National Business

FREDERICTON — Officials from Canada and the United States were scheduled to meet Friday to discuss the suspension of exports of Prince Edward Island potatoes south of the border — a trade order that is impacting potato prices in both countries.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Growth in the services sector, where most Americans work, hit an all-time high in November, overtaking a record that was set the previous month.

CALGARY — AltaGas Ltd. says it is raising its dividend six per cent for next year and moving to a quarterly payment schedule from monthly payments to shareholders. The company says it will pay a quarterly dividend of 26.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — France announced multibillion-euro deals Friday to sell fighter planes and combat helicopters to the United Arab Emirates, aiming to boost military cooperation with its top ally in the Persian Gulf amid their shared

OTTAWA — The national unemployment rate was 6.0 per cent in November. Statistics Canada also released seasonally adjusted, three-month moving average unemployment rates for major cities.

OTTAWA — Canada's national unemployment rate was 6.0 per cent in November. Here are the jobless rates last month by province (numbers from the previous month in brackets): _ Newfoundland and Labrador 10.4 per cent (13.9) _ Prince Edward Island 8.

OTTAWA — A quick look at Canada's November employment (numbers from the previous month in brackets): Unemployment rate: 6.0 per cent (6.7) Employment rate: 61.4 per cent (61.0) Participation rate: 65.3 per cent (65.

EDMONTON — CWB Financial Group raised its dividend as it reported its fourth-quarter profit rose compared with a year ago to beat expectations. The Edmonton-based bank says it will now pay a quarterly dividend of 30 cents per share, up from 29 cents.

CALGARY — One in four Canadian shoppers blew past their budgets on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, according to a new survey.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a stopgap spending bill Thursday that avoids a short-term shutdown and funds the federal government through Feb. 18 after leaders defused a partisan standoff over federal vaccine mandates.