Prices paid for goods used in residential construction ex-energy rose 3.6% in May (not seasonally adjusted) and have increased 16.5% over the past 12 months, according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Building materials (i.e., inputs to residential construction less food and energy) prices have declined just twice since December 2019. The index… Read More ›
Tag Archive for ‘inflation’
Building Materials Prices Continue to Set Record Highs
Prices paid for goods used in residential construction ex-energy rose 1.7% in April (not seasonally adjusted) and have increased 12.4% over the past 12 months, according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Building materials (i.e., inputs to residential construction less food and energy) prices have declined just twice since December 2019. The index… Read More ›
Consumer Confidence Surges to One-Year High
After a modest increase in February, consumer confidence surged to the highest level in a year, as consumers reporting a significantly more positive view of the job market and the economic growth. However, concerns about inflation may cause consumers to temper their spending in the coming months. The Consumer Confidence Index, reported by the Conference Board, rose 19.3 points from… Read More ›
Lumber Headlines Broad-Based Increases in Building Materials Prices
Prices paid for goods used in residential construction ex-energy rose 2.1% in January (not seasonally adjusted) and have increased 6.8% over the past 12 months, according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Building materials (i.e., inputs to residential construction less food and energy) prices have declined just twice since December 2019…. Read More ›
Led by Lumber, Building Materials Prices Climb 5.4% in 2020
Prices paid for goods used in residential construction ex-energy rose 0.7% in December (not seasonally adjusted) and ended the year 5.4% higher than they stood in December 2019, according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Building materials (i.e., inputs to residential construction less food and energy) prices declined just twice over the… Read More ›
Real Rent Index Decline Continues in September
The real rent index fell by approximately 0.1 percent in September. The September decline, however, was not as sharp as previous months (falling by 0.4% in July and 0.3% in August) (Figure 1). The annual growth rate of the real rent index stands at 0.9 percent. NAHB constructs a “real” rent index to indicate whether inflation in rents is faster… Read More ›
Largest Four-Month Lumber Price Increase in 70 Years Outweighs Other Price Declines in August
Prices paid for goods used in residential construction continued their upward trend in August, increasing 0.9% (not seasonally adjusted) according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is the fourth consecutive monthly increase since the index declined three months straight and brings the index back to its pre-pandemic level. Prices of… Read More ›
Softwood Lumber Costs Up Nearly 30% Over Three Months, Push Building Materials Prices Higher in July
Prices paid for goods used in residential construction continued their upward trend in July, increasing 1.8% (not seasonally adjusted) according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is the third consecutive monthly increase since the index declined three months straight by a total 5.4%. The index has decreased 1.3% year-to-date (YTD), a larger… Read More ›
Building Materials Prices Move Higher in May
Prices paid for goods used in residential construction increased 0.6% in May (not seasonally adjusted) according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. May marks only the fourth monthly increase in the past 12 months in the price index for residential construction inputs. The index has declined 4.8% year-to-date (YTD), nearly four times the… Read More ›
“Real” Rent Index Growth Accelerates in March as Core CPI Declines
In March, the real rent index increased 0.4 percent over February’s reading, after growing by approximately 0.1 percent per month for the previous 6 months (Figure 1). The annual growth rate of the real rent index grew to 5 percent in March, after 3 months of staying in the 1 percent range. NAHB constructs a “real” rent index to indicate… Read More ›