The U.S. Department of Labor is reporting that an additional 847,000 Americans made their initial filing for unemployment benefits during the week ending on Saturday, January 23rd.
Wood Markets News
China and New Zealand Sign Updated Free-Trade Agreement
It has taken over eight years and thirty rounds of negotiations, but the New Zealand government has just signed what has been called the world’s largest free-trade agreement with China. The new agreement offers several New Zealand goods faster access to Chinese markets and a reduction in tariffs on paper and wood products.
Vinkovci, Croatia, based DI Spačva Timber Company Announces Prospective Buyers Have Started Due Diligence on the Company
DI Spačva, a timber company, based in Vinkovci, Croatia, has announced that prospective buyers have started conducting their due diligence on the company. DI Spačva consists of five factories: a sawmill, a parquet production plant, a final products factory, a veneer factor, and a bio-fuels factory.
Bureau of Labor Statistics Reports Unemployment Held Steady at 6.7% in December
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is reporting that unemployment rates were lower in December in 19 states, higher in 12 states and the District of Columbia, and stable in 19 states. Forty-five states and the District had jobless rate increases from a year earlier, one state had a decrease, and four states had little or no change.
Shares of Mortgages in Forbearance Increase Slightly in Week Ending January 17th, 2021
The latest Mortgage Banker Association’s (MBA) Forbearance and Call Survey reports that the total number of loans now in forbearance increased slightly from 5.37% of servicers’ portfolio volume in the prior week to 5.38% as of January 17, 2021.
Mortgage Applications Decrease 4.1% in Week Ending January 22nd, 2021
According to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Application Survey, for the week ending January 22nd , 2021, the Market Composite Index a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased -4.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.
British Columbia is Serious About Climate Smart Construction
While climate change and its related effects remain a global challenge, British Columbia municipalities are taking action to reduce its impact at the local level.
Housing Trend Report Finds COVID-19 Pandemic Continues to Influence on Home Purchasing
The latest Housing Trend Report (HTR) from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reveals that the share of Americans who are considering the purchase of a home in the next 12 months was 15% in the Q4 of 2020, four percentage points higher than a year earlier and the largest year-over-year gain in the 3+year history of this series.
The Conference Board Reports Consumer Confidence Index® Improved in January
The Conference Board is reporting that their Consumer Confidence Index® improved moderately in January 2021 after declining in December 2020. The index now stands at 89.3, up from December’s reading of 87.1.
S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index Reports Home Prices Gained in November
According to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index report, which covers all nine U.S. Census divisions, home prices on an annual basis gained 9.5% in November, up from 8.4% increase in October.