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 in all four regions. The range of permit increase spanned…
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 make up close to one-third of the construction labor force…
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 special question appended to the instrument used to collect data…
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 building materials used in residential construction. This was the first…
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 at a solid pace. Job gains have remained strong, and…
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 inflation, accounting for over 60% of the total increase in…
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 increased by 2.09%. This is lower than the 6.67% year-over-year…
