Harper says trend still positive for domestic economy

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's economic performance remains generally positive, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Thursday, despite some bad economic data and downgrades to economic forecasts for 2013.

"We can expect we're going to have good months and bad months in terms of numbers. The trend lines remain generally positive," Harper told reporters in Calgary.

Economists in a Reuters poll published on Thursday cut their 2013 growth forecasts to 1.6 percent from 1.8 percent. Last week a report showed the biggest monthly job losses in March since 2009.

(Reporting by Scott Haggett; Writing by Louise Egan; Editing by Leslie Adler)

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