Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington

Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington is NAHB’s Assistant Vice President for Forecasting and Analysis. She oversees the activities of the Forecasting & Analysis section of the Economics group which includes housing market analysis, industry surveys, developing and maintaining national, regional, long-term, and remodeling expenditures forecasts. Previously, she worked at NAHB as a Senior Economist, responsible for state and local analysis. Prior to joining NAHB, Danushka worked at J.D. Power as a Senior Economic Analyst in the automotive industry. She is a member of the Joint Advisory Board of Economists for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Danushka holds a B.A. degree in Economics and Business Administration from Otterbein University and M.A. degree in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University.

Housing Starts Decline Amid Economic Uncertainty

Constrained housing affordability conditions due to elevated interest rates, rising construction costs and labor shortages led to a reduction in housing production in March. Overall housing starts decreased 11.4% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.32 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and…

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State-Level Employment Situation: January 2025

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 31 states in January compared to the previous month, while it decreased in 19 states and the District of Columbia. California reported no change during this time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 125,000 in January following a gain of 323,000 jobs…

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Single-Family Permits End 2024 with Strong Momentum  

Over 2024, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 981,834. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is an increase of 8.0% over the 2023 level of 909,227. Year-to-date ending in December, single-family permits were up in all four regions. The range of permit increases spanned 11.1% in the Midwest to 6.2%…

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State-Level Employment Situation: December 2024

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 42 states and the District of Columbia in December compared to the previous month, while it decreased in seven states. Wyoming reported no change during this time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 256,000 in December, following a gain of 212,000 jobs…

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