The US Department of Labor is reporting that, seasonally adjusted, an additional 243,000 Americans made their initial filing for unemployment benefits during the week ending on Saturday, August 20, 2022. This is a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week’s revised lower level of 245,000.
Wood Markets News
Collins Company Completes Acquisition of 58,000 Acres of Forestland From Shasta Forest Timberlands LLC
Collins Company has announced that it recently completed the company’s largest purchase with the acquisition of 58,000 acres of forestland in northeastern California from Shasta Forest Timberlands LLC. and its affiliates. With this acquisition, Collins will manage 188,000 acres in California.
Pending Homes Sales Decline Modestly in July—Down Eight of the Last Nine Months
The National Association of Realtors® reported on Wednesday their Pending Homes Sales Index declined 1.0% in July from June to a reading of 89.8. The PHSI has now declined in eight times in the past nine months. Year-over-year contract signings have declined 19.9%.
Researchers Develop Transparent Coating for Fire-Proofing Wood
Currently, the timbers must be coated with a paint-like, fire-retardant coating. That is changing thanks to the new coating developed by NTU, which allow the timbers to remain exposed, while still providing a flame barrier when ‘activated’ by fire.
Mortgage Applications Sink Lower, Remaining at a 22-Year Low, in the Week Ending August 19, 2022
According to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Application Survey, for the week ending August 19, 2022, the Market Composite Index (a measure of mortgage loan application volume) decreased 1.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.
A Closer Look at Construction Employment Data for June
According to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data, with further analysis provided by the Associated Builders and Contractors, the construction unemployment rate hovered below 2% in June in 10 states but was as high as 6.5% in New Mexico.
New Residential Single-Family Home Sales Down Month-Over-Month and Year-Over-Year in July
On Tuesday, the US Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly announced that new residential single-family home sales for July were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 511,000 units, according to estimates. This is 12.6% below the revised June rate of 585,000.
Conifex Timber Inc. Announces Reduced Operations at Its Mackenzie, BC, Sawmill
Citing “acute transportation challenges,” Conifex Timber Inc. announced on Monday that it was reducing its operating schedule at its Mackenzie, British Columbia, sawmill facility to a one-shift basis for up to six weeks.
Södra Wood Announces Production Adjustment to Better Align Production With Customer Demand
Södra Wood announced on Monday that, while it still expects the long-term prospects for the use of sustainable building materials to remain strong, the company is now anticipating weaker demand for wood products in the short term due to increasing inflation and higher interest rates in both Europe and the US.
Multifamily, For-Rent Housing Starts Continued to Climb in Q2, Approaching 36-Year High
According to the latest quarterly US Census data, the number of multifamily, for-rent housing starts soared during Q2 2022. At 142,000 units started, Q2 was the largest quarter of rental multifamily construction since Q2 1986, or 36-years ago.