The advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 215,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week.
Wood Markets News
Canadian Unemployment Edges Higher in March
470,000 Canadians received regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits in March, up 0.1%, or 400, from February’s level.
Mass Timber Observation Tower Opens in Southern Germany
In a feature by Archinect, University of Stuttgart professor Achim Menges shared details of a new tower project after its realization earlier this month in southern Germany.
Kronospan Acquires Woodgrain’s Island City, OR, Particleboard Facility
Kronospan, an Austria-based producer of wood panel products, announced it has acquired Woodgrain’s particleboard manufacturing facility in Island City, Oregon.
Makah Tribe of Neah Bay, WA, Celebrates Opening of Its New Sawmill
The Makah Tribe in Neah Bay, Washington, will host the grand opening of its new sawmill on Thursday, May 30th, MyCallamCounty reported.
BC Provides Update on Old-Growth Conservation
The BC Government released an update on work underway in response to the 14 recommendations made by an independent panel in a 2020 review of BC’s old forests.
US Existing-Home Sales Declined Month-Over-Month and Year-Over-Year in April
Total existing home sales declined 1.9% month-over-month in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 4.14 million, NAR reported.
Mortgage Applications Rise in the Week Ending May 17th—Third Consecutive Increase
Mortgage loan application volume increased 1.9% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier, MBA reported.
US Single-Family Home Size Continues to Shrink in Q1
The median single-family floor area came in at 2,140 square feet in Q1, the lowest reading since the second half of 2009, the NAHB and Census Bureau reported.
Fannie Mae ESR Group Modifies Expectations for 2024 Housing Activity
The ESR Group expects housing activity will slow modestly compared to previous projections, if the broad upward movement in mortgage rates since the start of the year is sustained.