Canada Small Business Confidence Hits Five-Month High

2026-07-23 11:22 By Larissa Caser 1 min. read

Canada's CFIB Business Barometer long-term index, which measures 12-month business expectations, climbed to 58.3 in July 2026 from 50.1 in June, reaching its highest level since tensions in the Middle East began.

The short-term optimism index, based on the three-month outlook, also rose sharply to 57.0 from 47.2.

Confidence improved across sectors, with most remaining in positive territory, although persistent uncertainty continued to weigh on near-term sentiment.

Meanwhile, firms' average planned price increases eased to 2.7% from 3.0%, while expected wage growth held steady at 2.3%.

Hiring intentions improved modestly, as the share of businesses planning to add full-time staff increased to 15% from 13%, exceeding those expecting to reduce headcount (11% vs. 12% previously).

Weak demand remained the most frequently cited constraint, affecting half of all businesses, while higher fuel, taxes, insurance, and wage costs continued to pressure on operating expenses.



News Stream
Canada Small Business Confidence Hits Five-Month High
Canada's CFIB Business Barometer long-term index, which measures 12-month business expectations, climbed to 58.3 in July 2026 from 50.1 in June, reaching its highest level since tensions in the Middle East began. The short-term optimism index, based on the three-month outlook, also rose sharply to 57.0 from 47.2. Confidence improved across sectors, with most remaining in positive territory, although persistent uncertainty continued to weigh on near-term sentiment. Meanwhile, firms' average planned price increases eased to 2.7% from 3.0%, while expected wage growth held steady at 2.3%. Hiring intentions improved modestly, as the share of businesses planning to add full-time staff increased to 15% from 13%, exceeding those expecting to reduce headcount (11% vs. 12% previously). Weak demand remained the most frequently cited constraint, affecting half of all businesses, while higher fuel, taxes, insurance, and wage costs continued to pressure on operating expenses.
2026-07-23
Canada Small Business Confidence Rises in June
Canada's CFIB Business Barometer long-term index, which tracks 12-month forward expectations for business performance, rose to 49.6 in June 2026 from 46.3 in May. The short-term optimism index, based on the 3-month outlook, declined to 46.1 from 48.1 in the prior month. Sentiment weakened across most sectors, namely retail (48.5 vs 53.6), transportation and utilities (45.3 vs 46.7), agriculture (43 vs 45.5) and accommodation and food services (38.8 vs 47.3), with most also recording short-term declines. The average price increase edged down to 3% from 3.1%, while average wages moderated to 2.3% from 2.4%. Although staffing intentions improved, labor market sentiment remained weak, with more firms planning to lay-off (13% vs 16% in May) than hire (12% vs 14%). Low demand remained the most commonly cited supply-side constraint, reported by 53% of firms. On the cost side, fuel prices continued to be the dominant constraint on input supply.
2026-06-19
Canada Small Business Confidence at 1-Year Low
Canada's CFIB Business Barometer long-term index, which tracks 12-month forward expectations for business performance, fell sharply to 46.3 in May 2026 from a downwardly revised 58.0 in April, marking the lowest reading in a year. The short-term optimism index, based on the 3-month outlook, also declined by roughly 7 points to 47.9, reflecting weaker sentiment. The decline in long-term expectations was broad-based across sectors, with some of the steepest drops recorded in retail (53.4 vs. 63.5), health and education (51.7 vs. 61.5), hospitality (47.3 vs. 57.1), and agriculture (44.6 vs. 53.3). Meanwhile, the average price increase eased to 3.1% from 3.2% in March, although remaining elevated, while the average wage growth remained unchanged at 2.4%. Full-time hiring intentions remain weak, with more firms planning to cut staff (16%) than expand their workforce (14%).
2026-05-22