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Canada Manufacturing PMI slowed to a 6-month low in January, falling from 57.9 to 54.4. Still, the index remains in expansionary territory, with readings well above the 50-level.
January job numbers were awful. The economy shed some 212.8 thousand jobs, a second straight decline and much weaker than the estimate of -43.5 thousand. The unemployment rate jumped from 8.6% to 9.4%, its highest level in five months. This missed the forecast of 8.9%.
Despite the dismal job data, the Canadian dollar gained ground after the release, as US Nonfarm Payrolls sent the US dollar broadly lower. Ivey PMI improved to 48.4, up from 46.7. The index remained in contraction territory for a second successive month.
In the US, ISM Manufacturing PMI dipped to 58.7, down from 60.7 beforehand. Still, this figure points to strong expansion, as manufacturing remains a bright spot in the US economy. The services sector grew for an eighth straight month in a row, as the ISM Services PMI improved to 58.7, up from 57.2 beforehand. This was the highest reading since February 2019.
U.S. Nonfarm Payrolls disappointed with a negligible gain of 49 thousand, which didn’t even reach the forecast of 85 thousand. Wage growth rose 0.2%, down from 0.8% beforehand. There was better news from the unemployment rate, which dropped from 6.7% to 6.3%, its lowest level since March.
