Tag: economy

Billings and inquiries for work drop; hiring plans on hold.

The latest jobs report showed steady year-to-date job creation and measures of consumer confidence are at or near recovery highs.

Latest survey shows the highest percentage of U.S. employers reporting their intent to hire since 2009.

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association has announced its top 10 equipment acquisition trends for 2013; economic and fiscal policies are impacting equipment investment decisions for many businesses.

Jones Lang LaSalle Global Office Index shows this was the seventh consecutive quarter where prime rents have risen, which reflects an 8.2% uplift since the bottom of the market in fourth quarter 2009 and a 5.5% increase year-on-year.

AIA reported the August ABI score was 51.4, following a very weak score of 45.1 in July. This score reflects an increase in demand for design services.

The new projects inquiry index was 53.7, a considerable slowdown from a reading of 58.1 in June.

The AIA will establish a new survey that will begin to identify and analyze stalled projects from around the country that could be moved forward on almost any front but for the lack of financing.

The most recent results show a gradual increase from previous surveys in those who anticipate hiring additional FM staff in the next six months, with 24% reporting such plans.

Tax returns are due in a few days (Monday, April 18, to be precise), and fewer workers plan to use their tax refunds to pay off bills and more plan to put the money into savings, reflecting a more stable economy.

Following the first positive reading since January 2008, the ABI dropped nearly two points in October. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to 12 month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.

Following a two-month soft patch, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) rose almost two full points in July.

A survey of more than 1,400 North American executives and managers responsible for making investments and managing energy in commercial buildings found that planned investment in energy efficiency is expected to rebound in 2010.

Dunlap stated, “[This year] has been an exceptionally difficult [one] for this industry, but I see brighter days ahead. There are enough indicators that tell us that the current industry recession has probably bottomed out. The modest increases in shipments and orders during the second quarter suggest this.”

There has been a recent moderation in the downturn in design services billings, but the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) reveals that an economic recovery has stalled.

Battered by the U.S. economic recession, the commercial real estate market is struggling to maintain values across all property types and geographic areas, kicking a growing number of investors into survival mode as they painfully watch the value of their existing portfolios decline