City of Vaughan

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• The national Consumer Price Index rose 2.4 per cent year-over-year in December, following a 2.2 per cent increase in November.
• The national unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percentage points to 6.8 per cent in December, while the employment rate held at 60.9 per cent.
• National Real Gross Domestic Product went unchanged (0.0 per cent) in November, following a 0.3 per cent decline in October.
• In December, the Vaughan Business and Entrepreneurship Centre experienced demand for consulting in professional scientific and technical services, other services (except public administration), and arts, entertainment & recreation.
• SandBox VR officially opens new Vaughan location at Weston and Highway 7.
• Vaughan-based Cizzle Brands adds vertical integration with $83.75M acquisition of Flow Water Inc.

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SELECT ECONOMIC INDICATORS

The national Consumer Price Index rose 2.4 per cent year-over-year in December, following a 2.2 per cent increase in November.

The Consumer Price Index rose 2.4 per cent on a year-over-year basis in December, following a 2.2 per cent increase in November. In Ontario, the Consumer Price Index rose 2.1 per cent year-over-year in December, up slightly by a 0.2 per cent increase from November. The Consumer Price Index increased in December at a faster pace than in November in nine of Canada’s ten provinces.

The year-over-year acceleration in the all-items Consumer Price Index was driven by the temporary Goods and Services Tax (GST)/Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) break that began on December 14, 2024. This resulted in monthly declines in the exempt goods and services category, which have now fallen out of the year-over-year comparison, putting upward pressure on the Consumer Price Index.

On a year-over-year basis, gasoline prices fell 13.8 per cent in December after a 7.8 per cent decline in November. Crude oil prices have declined to their lowest point in over four years amid an oversupply in global markets.

Year over year, higher restaurant prices were the largest contributor to faster growth in the all-items Consumer Price Index in December 2025. Prices for food purchased from restaurants rose 8.5 per cent in December, compared with a 3.3 per cent increase in November. Prices for food purchased from stores rose 5.0 per cent year over year in December. Coffee (+30.8 per cent) and fresh or frozen beef (+16.8 per cent) remained the largest contributors to the increase.

 

The national unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percentage points to 6.8 per cent in December, while the employment rate held at 60.9 per cent.

The unemployment rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 6.8 per cent, while the employment rate held at 60.9 per cent. Employment increased by 8,200 jobs (0.0 per cent) in December; full-time employment rose by 50,000 (+0.3 per cent) in December, while part-time employment fell by 42,000 (-1.1 per cent). The unemployment rate rose slightly in the Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) of Toronto (+0.1 percentage points) to 8.1 per cent, which includes Vaughan.

Employment was up in Quebec (+16,000; +0.3 per cent) while it fell in Alberta (-14,000; -0.5 per cent) and Saskatchewan (-4,000; -0.6 per cent). There was little to no change in employment in the other provinces.

Employment rose among people aged 55 and older (+33,000; +0.8 per cent), while it fell among youth aged 15 to 24 (-27,000; -1.0 per cent). The unemployment rate for youth aged 15 to 24 rose 0.5 percentage points to 13.3 per cent in December, as fewer youth were employed (-27,000; -1.0 per cent). Labour market conditions had previously improved for youth in October and November, with employment rising by 70,000 (2.6 per cent) and the youth unemployment rate falling by 1.9 percentage points over these two months.

There was growth in employment in health care and social assistance (+21,000; +0.7 per cent), one of Vaughan’s emerging sectors. At the same time, fewer people were employed in professional, scientific and technical services (-18,000; -0.9 per cent), and utilities (-5,300; -3.0 per cent). Average hourly wages across Canada increased 3.4 per cent (+$1.23 to $37.06) on a year-over-year basis in December, following growth of 3.6 per cent in November.

 

National Real Gross Domestic Product went unchanged (0.0 per cent) in November, following a 0.3 per cent decline in October.

Real gross domestic product (GDP) went unchanged in November (0.0 per cent), following a 0.3 per cent decline in October. Contractions in goods-producing industries offset expansions in services-producing industries.

The manufacturing sector, one of Vaughan’s key sectors, fell 1.3 per cent in November. Transportation equipment manufacturing (-3.8 per cent), machinery manufacturing (-2.5 per cent), and fabricated metal product manufacturing (-2.1 per cent) accounted for the largest share of the decline in November. Output from motor vehicle and parts manufacturing (-6.4%) was largely constrained by a global semiconductor shortage, curtailing auto production at a major assembly plant.

The wholesale trade sector, another one of Vaughan’s key sectors, contracted 2.1 per cent in November; this is the largest contraction since April 2025. Declines in motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories wholesaling, and building material and supplies wholesaling drove the decline in November.

 

LOCAL TRENDS, INVESTMENTS, AND SUCCESS STORIES

 

In December, the Vaughan Business and Entrepreneurship Centre experienced demand for consulting in professional scientific and technical services, other services (except public administration), and arts, entertainment & recreation.

In December, the top five industries seeking small business or entrepreneurship consultations were:

1. Professional Scientific & Technical Services (42 per cent)
2. Other Services, Except Public Administration (18 per cent)
3. Arts, Entertainment & Recreation (10 per cent)
4. Health Care and Social Assistance (8 per cent)
5. Manufacturing (4 per cent)

*Other services include repair centers for motor vehicles, pet care services, funeral, laundry, photo finishing, etc.

 

Sandbox VR officially opens new Vaughan location at Weston and Highway 7.

Sandbox VR officially opened its new Vaughan location on Friday, January 16. The immersive virtual reality facility is located at the southeast corner of Highway 7 and Weston Road, near Cineplex Theatres Vaughan. This fully immersive experience is a welcome addition to Vaughan’s continually expanding tourism sector.

 

Vaughan-based Cizzle Brands adds vertical integration with $83.75M acquisition of Flow Water Inc.

Vaughan-based Cizzle Brands recently acquired Flow Water’s manufacturing facility in nearby Aurora, ON. Prior to the acquisition, Flow Water Inc. served as the outsourced manufacturer for Cizzle’s flagship ready-to-drink sports hydration product, CWENCH. By owning the manufacturing process, Cizzle immediately secures its supply chain, removes third-party margins, and gains full control over production scaling.