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 Rose in November

In November 2024, the U.S. housing market experienced a significant boost, with sales of new single-family homes reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 664,000, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. This marks a 5.9% increase from October’s revised figures and an…

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State-Level Employment Situation: November 2024

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 38 states and the District of Columbia in November compared to the previous month, while it decreased in 12 states. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 227,000 in November, following a meager gain of 32,000 jobs in October. On a month-over-month basis,…

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Single-Family Permits Up in October 2024  

Over the first ten months of 2024, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 846,446. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is an increase of 9.4% over the October 2023 level of 773,526. Year-to-date ending in October, single-family permits were up in all four regions. The range of permit increases spanned…

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October New Home Sales Down on Higher Rates

Steadily rising mortgage rates coupled with ongoing affordability challenges kept many potential home buyers on the sidelines in October. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in October declined 17.3% to a 610,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau….

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State-Level Employment Situation: October 2024

Clouded by hurricanes in the southeast part of the country and strike activity in the manufacturing sector, October nonfarm payroll figures were mediocre. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 21 states in October compared to the previous month, while it decreased in 29 states and the District of Columbia. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,…

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Single-Family Permits Higher in September 2024  

Over the first nine months of 2024, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 763,990. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is an increase of 10.1% over the September 2023 level of 693,908. Year-to-date ending in September, single-family permits were up in all four regions. The range of permit increases spanned…

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