Wood Markets News


Weekly Jobless Claims Increase in the Week Ending August 6, 2022

The US Department of Labor is reporting that an additional 262,000 Americans (seasonally adjusted) made their initial filing for unemployment benefits during the week ending on Saturday, August 6. This is an increase of 14,000 from the previous week’s revised lower level of 248,000. The 4-week moving average was 252,000.

New-Single Family Home Starts in 2021 at Fastest Pace Since 2013

According to data released in the Survey of Construction, new single-family starts expanded at a precipitous pace in 2021. Nationwide, 1,133,145 new single-family units were started in 2021. That is 14% higher than those started in 2020. It is the fastest growth pace since 2013 and the highest count since the Great Recession.