Weekly initial jobless claims declined slightly in the week ending February 6. Continuing claims, which lag initial jobless claims by one week, decreased by 145,000 in the week ending January 30. The labor market is continuing to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, but at a slow pace. The U.S. Department of Labor released the Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report today…. Read More ›

An earlier post revealed that 69% of buyers who were actively engaged in the process of finding a home in the final quarter of 2020 have spent upwards of 3 months searching for a home without success. For the first time in this series history, the number one reason long-time searchers haven’t made a home purchase is not because of… Read More ›

Consumer prices increased in January as energy prices increased. However, “core” consumer prices were unchanged, indicating that inflationary pressures remained muted as the economy continues to recover amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.3% in January on a seasonally adjusted basis, faster than a 0.2% increase in… Read More ›

For the four-week period ending on February 5, 2021, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest Weekly Application Surveys showed sustained elevated activity, unseen through most of 2020, except at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the MBA’s tracked 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hovered a few basis points above 2.9%, reaching 2.96% in the latest week. While Purchasing maintained higher levels… Read More ›

Job openings in construction declined in December as hiring slowed, albeit with distinctions between residential and nonresidential construction. As detailed in the January employment report, there were 2,500 lost total construction sector jobs for the start of the year. Nonetheless, for home building and remodeling, sector employment is 27,600 positions higher than a year prior. Overall, hiring in the construction… Read More ›