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- Electrical Safety is Important to Everyone on a Home Building SiteElectrical safety on jobsites can often be overlooked by many workers whose primary jobs do not include electrical work. But all workers and visitors on a home building jobsite can be exposed to electric risk if proper safety procedures are not followed.
- More Young Adults Interested in the Construction Trades, but Challenges PersistA new study conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reveals that more young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 are interested in the construction trades but more work needs to be done to educate the public that there are increasing opportunities for rewarding, lucrative careers in the skilled trades.
- Single-Family Permits Decline Sharply to Start 2026Residential construction activity began 2026 on a mixed note, with single-family permitting weakening significantly while multifamily activity remained relatively stable.
- 9 NHE Grants Boost Residential Construction VisibilityThe National Housing Endowment (NHE), NAHB's philanthropic arm, created its Homebuilding Education Leadership Program (HELP) to increase the number of qualified graduates entering the home building industry. Since 2009, HELP has invested more than $6.2 million in grants to 60 colleges and universities.
- Iran War Adds to Economic HeadwindsA multidimensional supply shock is weakening the U.S. economy, fueled by the delayed effects of the 2025 trade wars and tariffs, elevated oil prices, and persistent policy uncertainty. NAHB Chief Economist Dr. Robert Dietz provides a high-level summary of key economic markers.
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- Construction Workforce Shifts: Fewer Tradesmen, More White-Collar JobsThe long-running shift in the construction labor force away from construction trades and toward management, business, and technical roles is ongoing and gaining momentum, according to NAHB’s analysis of the latest 2024 data from the American Community Survey (ACS). Although total industry employment now slightly exceeds the levels reached during the 2005–2006 housing boom, the […]
- Count of Second Homes Declines in 2024In 2024, the number of second homes in the U.S. was 6.2 million, accounting for 4.3% of the nation’s housing stock, according to NAHB estimates. This reflects a modest decline from 2022, when the number reached 6.5 million. This decline suggests some cooling following the pandemic-era surge in second home demand. Despite the recent decline, […]
- Young Adults Report More Interest in the Construction Trades: 2026 SurveyNAHB estimates the U.S. has a structural housing deficit of 1.2 million units. Among the myriad of headwinds home builders face trying to close that gap is the industry’s chronic shortage of workers in the construction trades. This shortage is responsible for an approximate $11 billion per year impact in terms of higher cost and […]
- Builder Sentiment Posts Notable Decline on Economic UncertaintyEconomic uncertainty coupled with rising building material costs and interest rates resulted in a sharp decline in builder sentiment in April as the housing market enters into the heart of the spring buying season. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell four points to 34 in April, according to the National […]
- Higher Energy Prices Increase Residential Construction CostsEnergy input prices increased in March at their fastest pace since June of 2020 as the conflict in Iran shocked critical global supply chains. Building material prices, excluding energy, rose for the eleventh straight month. Price growth for trade services slowed while transportation and warehousing price growth accelerated. Â The Producer Price Index for final […]
