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.

New Home Sales Uptick in December But Market Weakness Remains

While new home sales posted a modest gain in December, elevated mortgage rates and higher construction costs continue to hinder housing affordability and put a damper on consumer demand. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau estimated sales of newly built, single-family homes in December at a 616,000 seasonally…

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Employment Situation in December: State-Level Analysis

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 32 states and the District of Columbia in December compared to the previous month, while 18 states lost jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 223,000 in December, following a gain of 256,000 jobs in November. On a month-over-month basis, employment data…

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2022 Ends With A Decline in Single-Family Starts For the First Time Since 2011

Led by a decline in multifamily production, overall housing starts decreased 1.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.38 million units in December, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. Also of note, single-family housing starts ended the year down more than 10%, marking…

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Single-Family Permits Decreased in November 2022

Over the first eleven months of 2022, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 921,626. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is 10.5% below the November 2021 level of 1,029,208. Year-to-date ending in November, single-family permits declined in all four regions. The South posted a decline of 8.4%, while the West…

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Employment Situation in November: State-Level Analysis

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 43 states and the District of Columbia in November compared to the previous month, while seven states lost jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 263,000 in November, following a gain of 284,000  jobs in October. On a month-over-month basis, employment data…

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Single-Family Permits Continues On A Downward Trend in October 2022

Over the first ten months of 2022, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 865,815. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is 8.7% below the October 2021 level of 948,321. Year-to-date ending in October, single-family permits declined in all four regions. The South posted a modest decline of 6.8%, while the…

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