Canadian GDP falls 0.2 percent in May

According to Statistics Canada, real gross domestic product fell 0.2 percent in May, the fifth consecutive monthly decrease. The decline in May was mostly a result of contractions in manufacturing, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction as well as wholesale trade.

Durable-goods manufacturing fell 2.4 percent in May, as almost all major groups lost ground. Notable declines were recorded in machinery, computer and electronic products, fabricated metal products and miscellaneous manufacturing. Non-metallic mineral products manufacturing was up.

Non-durable goods manufacturing was down 0.7 percent in May, primarily because of declines in the manufacturing of food as well as beverage and tobacco. Decreases were also posted in textile, clothing and leather manufacturing, chemical manufacturing as well as printing and related support activities. The manufacturing of petroleum and coal products and of plastic and rubber products advanced.

Mining and quarrying (excluding oil and gas extraction) was down 0.8 percent in May. A decline in metallic mineral mining outweighed a gain in coal mining.

Support activities for mining and oil and gas extraction increased 2.8 percent in May, after rising 9.6 percent in April, as both drilling and rigging services advanced again. The gains in April and May followed double-digit declines in the first three months of the year.

Construction grew 1.0 percent in May, as engineering and repair construction as well as residential and non-residential building construction advanced.