The Canadian economy experienced overall weakness from the start of 1980 to the end of 1983, with low yearly real GDP growth rates of 2.1% and 2.6% in 1980 and 1983, respectively, and a steep 3.2% decline in real GDP for 1982. As with other G7 countries, Canada had two separate economic contractions in the early 1980s. These were a shallow drop in GDP and a slowing in employment growth for five months between February and June 1980, and a deeper 17-month contraction in both GDP and employment between July 1981 and October 1982, although both contractions were driven by the same desire of governments to reduce inflation by increasing interest rates. Real Canadian GDP declined by 5% during the 17-month 1981-82 recession with the unemployment rate peaking at 12%. In-between the two downturns, Canada had 12 months of economic growth, with growth between October 1980 and June 1981 being relatively robust with the total GDP and employment in June 1981 actually surpassing their pre-recession peaks and 1981 having a yearly increase in real GDP of 3.5%.