Author Archives
-
Economic Growth and Signs of Cooling Inflation End 2022
The U.S. economy continued to grow in the fourth quarter of 2022. As consumer spending and private inventory investment helped increase GDP, residential fixed investment dragged down the contribution to percent change in real GDP by 1.29 percentage points. More importantly, the data from the GDP report suggests that inflation is cooling. The GDP price index, rose 3.5% for the… Read More ›
-
Residential Building Worker Wage Growth Slowed
Average hourly earnings for residential building workers* rose at a slower pace in November. After reaching the highest rate (8%) of 2021 in October, the pace of wage growth has retreated and remained below 4% for the past five consecutive months. The recent slowdown in wage growth will ease inflation pressures. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report,… Read More ›
-
Wage Growth Slowing
Job growth slowed in recent months, but the overall labor market remains tight. In December, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 223,000, and the unemployment rate ticked down to 3.5%, back to its lowest point before the pandemic. However, in a positive sign for inflation, wage growth slowed to a 4.6% year-over-year gain, the slowest pace since August 2021. Construction… Read More ›
-
U.S. Added 263,000 Jobs in November
In November, job growth slowed slightly from the previous month but still showed strength despite tight monetary policy. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7% in November as the number of persons in the labor force decreased for the third straight month. Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 263,000 in November, following a gain of 284,000 in October, as reported… Read More ›
-
Home Prices Continue to Decline in September
Home prices declined for the third straight month in September as the housing market continues to cool. In September, all 20 metro areas experienced negative home price appreciation. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, reported by S&P Dow Jones Indices, fell at a seasonally adjusted annual growth rate of 8.7% in September, following a 6.4% decline in… Read More ›
-
Labor Market Softens in October
Job growth slowed in October as the Fed continues its tightening of financial conditions to fight inflation, but the overall labor market remains tight. The unemployment rate increased by 0.2 percentage points to 3.7% in October as the number of persons in the labor force decreased for the second straight month. Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 261,000 in October,… Read More ›
-
Economic Growth and Signs of Cooling Inflation in Third Quarter
Real GDP grew in the third quarter, after shrinking for the first two straight quarters of 2022. This quarter’s growth was mostly fueled by a decline in the trade deficit. More important, the data from the GDP report suggests that inflation is cooling. The GDP price index, rose 4.1% for the third quarter, down from a 9.0% increase in the… Read More ›
-
Residential Building Wage Growth Slowing
Average hourly earnings for residential building workers* continue to rise in August but at a slower pace. Wage growth has retreated from the highest rate of 2021. The recent housing slowdown indicates that, while labor demand is still high, employers are cautious about hiring amid a slowing economy and rising interest rates. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)… Read More ›
-
Job Growth Slows in September
Job growth slowed in September as the Fed raises interest rates aggressively to fight inflation, but the overall labor market remains tight. The unemployment rate edged down to 3.5% as the number of persons in the labor force decreased by 57,000 in September. Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 263,000 in September, following a gain of 315,000 in August, as… Read More ›
-
New Homes Built with Private Wells and Individual Septic Systems in 2021
According to NAHB Economics analysis of the Survey of Construction (SOC) data, almost 9% of new single-family homes started in 2021 are served by individual wells and 16% have private septic systems. These shares, however, vary widely across the nine Census divisions with the corresponding shares reaching 36% and 44% in New England – the highest occurrence rates in the… Read More ›