Household debt balances through the end of March totaled $14.3 trillion, an increase of 1.1% from the 4th Qtr., of 2019.
Wood Markets News
Canadian Housing Starts Increased 10.8% in April
Canadian housing starts, excluding the province of Quebec, rose 10.8% in April
Australia Timber Industry Rushes to Save 2020 Bushfire Damaged Logs
After one of the harshest fire seasons on record, the race is now on in Australia to harvest and store timber and forest products before they become unusable.
Total Consumer Credit Increases 1.8% in the First Quarter of 2020
According to the Federal Reserve’s latest G.19 Consumer Credit Report there are rising trends in consumer credit, excluding loans secured by real estate, through the first quarter of 2020.
Loan Officer Survey Shows Tightening of Standards for Construction Loans and Mortgages
The results of the latest Loan Officer Survey is consistent with other surveys and reports developed by other organizations in the banking and financial sector for the same time period.
Consumer Confidence in Home Purchasing Falls to 2011 Subprime Mortgage Levels
According to the latest Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) the steep decline in the March survey has been followed by an even deeper drop in April.
Unemployment Rate Climbs to 14.7% in April
The Labor Department is reporting that the U.S. labor market in April, shed 20.5 million workers from nonfarm payrolls.
FEA’s Weekly Order Survey – Dealers Continue to Report Steady Sales in the First Week of May
Many dealers are reporting that their first week of May sales are remaining slow but steady, very similar to where April sales left off.
Wildfires Force Evacuations and Partial Closure of I-10 in Florida Panhandle
The Florida Forest Service is reporting that high winds and low humidity has taken a prescribed burn and turned into a fast moving wildfire.
Construction Industry Insight in a Post COVID-19 World
Ramzi Jreidini. CEO of Handiss, shares his insight into how the construction industry will be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and what AEC professionals can do to lower its impact.