Canada’s federal government has committed $176 billion over five years to boost productivity and unlock private investment. While on the surface it sounds transformative, the architects of Canada’s economic future are quietly skeptical about whether this actually works.
In this episode of the CRE Talks Economics podcast, Pedro Antunes, chief economist at The Conference Board of Canada, joins host Adam Jacobs to unpack why Canada continues to lag peers on productivity and what it means for businesses, policymakers and real estate decision-makers in the year ahead.
What you’ll learn:
- How to diagnose Canada's productivity gap;
- why federal budget catalyst effects may overpromise;
- the residential construction productivity trap;
- how to segment labour market health beyond headline unemployment;
- why Canada's dramatic immigration reversal creates structural uncertainty; and
- the AI productivity opportunity and displacement risk.
Antunes leads a team of economists focused on thought leadership across productivity, labour market dynamics, trade diversification, federal budgeting and human capital development. As a recognized spokesperson for the Conference Board, he provides expert testimony to Parliament and regularly engages with business leaders, policymakers and media on economic issues shaping Canada's future.
