US Sees Decline in Construction Output

Construction may be considered essential during these troubling economic times, but that doesn't mean the industry is immune to the crisis. According to the latest readings from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), construction output is down significantly due to interruptions from COVID-19.The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis found nonreside...
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Pending Home Sales Jump in June

Pending home sales continued to surprise in June, posting back-to-back months of improvement. According to the Pending Home Sales Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), sales in June increased 16.6%. Pending sales are also up more than 6% from June 2019. "It is quite surprising and remarkable that, in the midst of a global pandemic,...
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'Human Error' Heightens Cybersecurity Issues in US, UK

Human error is always a possibility in the decisions we make and unfortunately, it has played a significant role in cybersecurity hacks among U.S. and U.K. employees. According to Tessian's latest report, "The Psychology of Human Error," 43% of those surveyed said their mistakes caused cybersecurity-related repercussions for themselves or their com...
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New Home Sales Jump in June

New home sales are at a new high this year after outperforming expectations in June. The U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Friday that new single-family sales increased 13.8% from May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 776,000 in June. This is also 6.9% above the June 2019 data, making it the best mon...
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Construction Leaders Confident in June Staffing Levels, Profit Margins, Sales

In times of such economic uncertainty, any sign of optimism can be a positive ray of light and, in this case, that is in the form of construction leader confidence. According to Associated Builders and Contractors' (ABC) Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI), construction leaders in the U.S. showed increased confidence in June as it pertained to sta...
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Housing Starts Jump in June

U.S. housing starts have skyrocketed at their strongest monthly increase in nearly four years. Privately owned housing starts in June jumped 17.3% to a seasonally adjusted rate of 1.186 million, according to the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development. Reuters states the percentage increase was the largest since October 2016, ...
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'Buckling Global Supply Chains, Trade Tensions' Behind Increased Construction Input Prices

Construction input prices rose more than 2% in June, an increase that Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) states are linked to "global supply chains buckling and trade tensions elevated." According to ABC's latest report, construction input prices rose 2.2%, while nonresidential construction input prices climbed a little higher to 2.3%.More t...
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Dodge Momentum Index Continues Downward Trend in June

Potential construction spending took a decent-sized hit in June. The Dodge Momentum Index, which measures construction projects in planning that leads to future nonresidential construction spending, from Dodge Data & Analytics declined 6.6% in June. "The Momentum Index has shifted noticeably lower as the fallout from recession continues to hold...
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Construction Confidence in New Business, Revenue Rattled in Second Quarter

Many construction jobs are still deemed essential during this time of economic uncertainty; however, that doesn't mean the industry is thriving. According to the latest results from the USG and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index (CCI), contractors' confidence in both new business and revenue expectations saw a significant declin...
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Surprise Decline in May Construction Spending

There was a surprise in the May construction spending numbers after the industry was one of the first to reopen and rebound from the pandemic. Wells Fargo Securities reported spending has declined nearly 6% since it peaked in February. Announced earlier this week, construction spending dropped 2.1% in May to a seasonally adjusted rate of $1,356.4 b...
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A Shift in Resilience Eases Credit Departments into Digital Era during Pandemic

Credit departments' shift from paper checks to digital payment platforms was underway well before COVID-19, but according to several experts, the pandemic is accelerating this transition. Diana Eagen and Frank Cook, of document automation and order management software solutions company Esker, said the current economic climate continues to ease...
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New Home Sales Exceed Projections in May

New single-family home sales in the U.S. are on the rise. According to the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development, sales increased 16.6% in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 676,000. This is better than expected as MarketWatch reported analysts predicted a rate of 650,000, and Reuters' economists forecasted sales wo...
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New York Companies Allegedly Threaten Customers with Legal Action, Violence to Get Loans Paid

Working hard to collect payments from customers is challenging, but credit professionals know it's important remain exactly that: professional. However, not everyone follows the rules as was the case with three companies and their owners and managers who allegedly "cheated small businesses in New York and across the country out of millions of dolla...
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Housing Starts See Modest Rebound in May

U.S. housing starts have started to rebound; however, they are still well below the data from a year ago. Housing starts increased 4.3% in May, according to this week's announcement from the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development. Yet, this is 23.2% below May 2019. Housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted rate of 974,000 ...
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ABC Economist Suggests Construction Industry Focus on 'Broader Trends' Due to 'Erratic' Input Prices

Construction input prices have yet to establish a trend over the past few months, despite a slight increase in May. Although prices rose 0.8% last month, Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Chief Economist Anirban Basu said U.S. construction firms should focus their attention to "broader trends" given the current economic climate.According to...
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Import Prices Rebound After Historic Fall

A month after their worst fall in more than five years, import prices have rebounded to their best month in over a year. U.S. imports increased 1% in May, according to a release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Much of the increase is due to the large jump in fuel import prices, which shot up 20.5% in May. That was the largest increase since th...
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Construction Sees Largest Monthly Job Increase in More Than 80 Years

The construction industry featured its latest accomplishment in May, adding 464,000 net new jobs—the largest monthly increase in more than 80 years, according to Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Although there were fewer jobs in May compared to the prior year, nonresidential construction employment added 237,000 net new jobs last month af...
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April Construction Spending Slips; Better than Expected

Construction spending is still being impacted by COVID-19; however, outlays fell slightly lower than expected in April. Despite the better-than-expected fall, April's 2.9% drop was the worst since October 2018, according to Reuters. However, spending in April was 3% higher than April 2019, according to a release from the Census Bureau. Construction...
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Google Warns of Ongoing Online Scams

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, so do online scams. Last week, Google warned the public of the ongoing battle against phishing attacks, some often involving fraudsters stealing confidential data as well as tricking those into believing they will receive financial relief.According to Google security experts, cybercriminals have been quite act...
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Pending Home Sales Plummet in April

Pending home sales is the latest sector to see record drops from the impacts of COVID-19. The Pending Home Sales Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) declined 21.8% in April. All regions saw a month-to-month and year-over-year decline in pending home sales. "With nearly all states under stay-at-home orders in April, it is no surpri...
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