![\"business-closed-0416-ph\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5d6062e20beddab073e79befecdcbcc2.jpeg\")
The ratio between business starts and closures is among the worst since the COVID-19 pandemic, says CFIB. (Credit: Getty Images) The ratio between business starts and closures is among the worst since the COVID-19 pandemic, says CFIB. (Credit: Getty Images) <\/p>\n
More small businesses closed than opened in Canada for the sixth consecutive quarter, according to research<\/a> by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).<\/p>\n Small-business exit rates hit 5.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, while the entry rate fell to 4.8 per cent in the fourth quarter. The ratio between business starts and closures is among the worst since the COVID-19 pandemic, CFIB said in a report.<\/p>\n \u201cSmall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are facing one of the most challenging business environments in decades,\u201d the report said. \u201cEscalating input costs, tax burdens, labour shortages, regulatory pressure and global economic uncertainty are collectively constraining entrepreneurial activity nationwide.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The CFIB said entrepreneurship in Canada has been on a slow decline since the 1980s, though things have been particularly more troubling in recent years.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile there have always been ups and downs, business creation has fallen markedly compared to past decades and the two rates are almost at the same level as of 2023,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n Since 2019, business insolvencies have climbed 24 per cent, according to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada data.<\/p>\n CFIB pointed to excessive paperwork, labour challenges, inflation and the condition of the broader Canadian economy as main contributors to the rise in small-business closures.<\/p>\n The challenges are weighing on small-business owners, 55 per cent of whom would not recommend entrepreneurship in the current economic climate.<\/p>\n Many of them feel governments haven\u2019t stepped up to help, with two-thirds saying they don\u2019t feel supported by provincial governments and 73 per cent are not confident in the federal government.<\/p>\n \u201cSmall businesses have watched governments hand out billions of dollars to multinationals while ignoring the realities on Main Street,\u201d Michelle Auger, CFIB director of trade and marketplace competitiveness, said in a news release<\/a>. \u201cGovernments need to wake up. If we want a more productive and competitive economy tomorrow, we need more small businesses today.\u201d<\/p>\n The federal government has announced a $1-billion Regional Tariff Response Initiative and the Build Communities Strong Fund meant to support small and mid-sized businesses.<\/p>\n Spring is traditionally the busiest time for real estate and this year, the stakes couldn\u2019t be higher. Follow our Spring Real Estate Survival Guide series as we unpack some of the most pressing questions buyers and sellers are grappling with, plus expert advice on how to navigate the reality of a slower market. Read the series here<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0Sign up here<\/a> to get Posthaste delivered straight to your inbox.<\/strong><\/p>\n Goldman Sachs Group Inc. this week became the third major U.S. financial institution to file for a bitcoin ETF.<\/p>\n The Goldman Sachs Bitcoin Premium Income ETF would generate a monthly income by selling options, which in theory would appeal to cautious investors.<\/p>\n Bitcoin has slipped about 40 per cent since October, but has been hovering around US$74,000 since and is known for big swings.<\/p>\n Read more here.<\/a><\/p>\n Today\u2019s data<\/strong>: MLS Home Price Index for March<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Earnings<\/strong>: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd., Netflix, Inc., Pepsico, Inc., Abbott Laboratories, The Charles Schwab Corporation, The Travelers Companies Inc., KeyCorp<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Homebuyers hoping to hold out for the bottom of the housing market\u2019s decline are in for a challenge. Financial Post columnist Garry Marr explains how the spring market will be major test for prices, but timing your purchase to hit the absolute bottom is a game few can win. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n Interested in energy? The subscriber-only FP West: Energy Insider newsletter brings you exclusive reporting and in-depth analysis on one of the country\u2019s most important sectors. Sign up here.<\/a><\/p>\n Are you worried about having enough for retirement? Do you need to adjust your portfolio? Are you starting out or making a change and wondering how to build wealth? Are you trying to make ends meet? Drop us a line at wealth@postmedia.com<\/a>\u00a0with your contact info and the gist of your problem and we\u2019ll find some experts to help you out while writing a Family Finance story about it (we\u2019ll keep your name out of it, of course).<\/p>\n Want to learn more about mortgages? Mortgage strategist Robert McLister\u2019s Financial Post column <\/a>can help navigate the complex sector, from the latest trends to financing opportunities you won\u2019t want to miss. Plus check his mortgage rate page<\/a> for Canada\u2019s lowest national mortgage rates, updated daily.<\/p>\n Visit the Financial Post\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a> for interviews with Canada\u2019s leading experts in business, economics, housing, the energy sector and more.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s Posthaste was written by Gigi Suhanic<\/a> with additional reporting from Financial Post staff and Bloomberg.<\/p>\n Have a story idea, pitch, embargoed report, or a suggestion for this newsletter? Email us at\u00a0posthaste@postmedia.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bookmark our website and support our journalism:<\/strong> Don\u2019t miss the business news you need to know \u2014 add\u00a0financialpost.com<\/a>\u00a0to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The ratio between business starts and closures is among the worst since the COVID-19 pandemic, says CFIB. (Credit:…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":438749,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[178],"tags":[79,194565,995,194561,194563,18,45968,236,19,17,194564,194562,252],"class_list":["post-438748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entrepreneurship","tag-business","tag-business-starts","tag-canada","tag-canadian-federation-of-independent-business","tag-cfib","tag-eire","tag-enterprises","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-labour-shortages","tag-sixth-consecutive-quarter","tag-small-businesses"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116416344214738525","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=438748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/438749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=438748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=438748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=438748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} <\/p>\n
CFIB, Source: Statistics Canada <\/p>\n
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