The goods-producing sector, which is the most exposed to U.S. tariffs, saw employment drop by 26,800 jobs in April.Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press
Getting caught up on a week that got away? Here’s your weekly digest of The Globe’s most essential business and investing stories, with insights and analysis on the biggest headlines, stock tips, personal finance strategies and more.
Canada’s unemployment rate rises to six-month high
Canada’s unemployment rate rose to 6.9 per cent in April – a six-month high – compared with 6.7 per cent in March as more people were looking for work, Statistics Canada data showed on Friday. The economy also lost 18,000 jobs in April, following an increase of 14,000 jobs in March. The latest data indicates a continued weakness in the labour market, which has struggled in the face of U.S tariffs and trade uncertainty.
The goods-producing sector, which is most affected by U.S. tariffs, saw employment drop by 26,800 jobs in April. The services sector, however, reported a 9,100 job gain.
The job market for Canadian youth, which has been lacklustre for years, is also getting worse. The employment rate for 15-to-19-year-olds has plunged nearly nine percentage points since mid-2022. The decline is three times larger than among 20-to-24-year-olds. Matt Lundy takes a look at the latest numbers.
Honda to shelve Ontario EV plant, according to reports
Workers assemble a vehicle at a Honda assembly plant in Alliston, Ont., in 2024.Carlos Osorio/Reuters
Japanese automaker Honda Motor Co. Ltd. has indefinitely suspended plans to build a $15-billion electric-vehicle plant in Alliston, Ont., according to a report from Japan’s Nikkei news agency earlier this week.
The car company suspended the project for two years in 2025 amid slowing demand for EVs and U.S. import taxes. Honda Canada spokesman Ken Chiu did not address questions on the plan’s future with The Globe’s transportation reporter Eric Atkins: “We have nothing to report at this time. The company will continue to evaluate the timing and project progression as market conditions change.”
It’s the latest blow to the country’s auto sector. Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday that the sector is facing “unjustified” U.S. tariffs, and that Canada is working to get the best trade deal possible ahead of the review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Telus using AI to alter the accents of customer service agents
Telus headquarters in Vancouver. The company is deploying an AI tool to adjust the speech of its customer service agents, saying it will improve clarity and reduce 'accent-related friction.'DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Telus Digital, a division of Telus Corp. responsible for customer experience and call centres, has deployed artificial-intelligence technology that alters the accents of customer service agents. The company says the technology, provided by a third-party company called Tomato.ai, uses speech-to-speech models to encode the speaker’s voice, modify pronunciation-related features and transform live audio.
But, as Irene Galea reports, not everyone thinks it’s a good idea. The real-time accent alteration reflects a recent use of AI that is stirring debate, especially after a series of customer-service-related job reductions in Canada within the telecom sector in recent years.
In statements, both Rogers Communications Inc. and Bell Canada parent company BCE Inc. said they do not use accent-altering technology and do not plan to.
OpenAI violated Canadian privacy laws in developing first ChatGPT model, probe finds
Canada's Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne presented the findings of a probe into OpenAI with provincial counterparts in Ottawa on Wednesday.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
OpenAI violated Canadian privacy laws when handling personal information for the initial release of ChatGPT, a three-year-long investigation by federal and provincial regulators found. The report, released on Wednesday, found that OpenAI collected vast amounts of personal information without adequate safeguards and valid consent, with many users unaware that their data were captured and used to train AI models.
But OpenAI’s practices have changed since the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada first launched an investigation into ChatGPT in April, 2023. Some of the changes include filtering to detect and mask personal information, technical tools to block ChatGPT from revealing personal details about specific public figures and a formal data retention and deletion policy, Joe Castaldo reports.
Brookfield wants to revive a South Carolina nuclear megaproject failure. Can it succeed where others failed?
Eight years after its purchase of Westinghouse, the Brookfield empire has expressed interest in resuming construction of the long-delayed Virgil C. Summer nuclear project in Jenkinsville, S.C.Kaoly Gutierrez/The Globe and Mail
There’s often a gulf between what the nuclear industry plans to do, and what it can actually deliver. That was the case in Fairfield County, South Carolina, where construction on two reactors started in 2013 and ended in bankruptcy, ruined careers and jail terms for some executives. It has been called the biggest business failure in the state’s history – or just “Nukegate.”
The Brookfield empire, however, wants to work on reviving the site, the latest development in the asset manager’s bold foray into nuclear power. And the timing may be fortuitous: Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump demanded that construction begin on 10 large new reactors by 2030. As the controlling shareholder of leading reactor vendor Westinghouse Electric Co., Brookfield stands to benefit tremendously.
Matthew McClearn visited the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station Units 2 and 3 in March where he asked the question: Can Brookfield succeed where others have failed?
Take our business quiz for this week
a. Mr. Abel, a University of Alberta graduate, spoke at Berkshire’s annual meeting in Omaha, Neb., four months after succeeding the world’s most famous investor as chief executive officer. Mr. Buffett used to pack an 18,000-seat arena when he ran the show. Mr. Abel drew a smaller crowd, but struck several of the same notes as his illustrious predecessor, reassuring investors that he had no intention of splitting up Berkshire.
Get the rest of the questions from the weekly business and investing news quiz here, and prepare for the week ahead with The Globe’s investing calendar.