Monthly update: Canadian Economic Dashboard and COVID-19

The dashboard uses 18 indicators, including real gross domestic product, the Consumer Price Index, employment, hours worked, international merchandise imports and exports, retail sales, manufacturing sales, aircraft movements and railway carloadings, international travel and monthly food services.

Each indicator is presented from January 2019 to the current reference month and is expressed in terms of month-over-month and year-over-year changes. In addition, an index has been created for each indicator to make it easier to track and compare the relative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. December 2019 is the base reference period, and each index will provide a baseline to measure the effects of the pandemic as new data are released.

The dashboard will allow users to track the impact of the pandemic over time, as it affects different aspects of the economy.

More indicators may be added to the dashboard to provide additional measures in a timely manner and to provide a more comprehensive picture of the rapidly evolving situation.