Eye On Housing
As the U.S. economy struggles under the burden of the coronavirus pandemic, economists are discussing how a recovery might unfold once social distancing and other measures begin to succeed. A recent NAHB article illustrates the role home building can play in a recovery by generating jobs. The article published updated estimates of the national economic impact of home building. The… Read More ›
Given the growing number of economic impacts from mitigation efforts associated with the coronavirus, early 2020 labor market data is of reduced value. However, the data help to describe where the economy was before the shocks of March. January data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) indicate that construction job openings posted year-over-year decline at the… Read More ›
The U.S. job market remained strong in February. Total payroll employment increased by 273,000 and the unemployment rate was 3.5% for the month. Residential construction employment increased by 21,900 in February, after a revised increase of 22,400 in January. Total construction industry (both residential and nonresidential) employment totaled about 7.6 million in February. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the… Read More ›
The labor market started the new year with a solid gain. Total payroll employment increased by 225,000 and the unemployment rate was 3.6% in January. Residential construction employment increased by 20,200 in January, the largest gain in the past twelve months. Total construction industry (both residential and nonresidential) employment totaled about 7.6 million in January. The Bureau of Labor Statistics… Read More ›
Data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) indicate that construction job openings posted a monthly decline in November and a substantial decrease on a year-over-year basis. The estimated number of job openings declined from the October total (326,000) to 214,000 in November, after reaching a post-Great Recession high of 434,000 in April. The November 2019 count of… Read More ›
Total payroll employment increased by 145,000 and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.5% in December. Residential construction employment increased by 3,200 in December, after a decline of 1,100 jobs in November (revised). Total construction industry (both residential and nonresidential) employment totaled about 7.6 million in December. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Employment Situation Summary for December. Total… Read More ›
Home building in the 2010s was a story of the Long Recovery. After the Great Recession, the number of home builders declined significantly, and housing production was unable to meet buyer demand. This deficit of housing in the United States continues to exist because of persistent supply-side headwinds for builders, creating a critical housing affordability challenge for renters and homebuyers…. Read More ›
Data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) indicate that construction job openings posted a monthly decline in October but remain higher on a year-over-year basis. The estimated number of job openings declined from the September total (327,000) to 311,000 in October, after reaching a post-Great Recession high of 434,000 in April. The October 2019 count of unfilled… Read More ›
Total payroll employment increased by 266,000 in November, while the unemployment rate declined to 3.5%. Residential construction employment was little changed (-500) in November, after an increase of 5,400 jobs in October (revised). Total construction industry (both residential and nonresidential) employment totaled about 7.5 million in November. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Employment Situation Summary for November. Total… Read More ›
Data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) indicate that construction job openings increased in September on a year-over-year basis. The estimated number of job openings declined from the August total to 338,000 in September, after reaching a post-Great Recession high of 434,000 in April. The September 2019 count of unfilled jobs represents a year-over-year gain relative to… Read More ›