Fast Facts Friday: July 28, 2023

Catch up on the latest facts and read more via the links below in case you missed them this week!

1. In the second quarter of 2023, rising inflation continued to be the most frequently expected short-term obstacle reported by rural and small town businesses. - The Daily — Outlook of rural businesses, second quarter 2023
2. In Canada, spirits accounted for 25.8% of total alcohol sales in 2021/2022. - The Daily — Control and sale of alcoholic beverages and cannabis, April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022
3. In 2019, one in six people (17%) reported that they had been a victim of fraud in the previous five years. - The Daily — Self-reported fraud in Canada, 2019
4. In April 2023, the business opening rate rose by 0.6 percentage points to 4.9%, following three consecutive months of decreases, while the closure rate edged up 0.1 percentage points to settle at 4.8%. - The Daily — Monthly estimates of business openings and closures, April 2023
5. Major Canadian airlines carried 6.4 million passengers on scheduled and charter services in May, up 22.0% from the same month in 2022. - The Daily — Monthly civil aviation statistics, May 2023
6. In May 2023, the number of employees receiving pay and benefits from their employer—measured as "payroll employees" in the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours—increased by 23,300 (+0.1%). - The Daily — Payroll employment, earnings and hours, and job vacancies, May 2023
7. Police-reported crime in Canada, as measured by the Crime Severity Index (CSI), increased for the second consecutive year, up 4% in 2022. - The Daily — Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2022
8. Canadian manufacturers produced 1.1 billion cigarettes in June 2023, down 4.5% from May 2023. Cigarette production was 22.5% lower compared with June 2022. - The Daily — Production and disposition of tobacco products, June 2023
9. Two years after the COVID-19 pandemic brought worldwide air travel to its knees, the Canadian aviation industry continued to recover in 2022. - The Daily — Airport activity, 2022
10. Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased 0.3% in May, following a 0.1% uptick in April. - The Daily — Gross domestic product by industry, May 2023