(04/28/10) -

More Canadians Satisfied with Domestic Economy

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many people in Canada believe the country’s financial standing has improved this year, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 58 per cent of respondents rate the economic conditions in Canada today as good or very good, up four points since March.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many people in Canada believe the country’s financial standing has improved this year, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 58 per cent of respondents rate the economic conditions in Canada today as good or very good, up four points since March.

Canadians renewed the House of Commons in October 2008. The Conservative party—led by Stephen Harper—received 37.6 per cent of the vote, and secured 143 seats in the 308-member lower house. Harper assembled a minority administration. The Tories also earned a minority mandate after the 2006 election, ending more than 12 years of government by the Liberal party.

Since 2007, defaults on so-called subprime mortgages—credit given to high-risk borrowers—in the United States caused volatility in domestic and global financial markets and ultimately pushed the U.S. economy into a recession. A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth. The crisis has affected the global financial and credit systems.

Canada’s unemployment rate stood at 8.2 per cent in March 2010.

On Apr. 22, Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney discussed the current state of affairs, saying, "The first point is there is some good news here, in that our economy has returned to growth, and I think it’s clear now to everybody that there is some momentum in the Canadian economy. (…) I think for Canadians they can expect to see a slow improvement, but an improvement, in the labour market."

Polling Data

How would you rate the economic conditions in Canada today?

Complete Poll (PDF)