OTTAWA - The Bank of Canada is set to announce today its last interest rate decision of the year.

In its most recent decision in October, the central bank lowered its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point to 2.25 per cent.

Market data shows most economists expect the bank will leave the benchmark rate unchanged as economic trends improve.

Jobs data out last week showed the unemployment rate dropped 0.4 percentage points to 6.5 per cent in November, while the economy showed an unexpected 2.6 per cent annualized jump in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, headline inflation for October came in at 2.2 per cent, down from 2.4 per cent in September, though it still showed areas of concern.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is also set to announce a rate decision today, though it's more likely the ce

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