Eye On Housing
Author Archives
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Inflation Hits 13-Year High
In June, consumer prices increased at the fastest pace in the past 13 years. The recent surge in inflation mainly reflect increases in a few sectors influenced by the pandemic shutdown and rebounding demand as the economy fully reopens. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.9% in June on a seasonally… Read More ›
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What Areas Grew the Most? Single-Family Home Building in 2020
According to NAHB analysis of the Survey of Construction (SOC), new single-family starts expanded at a fast pace in 2020. Nationally, 993,635 new single-family units were started in 2020, 12% higher than the units started in 2019. It marked the fastest growth rate since 2013 and the highest count of starts since the Great Recession. Among all the nine Census… Read More ›
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Job Gains Accelerate in June
In June, total payroll employment rose by 850,000 and the unemployment rate was little changed at 5.9%. The June employment data shows strong growth momentum as more than 154 million people are fully vaccinated and COVID-19 restrictions on business are lifted. Residential construction employment increased by 15,200 in June, while nonresidential construction lost 22,600 jobs, following a decrease of 21,700… Read More ›
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Consumer Prices Rising at Fastest Pace in a Decade
Consumer prices continued to rise in May, supported by increases in housing costs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.6% in May on a seasonally adjusted basis, following an increase of 0.8% in April. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, “core” CPI increased by 0.7% in May, after an increase… Read More ›
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Solid Job Gains in May
Job gains accelerated in May as vaccination rates increased and COVID-19 restrictions lifted. Total payroll employment rose by 559,000 and the unemployment rate decreased to 5.8% in May. In May, non-residential construction lost 21,800 positions, reflecting declines in nonresidential specialty trade contractors (-16,800), while residential construction employment rose by 1,900. Currently, residential construction employment exceeds its level in February 2020,… Read More ›
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Home Prices Soar in March
In March, national home prices continued to rise at a fast — and unsustainable rate — pushed by strong demand and low housing inventory. Home price appreciation accelerated in most metro areas. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, reported by S&P Dow Jones Indices, rose at a seasonally adjusted annual growth rate of 20.0% in March, following… Read More ›
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Inflation from Economic Reopening is Here
Both headline inflation and core inflation jumped in April, reflecting strong consumer demand for products and services as the economy reopens from the COVID-19 recession. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.8% in April on a seasonally adjusted basis, after an increase of 0.6% in March. It marks the largest increase… Read More ›
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Residential Construction Employment Rose Slightly in April
Job gains unexpectedly slowed in April as states lifted COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and more people are vaccinated. Total payroll employment rose by only 266,000 and the unemployment rate increased to 6.1% in April. This was a surprisingly disappointing report on the macro level. Residential construction employment rose by 3,100 in April, after an increase of 28,700 in March. Non-residential… Read More ›
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Strong Gain for Consumption in the First Quarter of 2021
In the first quarter of 2021, real GDP surged and approached its pre-pandemic level as the economy continued to reopen. This quarter’s growth reflected strong gains for consumer and government spending. According to the “advance” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 6.4% in the first quarter… Read More ›
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Headline Inflation Accelerates in March
Both headline inflation and core inflation accelerated in March as the economy reopens from the COVID-19 recession. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.6% in March on a seasonally adjusted basis, after an increase of 0.4% in February. It marks the biggest increase since June 2009. Excluding the volatile food and… Read More ›