Eye On Housing
The count of open, unfilled jobs for the overall economy continued to moved lower in June, falling to 9.6 million. While ongoing tight labor market conditions have raised the likelihood of a September Federal Reserve interest rate increase, the JOLTS survey is another data point indicating an ongoing but gradual cooling of macro conditions due to elevated interest rates. The… Read More ›
Average hourly earnings for residential building workers* rose at a slower pace in May, after more than a year of strong gains. Wage growth has retreated below or close to 3%, from the peak rate of 2021. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report, average hourly earnings (AHE) for residential building workers were $29.87 in May 2023, increasing… Read More ›
The count of open, unfilled jobs for the overall economy moved higher in April, rising to 10.1 million and complicating the June Federal Reserve decision. The higher job opening count for April increases the chance of another rate hike despite some speculation that May was the end of tightening. The count of open jobs was 11.8 million a year ago… Read More ›
Average hourly earnings for residential building workers* continue to rise in February 2023 but at a slower pace. Wage growth has retreated below or close to 3%, from the highest rate of 2021. Labor market data indicate that business hiring is softening as the economy shows signs of weakening. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report, average hourly… Read More ›
The count of open, unfilled jobs for the overall economy declined again in February, falling to 9.9 million, after an 11.2 million reading in December, which was the highest level since July, and 10.6 million in January. The count of total job openings should fall in 2023 as the labor market softens and the unemployment rises. From an inflation perspective,… Read More ›
Average hourly earnings for residential building workers* rose at a slower pace in November. After reaching the highest rate (8%) of 2021 in October, the pace of wage growth has retreated and remained below 4% for the past five consecutive months. The recent slowdown in wage growth will ease inflation pressures. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report,… Read More ›
The count of open, unfilled jobs for the overall economy declined in October, falling from 10.7 million open positions to 10.3 million. This represents a small decrease from a year ago (11.1 million), a sign the labor market is slowing in response to tighter monetary policy. The degree of this slowing will be critical for a potential downshift in the… Read More ›
Average hourly earnings for residential building workers* continue to rise in August but at a slower pace. Wage growth has retreated from the highest rate of 2021. The recent housing slowdown indicates that, while labor demand is still high, employers are cautious about hiring amid a slowing economy and rising interest rates. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)… Read More ›
The count of open, unfilled jobs for the overall economy fell 10% in August, declining from almost 11.2 million to 10.05 million. The decline for open jobs reflects the beginnings of a labor market retreat as the economy slows due to aggressive tightening of monetary policy by the Fed. While the economy continues to face a critical skilled labor shortage,… Read More ›
Average hourly earnings for residential building workers* continue to rise in May as the construction labor market remains tight, meanwhile the growth rate is trending down given tightening financial conditions and increased economic uncertainty. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report, average hourly earnings (AHE) for residential building workers were $29.18 in May 2022, increasing 5% from $27.79… Read More ›