Articles

Total construction starts rose 6% in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.3 trillion, according to Dodge Construction Network. Nonresidential starts rose 40% thanks to a large pickup in manufacturing and transportation buildings. Residential and nonbuilding starts fell 1% and 14%, respectively. Read More

Privately‐owned housing starts in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,283,000, 11.3% below the revised July estimate of 1,447,000 and 14.8% below the August 2022 rate of 1,505,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Read More

Flooring suppliers are truly taking their global sourcing operations worldwide. As the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) continues to cause massive disruptions to the importation of flooring products, particularly the most popular segment, luxury vinyl tile (LVT), manufacturers are proactively searching for new sourcing alternatives, spanning the globe from India to Mexico. In addition, many are significantly expanding their U.S. manufacturing operations. Read More

Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes in September fell five points to 45, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). This follows a six-point drop in August. Read More

U.S. ceramic tile consumption Q22023 YTD was down 4.7% by volume versus Q2 2022 YTD, according to the Tile Council of North America. Read More

In the first seven months of 2023 total U.S. imports of ceramic tile were 109 million square meters, a decline of 7.8% from the same period in 2022 when imports were 118 million square meters, according to Grosser Consulting. Read More

The goods and services deficit was $65.0 billion in July, up $1.3 billion from $63.7 billion in June, revised, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Read More

Rising mortgage rates and elevated construction costs have taken a toll on the pace of single-family construction in markets across the nation, with the slowdown most pronounced in large metro areas. Multifamily market growth also fell in most areas of the country, according to the latest findings from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Home Building Geography Index (HBGI) for Q2 2023. Read More

Construction spending during July 2023 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,972.6 billion, 0.7% above the revised June estimate of $1,958.9 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Read More

Personal income increased $45.0 billion (0.2 percent at a monthly rate) in July. Disposable personal income (DPI)—personal income less personal current taxes— increased $7.3 billion (less than 0.1 percent). Read More