Over the three months of 2021, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 276,110. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is a 25.3% increase over the March 2020 level of 220,416. Year-to-date ending in March, single-family permits reported increases in all four regions. The relatively more affordable Midwest reported the strongest increase of 40.0%, followed by… Read More ›

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 ›

Both headline inflation and core inflation jumped in April, reflecting strong consumer demand for products and services as the economy reopens from the COVID-19 recession. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.8% in April on a seasonally adjusted basis, after an increase of 0.6% in March. It marks the largest increase… Read More ›

Job openings in construction increased in March to 344,000 unfilled positions, according to data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The housing market remains hot and requires additional labor, lots and lumber and building materials to add inventory. Overall, hiring in the construction sector increased in March, rising to a 6% rate. The peak rate of… Read More ›