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October Inflation Flat with September

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) was unchanged in October on a seasonally adjusted basis, after increasing 0.4% in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Read More

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Goldman Sachs Research Expects Global Economy to Outperform in 2024

Goldman Sachs Research expects the global economy to outperform expectations in 2024-just as it did in 2023. Read More

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The Future Construction Labor Force

Like most sectors of our economy, the construction industry is suffering from a shortage of workers. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that there are over 350,000 unfilled construction positions at present, and since the unemployment rate for construction workers has been below four percent for well over a year, it is difficult to see where these workers will come from. Read More

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Consumer Sentiment Declined 5.3% to 60.4 in Early November

Consumer sentiment declined 5.3% to 60.4 in early November, according to preliminary results from the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers. Read More

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Housing Affordability Hit Decade Low in Q3 2023

Rising mortgage rates, elevated construction costs and limited existing inventory helped push housing affordability in the third quarter of 2023 to its lowest level in more than a decade. Read More

Ceramic Tile Statistics Economic Indicators Floor Covering Products Industry Forecasts Industry Statistics

Ceramic Imports to U.S. Declined 10.1% in First 9 Months of 2023

In the first nine months of 2023, total US imports of ceramic tile were 141.6 million square meters, a decline of 10.1% from the same period in 2022 when imports were 157.5 million square meters, reports Grosser Consulting. Read More

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Construction Employment Added 23,000 Jobs in October

The construction industry added 23,000 jobs in October as unemployment rates for the sector hovered near the all-time low for the month, according to an analysis of new government data the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the construction industry would likely have hired even more workers to keep pace with strong demand for construction. Read More

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Fed Extends Rate Hike Pause

"Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hinted the central bank might be done raising interest rates for now but was careful not to rule out another increase after officials extended a pause in hikes,” reports the Wall Street Journal. Read More

Economic Indicators Floor Covering Products Industry Forecasts Industry Statistics Reports Stone Statistics

CONFINDUSTRIA MARMOMACCHINE recently issued the tables created by the Association’s Studies Center regarding the stone sector’s export trends in the first half of 2023. The overall export figure – covering both materials and extraction and processing technologies – showed essential confirmation of the record levels of 2022 (+0.1%), or worth of 1,566.3 million euros. Read More