-thirds of respondents mentioned the prospect of getting them of their lives is frightening.
The ballot of 1,614 Canadians reveals a definite divide between how younger and older folks view AI — 58 per cent of these 18 to 34 reported utilizing AI instruments, in comparison with simply 13 per cent of these 55 and older.
Christian Bourque, government vice-president of Leger, mentioned the quantity of people that have been uncovered to or interacted with AI might be larger than reported, as a result of some people is probably not conscious they’re utilizing it. An internet site might need a chatbot introduce themselves as Dave, for instance — and the consumer could not understand Dave isn’t an actual person.
From farm to flyer: international pressures on groceries
Over the previous 12 months, the CEOs of Canada’s largest grocery chains have turn into acquainted faces to lawmakers finding out meals costs.
Executives have confronted questions from MPs and battled accusations of profiteering as their earnings rise.
But specialists say the primary elements which have pushed grocery costs up over the previous couple of years are international.
“The supply chains we have depended on for many decades now have come under massive stresses over the last five years — COVID, conflict, climate change being the most notable examples of big global macro stresses — and that is translated into broad-based inflation for all goods across the global economy,” mentioned Evan Fraser, director of the Arrell Food Institute on the University of Guelph.
Consumers are conscious about will increase in meals prices as a result of different prices, particularly housing, are additionally skyrocketing, mentioned Fraser, and so meals costs have turn into emblematic of a wider downside.
Police chief’s apology lacking key items: specialists
A southwestern Ontario police chief’s apology this week for the time it took to put sexual assault prices in opposition to 5 skilled hockey gamers marked an necessary step in acknowledging hurt however lacked key parts wanted to show full accountability and rebuild belief, specialists say.
In a information convention that drew nationwide consideration Monday, London, Ont., police Chief Thai Truong apologized to a complainant and her household on behalf of the pressure for taking practically six years to cost 5 then-members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey group.
Shannon Moore, a professor at Brock University whose analysis focuses on restorative justice and trauma-informed coverage, follow and pedagogy, says whereas the chief did nicely to acknowledge the delay and that the hurt it brought on goes “far beyond” the complainant, and appeared honest in expressing his remorse, “there are many more pieces that are needed” with the intention to assist restore among the hurt executed.
An efficient apology must mirror the “whole truth of the harm caused,” and that goes past simply the time it took to put prices, Moore mentioned. “It’s also what happened to just lead to this delay – what actions weren’t taken, which actions were taken.”
Progressive teams excluded from Chinatown parade
Progressive and LGBTQ+ teams say they’ve been excluded from Vancouver’s Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown this weekend, with considered one of their representatives saying they have been advised it was due to a ban on “political activism.”
Chinatown Together, organized by neighborhood activist Melody Ma, and LGBTQ+ group Lunar New Year For All say their purposes to march within the Spring Festival Parade on Sunday have been rejected by the committee that runs the occasion.
The parade marks the 12 months of the dragon, which begins on Saturday.
Ma posted a letter on social media that she says got here from the parade’s organizers, telling her that approval of Chinatown Together’s participation had been rescinded as a result of “political activism finds no place within the spirit of the event.”
The letter dated Feb. 3 says the parade is “dedicated to a sense of unity” and is deliberately distanced from spiritual or political affiliations.
Canadian manufacturers hope to attain with Swift followers
Most Canadian corporations locked of their Super Bowl advert house lengthy earlier than anybody knew the Kansas City Chiefs would make it to the ultimate match, however specialists say lots of these manufacturers can be seeking to rating huge with the viewers drawn in by the group’s most well-known fan: Taylor Swift.
The American pop star has been within the highlight at Kansas City’s NFL video games since she first cheered on her tight finish boyfriend Travis Kelce in opposition to the Chicago Bears in September. Many of her followers have since turn into rabid soccer watchers, attributing Swift with getting them into the sport.
Those followers symbolize a profitable alternative for manufacturers to department out past their typical targets — males between the ages of 18 and 35 — and attain tween, teen, Gen Z and millennial ladies, who are inclined to drive most selections round which items households purchase, advertising and marketing specialists say.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Feb. 9, 2024
The Canadian Press
