Construction + Economy

NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American business conditions rose to 42.1 in September, up from 35.7 and 38.6, respectively, in August and July. Despite rising to a three-month high, though, the index remained short of the 50-point level indicating an equal number of panelists see conditions improving as see them deteriorating. [...]

On the heels of a nearly three-point increase, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) climbed into positive terrain for the first time in five months. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the August ABI score was 50.2, up from the mark of 48.7 in July. This score reflects an increase in demand for design services [...]

NEMA’s Lighting Systems Index has shown a positive performance in the first half of 2012, as it gained 2.9% on a quarter-to-quarter basis from the first to second quarters of 2012. On a year-over-year basis, the index increased by 6.6%, indicating that aggregate lighting equipment demand has improved appreciably since the recovery began; however, it [...]

The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Architecture Billings Index (ABI) pointed to a slower decline in July in design activity at U.S. architecture firms. 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 AIA reported the July ABI score [...]

NEMA’s shipment indexes for linear fluorescent T5, T8, and T12 lamps decreased during the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period last year. T5 lamps showed the largest decrease, declining 7.9 percent, while T8s and T12s declined by 5.5 and 5.0 percent, respectively. Despite posting year-over-year declines, shipments of T5 and T12 lamps [...]

The same downdraft afflicting the broad economy appears to be spilling into the electrical manufacturing sector as the industry pulls back from its earlier rebound. NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American conditions fell to 38.6 in July from 52.4 in June. The index has been sliding since reaching a recent year [...]

The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) saw more poor conditions last month, indicating a drop in design activity at U.S. architecture firms, and suggesting upcoming weakness in spending on nonresidential construction projects. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI, produced by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), reflects the approximate 9- to 12-month [...]

THE NEW YORK TIMES: “A rising number of manufacturers are canceling new investments and putting off new hires because they fear paralysis in Washington will force hundreds of billions in tax increases and budget cuts in January, undermining economic growth in the coming months.” Read the story here, then contact your representatives in Congress and [...]

Even with the myriad of obstacles preventing a full-scale recovery for the overall U.S. economy, the design and construction industry appears to have reasons to be at least modestly optimistic in the coming months and into next year, according to the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) mid-year Consensus Construction Forecast, a survey of the nation’s [...]