Is Canada still heading for a recession in 2023?

Now almost halfway through 2023, economists’ predictions for a recession have yet to materialize as data continues to paint a picture of a resilient Canadian economy, despite pressure from high inflation and steep interest rate hikes.

This week’s GDP figures reflected faster-than-expected growth, strong household spending and an early reading of economic growth kicking off the second quarter, adding to the spate of jobs reports that have showed persistent strength in Canada’s labour market.

The surprisingly strong data points have some economists reassessing their past calls for a 2023 recession in Canada. Some say a downturn could still be on the way, though it could be uneven and arrive later than previously expected.

Doug Porter, chief economist at Bank of Montreal, told BNN Bloomberg that the economy has showed “more underlying strength than expected.”