Unemployment rates in November were higher than a year earlier in 308 of the 389 metropolitan areas, lower in 60 areas, and unchanged in 21 areas.
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Ontario’s Amended Building Code Now Permits Mass Timber Construction Up to 18 Stories
An amendment to the Ontario building code permitting encapsulated mass timber construction up to 18 stories, an increase from the previous limit of 12, took effect on January 1, Storeys reported.
Nonresidential Construction Spending Declines 0.1% in November
Nonresidential construction spending declined 0.1% in November, the Census Bureau and ABC reported. On a seasonally adjusted annual basis, spending reached $1.234 trillion.
S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index Reports 3.6% Annual Gain in US Home Prices in October
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price NSA Index posted an annual gain of 3.6% in October, down from a 3.9% increase in September.
US Construction Spending Unchanged in November
Total construction spending during November was estimated at $2,152.6 billion (SAAR), virtually unchanged from the revised October estimate of $2,152.3 billion.
Canadian Industrial Product and Raw Materials Price Indices for November
Prices for lumber and other wood products jumped 5.7%, marking the largest monthly increase since March 2022 (7.5%).
FHFA House Price Index Increases 4.5% Year-Over-Year in October
US house prices rose 0.4% in October, according to the FHFA’s seasonally adjusted House Price Index. Year-over-year, prices increased 4.5%.
US Mortgage Applications Drop During The Two-Week Period Ending December 27
Mortgage loan application volume declined 21.9% on a seasonally adjusted basis from two weeks earlier, MBA reported.
US Mortgage Rates Increase in the Week Ending January 2
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.91%, up from last week when it averaged 6.85%, Freddie Mac reported.
US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims Decline in the Week Ending December 28
The advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 211,000, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week’s revised level.