Economy

Biden Faces Fresh Challenges on Covid-19, Economy – The Wall Street Journal

Published

3 years ago

July 25, 2021

WASHINGTON—President Biden took office with the goals of overcoming the coronavirus pandemic, spurring economic growth and winning legislative approval for trillions in new spending.

Six months in, all three of his major objectives are being tested.

Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the rise, spurred by the Delta variant and vaccine resistance from a slice of the population. Concerns over the spread of the pandemic have caused some turbulence in the financial markets and consumer prices are ticking up, prompting warnings about long-term inflation. A bipartisan infrastructure deal and a broader Democratic spending bill remain deep in negotiations and a long way from Mr. Biden’s desk.

During a cabinet meeting last week, the president in his public remarks highlighted his work so far but acknowledged some of the current pressure points. “I know it seems like a constant uphill climb…we’re making progress, but we’ve got a way to go yet,” Mr. Biden said of the vaccination effort.

He emphasized the need for “constant vigilance” against the virus, asserted that his economic program would “generate significant continued economic growth” and defended his infrastructure and antipoverty legislative plans as popular.

Since Mr. Biden took office, more than three million jobs have been created and nearly 60% of American adults are now fully vaccinated. When he reached an agreement with Republicans in June on a bipartisan framework for a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure proposal, he said it showed that bipartisanship was possible.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has criticized the spending legislation.

Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Now, Mr. Biden appears to be moving into a more challenging phase of his presidency. A Gallup poll released Friday put Mr. Biden’s job approval at 50%, the lowest mark since he took office. He is trying to convince skeptics—many of whom don’t support him politically—to get vaccines. He is seeking to ease public worries about price increases. And after investing much time in a bipartisan framework on infrastructure reached with Republican and Democratic senators, the White House now must help steer the bill to the finish line.

A new poll from ABC News/Ipsos released Sunday found that 45% of Americans were optimistic about the direction of the country—a drop from 64% expressing optimism in the spring.

Republicans say Mr. Biden’s policies will damage the economy. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) tweeted recently that “the Democrats’ inflation is destroying Americans’ hope for financial security.” And Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) has taken to calling the spending plans a “reckless tax and spending spree.”

Mr. Biden’s allies note that part of governing is dealing with the unexpected, and they give him credit for managing the pandemic and pushing his agenda in a divided Congress.

“All presidents have to deal with these external factors that just careen into their presidency,” said Sen. Ed Markey (D., Mass.). “But on this big agenda which he has for infrastructure and for family, he’s right on pace.”

The White House has been on the defensive as Covid-19 cases rise again. A vaccination site in New York City on Thursday.

Photo: Mary Altaffer/Associated Press

The White House continues to express optimism. White House senior adviser Anita Dunn briefed Democratic lawmakers Thursday about the president’s economic plans, with a slideshow that emphasized the administration’s arguments that the agenda will boost jobs and help working families, including polling data showing the popularity of the initiatives.

But the White House acknowledges the depth of Mr. Biden’s challenges. “He has a lot on his plate, and he is fully focused on all of it. And so we just keep pressing on,” senior adviser Mike Donilon said during a briefing call with reporters.

On vaccinations, the White House has been on the defensive in recent days as cases rise again after having fallen earlier in the year, and amid news of breakthrough infections at the White House and the Capitol. The country still hasn’t quite reached Mr. Biden’s goal, initially set for July 4, of reaching 70% of Americans with at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. So far, over 68% of adults aged 18 and older have received one shot and nearly 60% have been fully vaccinated.

Mr. Biden has been asked repeatedly whether mask guidelines should be reconsidered. Some local governments have reimposed masking rules as the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant drives up cases in every state in the country.

Before a meeting at the White House on Thursday, he said the administration would follow the scientific advice. He repeated his argument that the current situation is a “pandemic among the non-vaccinated,” adding that the vaccinated were protected against infection in most cases, and from serious illness if they do contract the virus.

Mr. Biden has also tussled with
Facebook
over the social media company’s role in policing misinformation about Covid-19 and vaccines.

William Galston, a former aide to President Bill Clinton, said the president faced risks if he wasn’t able to meet his public goals.

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“Expectations have been raised,” he said. “If those expectations are dashed, my fear is there could be a reaction.”

White House officials have long said the pandemic and economy are intertwined, and success in vaccinations would bolster job growth. The president has delivered remarks at the start of each month to highlight the rebound in hiring—with employers adding an average of about 600,000 jobs a month since the start of his presidency.

But the turbulence and polls showing growing concern over inflation have prompted Mr. Biden to push back against critics who say his spending policies, and pursuit of tax increases, are the wrong economic prescription.

He has acknowledged inflation in the short term but asserted that it won’t be a long-term issue for Americans—a message that could become difficult to maintain if consumers continue to face higher prices in the coming months.

“People are paying more for everything—when they can get it. If there’s one thing Americans don’t like doing, it’s standing in lines and paying more for something,” said

Chris LaCivita,
a Virginia-based Republican strategist. Virginia holds a gubernatorial election in November that could serve as an early test of Mr. Biden’s political strength.

The White House views Mr. Biden’s legislative agenda as the best way to position Democrats in next year’s midterms. Mr. Biden notched an early victory with the passage of a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief law during his first 100 days and has used executive action to overturn many actions taken by former President Donald Trump.

Enacting the next major planks of his agenda rests on whether he can secure support for a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure package and a separate $3.5 trillion measure to fund projects to address climate change and provide access to education and affordable child care. Each will test Mr. Biden’s deal-making skills: The first package would need the support of at least 10 Republicans to advance in the Senate, while the second will require unanimous Democratic support to make it through the chamber.

Write to Ken Thomas at ken.thomas@wsj.com and Catherine Lucey at catherine.lucey@wsj.com

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Economy

Canada’s unemployment rate holds steady at 6.5% in October, economy adds 15,000 jobs

Published

2 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

OTTAWA – Canada’s unemployment rate held steady at 6.5 per cent last month as hiring remained weak across the economy.

Statistics Canada’s labour force survey on Friday said employment rose by a modest 15,000 jobs in October.

Business, building and support services saw the largest gain in employment.

Meanwhile, finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing experienced the largest decline.

Many economists see weakness in the job market continuing in the short term, before the Bank of Canada’s interest rate cuts spark a rebound in economic growth next year.

Despite ongoing softness in the labour market, however, strong wage growth has raged on in Canada. Average hourly wages in October grew 4.9 per cent from a year ago, reaching $35.76.

Friday’s report also shed some light on the financial health of households.

According to the agency, 28.8 per cent of Canadians aged 15 or older were living in a household that had difficulty meeting financial needs – like food and housing – in the previous four weeks.

That was down from 33.1 per cent in October 2023 and 35.5 per cent in October 2022, but still above the 20.4 per cent figure recorded in October 2020.

People living in a rented home were more likely to report difficulty meeting financial needs, with nearly four in 10 reporting that was the case.

That compares with just under a quarter of those living in an owned home by a household member.

Immigrants were also more likely to report facing financial strain last month, with about four out of 10 immigrants who landed in the last year doing so.

That compares with about three in 10 more established immigrants and one in four of people born in Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Economy

Health-care spending expected to outpace economy and reach $372 billion in 2024: CIHI

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

The Canadian Institute for Health Information says health-care spending in Canada is projected to reach a new high in 2024.

The annual report released Thursday says total health spending is expected to hit $372 billion, or $9,054 per Canadian.

CIHI’s national analysis predicts expenditures will rise by 5.7 per cent in 2024, compared to 4.5 per cent in 2023 and 1.7 per cent in 2022.

This year’s health spending is estimated to represent 12.4 per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product. Excluding two years of the pandemic, it would be the highest ratio in the country’s history.

While it’s not unusual for health expenditures to outpace economic growth, the report says this could be the case for the next several years due to Canada’s growing population and its aging demographic.

Canada’s per capita spending on health care in 2022 was among the highest in the world, but still less than countries such as the United States and Sweden.

The report notes that the Canadian dental and pharmacare plans could push health-care spending even further as more people who previously couldn’t afford these services start using them.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

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Economy

Trump’s victory sparks concerns over ripple effect on Canadian economy

Published

4 days ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

As Canadians wake up to news that Donald Trump will return to the White House, the president-elect’s protectionist stance is casting a spotlight on what effect his second term will have on Canada-U.S. economic ties.

Some Canadian business leaders have expressed worry over Trump’s promise to introduce a universal 10 per cent tariff on all American imports.

A Canadian Chamber of Commerce report released last month suggested those tariffs would shrink the Canadian economy, resulting in around $30 billion per year in economic costs.

More than 77 per cent of Canadian exports go to the U.S.

Canada’s manufacturing sector faces the biggest risk should Trump push forward on imposing broad tariffs, said Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters president and CEO Dennis Darby. He said the sector is the “most trade-exposed” within Canada.

“It’s in the U.S.’s best interest, it’s in our best interest, but most importantly for consumers across North America, that we’re able to trade goods, materials, ingredients, as we have under the trade agreements,” Darby said in an interview.

“It’s a more complex or complicated outcome than it would have been with the Democrats, but we’ve had to deal with this before and we’re going to do our best to deal with it again.”

American economists have also warned Trump’s plan could cause inflation and possibly a recession, which could have ripple effects in Canada.

It’s consumers who will ultimately feel the burden of any inflationary effect caused by broad tariffs, said Darby.

“A tariff tends to raise costs, and it ultimately raises prices, so that’s something that we have to be prepared for,” he said.

“It could tilt production mandates. A tariff makes goods more expensive, but on the same token, it also will make inputs for the U.S. more expensive.”

A report last month by TD economist Marc Ercolao said research shows a full-scale implementation of Trump’s tariff plan could lead to a near-five per cent reduction in Canadian export volumes to the U.S. by early-2027, relative to current baseline forecasts.

Retaliation by Canada would also increase costs for domestic producers, and push import volumes lower in the process.

“Slowing import activity mitigates some of the negative net trade impact on total GDP enough to avoid a technical recession, but still produces a period of extended stagnation through 2025 and 2026,” Ercolao said.

Since the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement came into effect in 2020, trade between Canada and the U.S. has surged by 46 per cent, according to the Toronto Region Board of Trade.

With that deal is up for review in 2026, Canadian Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Candace Laing said the Canadian government “must collaborate effectively with the Trump administration to preserve and strengthen our bilateral economic partnership.”

“With an impressive $3.6 billion in daily trade, Canada and the United States are each other’s closest international partners. The secure and efficient flow of goods and people across our border … remains essential for the economies of both countries,” she said in a statement.

“By resisting tariffs and trade barriers that will only raise prices and hurt consumers in both countries, Canada and the United States can strengthen resilient cross-border supply chains that enhance our shared economic security.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

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