NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American conditions advanced sharply for a second straight month in February, climbing to its highest level in nearly 4 years.
The index rose 7.4 points to 64.6 in the latest month, which came on the heels of an increase of nearly 9 points in January.
Though the [...]
Construction spending during January 2010 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $884.1 billion, 0.6% lower than the revised December 2009 estimate of $889.6 billion and 9.3% below the January 2009 estimate of $974.3 billion, according to new Commerce Department figures. (Note these are estimates and subject to change over the next several [...]
Beginning its third year of negative conditions, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) had a drop of almost three points in January. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate 9- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the January ABI [...]
NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American conditions rebounded in January, rising nearly 9 points to 57.1.
The index is derived from responses to a survey circulated to senior executives of NEMA member companies, and a value above 50 indicates that more respondents reported that the business environment improved from the previous [...]
The Congressional Oversight Panel put together to manage the progress of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) has released a new report that articulates fears of defaults of billions of dollars in bad commercial real estate loans. Some $1.4 trillion in loans are coming due for refinancing on commercial properties that may be worth 40% [...]
Construction spending during December 2009 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $939.1 billion, 1.2% lower than the revised November 2009 estimate of $913.2 billion and 9.9% below the December 2008 estimate of a little over $1 trillion.
Construction spending amounted to $939.1 billion for the year 2009, 12.4% below the $1.0721 billion [...]
According to the latest numbers from the Commerce Department, total employment for production workers in the construction industry was 3,909,000 in January 2010 (preliminary estimate and subject to adjustment), 15.7% lower than 4,639,000 workers in January 2009 and a 10-year low. The most recent peak was 6,236,000 in August 2006: The January 2010 figure represents [...]
The United States suffered its worst recession in 70 years following the collapse of the housing market. The good news is some economists believe the economy began to recover in Q309 after hitting bottom in the second quarter. The residential construction market is expected to recover, and the Federal stimulus has generated some growth in [...]
Construction spending during November 2009 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $900.1 billion, 0.6% lower than the revised October 2009 estimate of $905.6 billion and 13.2% below the November 2008 estimate of $1.037 trillion. During the first 11 months of 2009, construction spending amounted to $868.9 billion, 12.7% below the $994.9 billion [...]
Following its highest mark since August 2008, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) dropped more than three points in November. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the November ABI rating was 42.8, down from 46.1 in October. This score indicates a continued decline in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase [...]
