According to Redfin, the Seattle-based real estate brokerage, for the four-week period ending August 23rd, the U.S. housing market experience strong sales and price growth, with the seasonally adjusted Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index (RHDI) up 29% from pre-pandemic levels in January and February.
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Employers Announce 115,762 Job Cuts in August
According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., a Chicago-based global outplacement and business executive coaching firm, job cuts announced by U.S.-based employers in August totaled 115,762.
Weekly Jobless Claims Dip Below 1 million in the Week Ending 29th August 2020
The U.S. Department of Labor is reporting that an additional 881,000* Americans made their initial filing for unemployment benefits during the week ending on Saturday August 29th.
ADP Reports Private Sector Employment Increased by 428,000 Jobs in August
According to the August ADP National Employment Report® nonfarm private sector employment increased by 428,000 jobs from July to August.
Home Building Shifts from Big Cities to Small Metro Areas and Exurbs in Q2 2020
The Home Building Geography Index (HBGI) developed by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported that while the pandemic had an extensive impact on many businesses, housing has been able to weather the economic storm, rebounding quickly from its April slump.
Residential Construction Loan Volumes Decreased in Q2 2020
The volume of residential construction lending posted a slight decline during Q2 2020. The decline is in step with a significant drop for the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index and a 24% drop in single-family starts during the quarter.
Mortgage Applications Rate Declines for Third Week in a Row
According to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Application Survey, for the week ending August 28th, 2020, the Market Composite Index decreased -2.0% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.
Consumer Confidence in Canada Shows Signs of Slowing
According to the Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index (CCI), Canada’s quick initial rebound in consumer confidence is showing signs of slowing, the most recent indicator to suggest there is a long road ahead for a full economic recovery from the pandemic.
Construction Spending Up Fractionally in July but Up 4% Year-Over-Year July 2019 to July 2020
The U.S. Census Bureau has announced that construction spending during July 2020 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,364.6 billion, 0.1% above the revised June estimate of $1,362.8 billion.
Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Remain Unchanged at 7.20% for Week Ending 8-23-2020
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is reporting the results of their latest Forbearance and Call Volume Survey for the week ending August 23rd. The survey is reporting that the total number of loans now in forbearance remained unchanged relative to the prior week at 7.20% as of August 23, 2020.