National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog

Remodelers Saw Profit Margin Gains in 2024
Remodelers Saw Profit Margin Gains in 2024
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Profitability for residential remodelers reached its highest level in more than two decades in 2024. Industry-wide profit benchmarks are important because they allow companies to evaluate their financial performance in ...
Rising Rates Weigh on Mortgage Activity
Rising Rates Weigh on Mortgage Activity
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Mortgage application activity decreased month-over-month as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, declined 4.3% from ...
Which States and Construction Trades Depend the Most on Immigrant Workers?
Which States and Construction Trades Depend the Most on Immigrant Workers?
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Immigrants’ share of the construction workforce reached a record high in 2024, with foreign-born workers accounting for more than a quarter of the industry’s labor force (26.3%). The share is ...
Job Growth Rebounds in March
Job Growth Rebounds in March
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The U.S. labor market showed signs of a modest rebound in March following a weak February, as payroll employment increased and the unemployment rate edged down to 4.3%. Job growth ...
Iran Conflict Reverses Decline in Mortgage Rates
Iran Conflict Reverses Decline in Mortgage Rates
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Mortgage rates, which dipped below 6% in February, climbed back up to end the month just under 6.4%. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.18% in March, ...
Consumer Confidence Climbs Despite Oil Price Surge
Consumer Confidence Climbs Despite Oil Price Surge
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Consumer confidence in March rose to a three-month high as consumers’ improved view of current business and labor market conditions outweighed weaker future expectations. Despite the increase, consumers remained concerned ...
Private Residential Construction Spending Slips in January
Private Residential Construction Spending Slips in January
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Private residential construction spending declined 0.8% in January 2026, following two months of gains. This decline was driven by lower spending across single-family, multifamily construction, and home improvement. Despite the ...
Soft Construction Labor Market Shows Decline for Open Positions
Soft Construction Labor Market Shows Decline for Open Positions
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The number of open positions in construction in February was down year-over-year, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The current level of open jobs ...
NAHB HBGI: Micro Markets Lone Bright Spot for Single-Family Building in Fourth Quarter
NAHB HBGI: Micro Markets Lone Bright Spot for Single-Family Building in Fourth Quarter
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Single-family construction declined further in the fourth quarter in all but sparsely populated micro counties, according to the NAHB Home Building Geography Index (HBGI). Meanwhile, multifamily construction showed growth in ...
State/Local Property Tax Revenue Rises Past $210 Billion in the Fourth Quarter
State/Local Property Tax Revenue Rises Past $210 Billion in the Fourth Quarter
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Property tax revenue collected by state and local governments rose for the ninth consecutive quarter according to the Census Bureau’s quarterly summary of state and local tax revenue. Total tax ...
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Per the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) survey through the week ending January 5th, total mortgage activity increased 9.9% from the previous week, and the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) rate rose five basis points to 6.81%. After the total mortgage activity index fell 10.7% in...

According to the Federal Reserve’s latest G.19 Consumer Credit report, total consumer credit outstanding totaled $5.00 trillion (seasonally adjusted) for the first time in November—a 5.7% monthly increase (seasonally adjusted annual rate). The increase reflected a 17.7% surge in revolving credit and a more modest...

The year-over-year (YOY) growth rate for residential building worker wages decelerated to 0.6% in June 2023. Over the past five months, wage growth accelerated moderately and reached 4.0% in November. Overall, average hourly earnings for residential building workers* increased at a relatively slower pace in...

December’s jobs report concludes another solid year of job hiring in 2023. In December, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 216,000, and the unemployment rate held steady at 3.7% for the second month. Job gains moderated in 2023 with an average 225,000 monthly employment growth...

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 37 states and the District of Columbia in November compared to the previous month, while 13 states lost jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 199,000 in November, following a gain of...

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the third quarter of 2023. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the percent change in real GDP increase ranged from 9.7 percent in Kansas to 0.7...

Due to tightened monetary policy, the count of total job openings for the economy continues to move lower. This is consistent with a cooling economy that is a positive sign for future inflation readings. In November, the number of open jobs for the economy declined...

NAHB analysis of Census data shows that private residential construction spending rose 1.1% in November, after an increase of 2% in October. It stood at a seasonally adjusted annual pace of $897 billion. Total private residential construction spending is 3.7% higher compared to a year...

With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. At the end of 2022, Natalia Siniavskaia provided a new estimate for the current size of the U.S. housing deficit: The Size...

With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In November, we reported on recent declines for custom home building construction starts. Declines for Custom Home Building

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With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In October, Rose Quint examined consumer survey data showing growing buyer interest in the third quarter: Housing Demand Caught Between High Rates...

With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In March, Jesse Wade reported on recent geographic shifts for home construction. Single-Family Market Share Continues to Shift from Large Population Centers...

With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. Two such posts focused on the aging housing stock, a key driver of remodeling and new construction conditions. In February, Na Zhao...

With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. Jing Fu provided a recent analysis of recent metro price dynamics. Home Prices Continue to Rise in September

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With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. Trends concerning building material pricing were examined monthly by David Logan. In May, David reported on a pivot for aggregate building material...

With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington provided recent year-to-date estimates for building permits, including top ten lists for single-family and multifamily markets. Single-Family Permits Down in...

With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. Two such posts focused on home prices and construction costs. In November, Natalia Siniavskaia examined 2022 Census data to report regional differences...

Elevated mortgage rates acted as a drag on new home sales in November, but with the economy now apparently past peak interest rates for this cycle, sales are expected to rise as we move into the new year. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in...

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