Over the first four months of 2024, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 336,124. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is an increase of 25.3% over the April 2023 level of 268,205. Year-to-date ending in April, single-family permits were up…
Diversifying the construction labor force is a key strategic goal given the ongoing skilled labor shortage. The latest labor force statistics from the 2022 American Community Survey[1] show that Non-Hispanic White people account for the majority of workers in the construction industry (57.5%). However, Hispanics…
Up to this point in 2024, the median builder has sold 22% of its homes to buyers who used all cash to pay for them (i.e., did not take out a mortgage), according to a recent NAHB survey. The survey took the form of a…
Inputs to residential construction, goods less food and energy, fell 0.09% over the month according to the most recent producer price index (PPI) report published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The index for inputs to residential construction, goods less food and energy, represents…
The Federal Reserve’s monetary policy committee held constant the federal funds rate at a top target of 5.5% at the conclusion of its June meeting. In its statement, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) noted: Recent indicators suggest that economic activity has continued to expand…
Both overall and core inflation continued to ease in May as decline in gasoline price offset the increase the shelter cost. This is a dovish signal for future monetary policy. Despite a slowdown in the year-over-year increase, shelter costs continue to put upward pressure on…
Total outstanding US debt stood at $5.05 trillion for the first quarter of 2024, increasing at an annualized rate of 1.86% (SA), according to the Federal Reserve’s G.19 Consumer Credit Report. From the first quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024, the total…
