The Financial Post reports in its Wednesday edition that after soaring in recent years, Canada's population growth has slowed almost to a halt in the second quarter of 2025. The Post's Serah Louis writes that economists and researchers who follow the numbers said the federal government's reduced targets for permanent and temporary residents were primarily responsible for the slowdown, but just how long it lasts remains to be seen. The construction sector is already facing a slowdown and is the sector most likely to be hurt by low population growth. Large metro areas such as Toronto and Vancouver are key destinations for new immigrants so demand for housing in these areas could be considerably affected. A June report from real estate data analytics platform Altus Group found single-family sales have plunged by more than 50 per cent this year, while condo sales have sunk by nearly 65 per cent in Toronto. Altus Group predicts that if construction spending contracts over the next five years, there could be a 47-per-cent drop in direct jobs and a total decline of almost 41,000 total jobs across the economy. Employment in Toronto's construction sector has already fallen to its lowest level since the spring of 2021.