National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog

Young Adults Report More Interest in the Construction Trades: 2026 Survey
Young Adults Report More Interest in the Construction Trades: 2026 Survey
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NAHB estimates the U.S. has a structural housing deficit of 1.2 million units. Among the myriad of headwinds home builders face trying to close that gap is the industry’s chronic ...
Builder Sentiment Posts Notable Decline on Economic Uncertainty
Builder Sentiment Posts Notable Decline on Economic Uncertainty
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Economic uncertainty coupled with rising building material costs and interest rates resulted in a sharp decline in builder sentiment in April as the housing market enters into the heart of ...
Higher Energy Prices Increase Residential Construction Costs
Higher Energy Prices Increase Residential Construction Costs
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Energy input prices increased in March at their fastest pace since June of 2020 as the conflict in Iran shocked critical global supply chains. Building material prices, excluding energy, rose ...
Single-Family Permits Decline Sharply to Start 2026
Single-Family Permits Decline Sharply to Start 2026
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Residential construction activity began 2026 on a mixed note, with single-family permitting weakening significantly while multifamily activity remained relatively stable. Higher borrowing costs and affordability constraints continue to weigh on ...
Existing Home Sales Fell in March
Existing Home Sales Fell in March
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Existing home sales fell to a nine-month low in March as tight inventory, rising mortgage rates and growing concerns about the job market constrained sales activity. While inventory has improved ...
2025 Regional and State-Level GDP Data
2025 Regional and State-Level GDP Data
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In 2025, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported that real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded nationally, with growth recorded across all states and the District of Columbia. The increase ...
State-Level Employment Situation: January 2026
State-Level Employment Situation: January 2026
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The U.S. labor market began the year on firmer footing, with job growth rebounding in January after a subdued performance in 2025. Employment gains were widespread across most states, though ...
Inflation Surged to a Nearly Two-Year High in March
Inflation Surged to a Nearly Two-Year High in March
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Consumer prices surged to a nearly two-year high in March, driven by a spike in energy costs following the onset of the Iran war. This is the first CPI report ...
Remodeling Market Sentiment Edges Down but Remains Positive in First Quarter
Remodeling Market Sentiment Edges Down but Remains Positive in First Quarter
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In the first quarter of 2026, the NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 62, down two points compared to the previous quarter. Despite this decline, the overall reading ...
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 ...
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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,...

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in 47 states and the District of Columbia in the third quarter of 2022 while Indiana, South Dakota, and Mississippi saw modest GDP declines. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the percent change in real GDP...

The count of open, unfilled jobs for the overall economy declined slightly in November, falling from 10.51 million open positions to 10.46 million. This represents a decrease from a year ago (10.92 million), a sign the labor market is slowing in response to tighter monetary...

Private residential construction spending declined 0.5% in November, as spending on single-family construction plunged 2.9%. Private residential construction spending fell for the six consecutive month, standing at an annual pace of $868 billion. However, this total remains 5.3% higher compared to a year ago. The...

Consumer confidence rose to an eight-month high in December as declining gas prices and easing inflation contributed to more optimistic views of economy. However, spending plans were mixed. Vacation intentions improved, while the intention to buy homes and big-ticket appliances cooled further due to elevated...

With the end of 2022 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In December, David Logan reported the most recent data on building material prices. These monthly building material updates were among the top...

With the end of 2022 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In April of this year, the NAHB/Wells Fargo HMI confirmed that the market had turned and was headed lower due to higher...

With the end of 2022 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In April, Natalia Siniavskaia reported on wage data for the construction sector.   According to the latest May 2021 Bureau of Labor...

With the end of 2022 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In May, Na Zhao reported on concerning the size of the second home housing stock.   According to NAHB estimates, the total...

With the end of 2022 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In May, Litic Murali reported on population data in the post-covid environment.   The Census Bureau recently released its 2021 Metropolitan Statistical...

While new home sales received a slight bounce in November from moderating mortgage rates, the housing market continues to struggle because of ongoing supply chain disruptions, elevated construction costs, and challenging affordability conditions. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in November increased 5.8% to a...

The most recent Home Building Geography Index (HBGI) shows that multifamily home building has continued to experience strong growth since the start of the pandemic. Due to the low single-family housing inventory and elevated unaffordability of single-family housing caused by high house prices and higher...

In 2021, 9.1 percent of new single-family homes were built in an older neighborhood on a site where a previous structure had to be torn down and rebuilt, according to the latest Builder Practices Survey (BPS) conducted by Home Innovation Research Labs. Another 18.5 percent...

As rapid rising mortgage rates continue to weaken housing demand, the volume of existing home sales has declined for ten consecutive months as of November, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). This is the longest run of declines since 1999. While mortgage rates...

Single-family housing starts continued to fall in November, with the pace of construction down 32% since February when mortgage rates began to rise. The housing market continues to weaken because stubbornly high construction costs and elevated interest rates are harming housing affordability. And with the...

High mortgage rates, elevated construction costs running well above the inflation rate, and flagging consumer demand due to deteriorating affordability conditions have dragged builder sentiment down every month in 2022. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes posted its 12th straight monthly...

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 43 states and the District of Columbia in November compared to the previous month, while seven states lost jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 263,000 in November, following a gain of...

Over the first ten months of 2022, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 865,815. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is 8.7% below the October 2021 level of 948,321. Year-to-date ending in October, single-family permits declined in all four regions....

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