Eye On Housing
Author Archives
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Lot Size Remains Record Low
The median lot size of a new single-family detached home sold in 2017 stands at 8,560 square feet, or just under one-fifth of an acre. This is just 2 square feet smaller but statistically not different from the 2016 median. In 2015, the median lot size fell under 8,600 square feet for the first time since Census Bureau’s Survey of… Read More ›
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Geography of Declining Young Adult Household Formations
NAHB’s analysis of the Census data shows that only 40% of young adults ages 25 to 34 led their own household in 2016. In comparison, close to 46% of adults in this age group were household heads in 1990 and 2000. Rather, increasing numbers of young adults now choose to live with their parents, parents-in-law, relatives or share housing with… Read More ›
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Young Adult House Sharing is on the Rise
New NAHB research shows that sharing housing with roommates, housemates and other non-relatives is rising in popularity among young adults. While only 4% percent of young adults ages 25 to 34 shared housing in 1990, that segment increased to 7.5% in 2016. This is in addition to increasing numbers of young adults that now choose to live with their parents… Read More ›
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Highest Paid Occupations in Construction
According to the most recent release of the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), half of payroll workers in construction earn more than $45,820. In comparison, the US median wage is below $37,700. The OES publishes wages for close to 380 occupations in construction. Out of these, only 54 are construction trades. The other industry… Read More ›
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New Home Building Employment Estimates by Congressional District
The new NAHB estimates show that the average congressional district has more than 8,800 residents working in residential construction but that number is often significantly higher. In Montana’s single Congressional district, close to 20,600 residents are in home building. The latest estimates of home building employment, including self-employed workers, by congressional district highlight the importance of home building to voting… Read More ›
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Construction Self-Employment Rates Exceed 23%
According to the 2016 ACS, over 23% of construction workers are self-employed, while an economy-wide average does not reach 10% of the employed labor force. The high self-employment rates in construction reflect a common practice of builders and remodelers to maintain relatively small payrolls and rely on subcontractors for a large share of the construction work. During the housing downturn,… Read More ›
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NAHB Releases New Home Building Employment Estimates by State
The new NAHB study presents the most recent and comprehensive estimates of home building employment, including self-employed workers, by state. NAHB Economics estimates that out of 9.8 million people working in construction in 2016, more than 3.8 million people worked in residential construction, accounting for 2.5% of the US employed civilian labor force. These numbers reflect modest but steady job… Read More ›
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Concentration of Immigrant Workers across Construction Occupations
As the housing industry gains momentum and the demand for workers increases, labor shortages top the list of the crucial impediments to robust housing recovery. As native-born workers are slow to return to the construction industry, the role and share of foreign-born workers has been rising since the housing recovery got underway. Immigrant workers now account for close to one… Read More ›
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California, Texas, and DC Most Reliant on Immigrant Construction Workers
Earlier this month, we published a post highlighting the rising share of immigrant workers in construction. Immigrant workers now account for close to one in four workers, the highest share recorded by the American Community Survey (ACS). In some states, reliance on foreign-born labor is even more pronounced with immigrants comprising more than 40% of the construction labor force. Traditionally,… Read More ›
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Reluctant Return of Native-Born Construction Workers Drives the Immigrant Share Up
New NAHB research shows that the share of foreign-born workers in the US construction labor force has been rising since the housing recovery got underway. Immigrant workers now account for close to one in four workers, the highest share recorded by the American Community Survey (ACS). The time-series analysis shows that the rising share of immigrants in construction cannot be… Read More ›