Paul Martin’s Business Update – January 20th, 2015

One of the most useful indicators to track the performance of the Saskatchewan economy is investment. It was the bellwether metric that changed ten or twelve years ago when the economy began its upward shift.

So, we watch it closely to get a handle on any potential changes.

The latest information on this topic comes from the fourth quarter of last year and examines non-residential construction. This is one component of the investment equation but it can be a big one.

The last three months of 2014 were basically flat although there were some ups and downs in a few of the categories that are included in this calculation. Commercial buildings – this includes retail and office space – were up significantly while industrial and institutional building activity was lower than at the same time in the previous year.

On a civic basis, Regina ended the year on a strong note, up 30-percent over the same time a year earlier, while Saskatoon was actually down about 15 per cent, one of the bigger declines in the country.

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