Privately‐owned housing units authorized by building permits in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,873,000, 9.1% above the revised November rate, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The December 2021 rate was 6.5% above the December 2020 rate of 1,758,000. Single‐family authorizations in December were at a rate of […]
Category: Economic Trends
Construction Input Prices Jump 0.6% in December
Construction input prices in December rose 0.6%, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data. ABC said nonresidential construction input prices also rose 0.6% in December compared with the prior month. Input prices for all three energy subcategories decreased for the month, with crude petroleum […]
Wholesale Prices Rose 9.7% in 2021
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the Producer Price Index for final demand increased 0.2% in December, which followed advances of 1% in November and 0.6% in October. On an unadjusted basis, final demand prices moved up 9.7% in 2021, the largest calendar-year increase since data were first calculated in 2010, BLS says. In […]
FDI ‘Moderately Decelerated’ in December
The December seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) was 56.2 and “moderately decelerated” when compared with November, according to the latest analysis from Baird, FCH Sourcing Network and the Institute for Supply Management The deceleration was driven primarily by a lower employment index, according to the analysis. The FDI was 57.6 in November. Market conditions […]
Nonresidential Construction Employment Rose in December
The U.S. construction industry added 22,000 net jobs in December, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition to the monthly increase, the industry overall has recovered slightly more than one million — or 92.1% — of the jobs lost during earlier […]
Goods and Services Deficit Rises in November
The goods and services deficit was $80.2 billion in November, up $13 billion from a revised $67.2 billion in October, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. November exports were $224.2 billion, $0.4 billion more than October exports. November imports were $304.4 billion, $13.4 billion more than the previous […]
ISM: Manufacturing PMI Drops 2.4 Points
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in December, with the overall economy seeing a 19th consecutive month of growth, according to supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business. The report was issued by Timothy R. Fiore, CPSM, C.P.M., Chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. The December Manufacturing PMI registered […]
Monthly Construction Spending Up
Construction spending in November 2021 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,625.9 billion, 0.4% above the revised October estimate of $1,618.8 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The November total was 9.3% above the November 2020 estimate of $1,487.2 billion. During the first 11 months of 2021, construction spending amounted to […]
Monthly Construction Spending Up 0.4%
Construction spending in November 2021 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,625.9 billion, 0.4% above the revised October estimate of $1,618.8 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The November total was 9.3% above the November 2020 estimate of $1,487.2 billion. During the first 11 months of 2021, construction spending amounted to […]
Trade Deficit Rises, Exports Down in Nov.
The U.S. Census Bureau says the international trade deficit was $97.8 billion in November, up $14.6 billion from $83.2 billion in October. Exports of goods for the month were $154.7 billion, $3.3 billion less than October exports. November imports of goods were $252.4 billion, $11.3 billion more than October. Wholesale inventories for November — adjusted […]
CFNAI Dips in November
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) decreased to +0.37 in November from +0.75 in October. Three of the four broad categories of indicators used to construct the index made positive contributions in November, but all four categories deteriorated from October, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The index’s three-month moving average, CFNAI-MA3, […]
Consumer Prices Rise 6.8%
The Consumer Price Index rose 6.8% between November 2020 and November 2021, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending June 1982, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Energy prices rose 33.3% over the last year, while food prices increased 6.1%. Gasoline prices rose 58.1%, the largest increase since April 1980. […]
Advance Retail and Food Services Estimates Up
Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for November — adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes ¬— were $639.8 billion, an increase of 0.3% from the previous month, and 18.2% above November 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Total sales for the September through […]
Wholesale Inflation Up 9.6% Over Year
November’s wholesale prices were up 9.6% from one year ago, the largest increase since 12-month data were first calculated in 2010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bureau said its producer price index rose 0.8% from October to November, its highest reading since June. The index rose 0.6% from September to October. […]
3Q Manufacturing Profits Rise
U.S. manufacturers’ seasonally adjusted after-tax profits in the third quarter of 2021 totaled $254.6 billion, up $5.2 billion from the $249.4 billion recorded in the second quarter of 2021, and up $118.4 billion from the $136.2 billion recorded in the third quarter of 2020, according to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Seasonally […]
Wholesale Sales and Inventories Up
The U.S. Census Bureau says October 2021 sales of merchant wholesalers — except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading day differences but not for price changes — were $620.5 billion. That figure is up 2.2% from the revised September level and up 22.2% from the revised October 2020 level. […]
‘Slight Improvement’ for FDI
The seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index for November was 57.6, a “slight improvement” that occurred thanks to better seasonally adjusted selling momentum, according to the latest analysis from Baird, FCH Sourcing Network and the Institute for Supply Management. The FDI improve from 56.1 in October. Overall, November largely saw a continuation of recent themes, including […]
Goods and Services Deficit Shrinks in October
The goods and services deficit was $67.1 billion in October, down $14.3 billion from $81.4 billion in September, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. October exports were $223.6 billion, $16.8 billion more than the previous month. October imports were $290.7 billion, about $2.5 billion more than September imports. […]
Nonresidential Construction Employment Rises
Nonresidential construction employment rose last month, as the industry added 31,000 jobs on net, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The industry has recovered approximately 90% of the jobs lost during earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonresidential construction employment in November […]
Oct. Construction Spending Up
Construction spending last month was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,598 billion, 0.2% above the revised September estimate of nearly $1,595 billion, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau. The recent October number is 8.6% higher than the October 2020 estimate of almost $1,472 billion. During the first 10 months […]
