1609 ET - Labor-market performance is the central force influencing Canada's mortgage-arrears rate, Bank of Canada research suggests. A new paper from BOC estimates that a 1.0-percentage-point rise in the unemployment rate leads to an increase of 0.10 ppts in the mortgage-arrears rate after one year. In Canada, a mortgage is considered in arrears when payments are overdue by 90 days. The paper notes that mortgage debt accounts for over 70% of all household liabilities. The latest mortgage-arrears data, via the Canadian Bankers Association, suggest 0.26% of Canadian mortgages are in arrears as of the end of 2025, up from a low of 0.14% in the fall of 2022. In that timeframe, Canada's unemployment rate rose to 6.8% from 5.1%. (paul.vieira@wsj.com; @paulvieira)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 24, 2026 16:10 ET (20:10 GMT)
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