Market Indicators

Construction Spending

Construction Spending shows the value of construction put in place, residential and non-residential. Construction spending shown in millions.
Source: Department of Commerce

Producer Price Index

Producer Price Index measures the average change over time in the selling prices received by domestic producers for their output. The prices included in the PPI are from the first commercial transaction for many products and some services.
Source:Bureau of Labor Statistics

Housing Starts

Housing Starts shows new privately owned housing unit starts, not seasonally adjusted. Number of housing units in thousands.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Building Cost Index

Materials Price Index tracks the weighted price movement of structural steel, portland cement and 2 x 4 lumber.
Source: McGraw-Hill

Skilled Labor Index

Skilled Labor Index tracks union wages, plus fringe benefits, for carpenters, bricklayers and iron workers.
Source: McGraw-Hill

Common Labor Index

Common Labor Index tracks the union wage, plus fringe benefits,
for laborers.
Source: McGraw-Hill

Materials Price Index

Materials Price Index tracks the weighted price movement of structural steel, portland cement and 2 x 4 lumber.
Source: McGraw-Hill

Construction Cost Index

Construction Cost Index is developed by this formula: 200 hours of common labor at the 20-city average of common labor rates, plus 25 cwt of standard structural steel shapes at the mill price prior to 1996 and the fabricated 20-city price from 1996, plus 1.128 tons of portland cement at the 20-city price, plus 1,088 board ft of 2 x 4 lumber at the 20-city price.
Source: McGraw-Hill

Purchasing Managers Index

Purchasing Managers Index is a composite index of five "sub-indicators", which are extracted through surveys to more than 400 purchasing managers from around the country, chosen for their geographic and industry diversification benefits. The five sub-indexes are given a weighting, as follows:

  • Production level (.25)
  • New orders (from customers) (.30)
  • Supplier deliveries - (are they coming faster or slower?) (.15)
  • Inventories (.10)
  • Employment level (.20)

Source: Institute for Supply Management