Private sector employment increased by 22,000 jobs in January, while annual pay rose 4.5% year-over-year, ADP reported.
Wood Markets News
US Mortgage Rates Inch Higher in the Week Ending February 5
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.11%, up from 6.10% the previous week, Freddie Mac reported.
US Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary for December
US job openings totaled 6.5 million in December, with hires and separations both at 5.3 million, the BLS reported.
US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims Increase in the Week Ending January 31
The advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 231,000, an increase of 22,000 from the previous week.
US Job Cuts Jump in January; Highest for the Month Since 2009
US employers announced 108,435 job cuts in January, up 205% from December and up 118% from a year earlier, CG&C reported.
Uniboard Starts New Particleboard Production Line at Val-d’Or, QC, Mill
Uniboard has started up a new particleboard production line at its Val-d’Or mill, boosting annual capacity to 272 million square feet.
Canada Funds Engineering Study to Convert Kap Paper Mill Into MDF Mill
Canada is providing CA$7.5 million to Kap Paper for a study examining the potential conversion of its Kapuskasing mill into an MDF plant, Northern Ontario Business reported.
US Homeownership Rate Rises in 2025Q4
The US homeownership rate rose modestly to 65.7% in 2025Q4, the Census Bureau and NAHB reported.
US Mortgage Applications Decline in the Week Ending January 30
Mortgage loan application volume fell 8.9% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier, MBA reported.
Brazilian Exports of Wood-Based Products Decline in December
Brazilian exports of wood-based products totaled US$263.2 million in December, down 17.0% from a year earlier, ITTO reported.