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US Construction Job Openings: Aug 2019
The US construction sector hiring rate, as measured on a twelve-month moving average basis, held steady at 5.3% in August 2019. The twelve-month moving average for layoffs ticked up to 2.5%, continuing a rising trend in recent months. Data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) indicate that construction job openings increased in August.…
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US Building Materials Prices: Sept 2019
The PPI report shows that softwood lumber prices increased +3.8% in September 2019—the index’s largest percentage increase since prices rose +4.8% in June 2018. Prices have fallen -8.7% over the last 12 months but remain nearly +15% higher than they were in 2016. Prices paid for goods used in residential construction in the US decreased…
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Benchmark Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 Price Matches One-Year-Ago
Most North American construction framing dimension softwood lumber commodities last week achieved price levels seen at this time in 2017, while benchmark item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir KD 2×4 #2&btr price now matches this week last year. After soaring to record-level highs during the 2018 US home building season, softwood lumber prices slid inexorably downward well into…
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Madison’s WSPF Lumber Prices: sneak preview
The full North America softwood lumber price list will be updated as usual first thing tomorrow morning Eastern time, however here is a sneak peak at benchmark WSPF prices: After waffling up and down $6 over the past two weeks, the price of standard 2x4s remain flat this week at US$376 mfbm; Utility/#3 loses another…
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Softwood Lumber Prices Moderate Nicely, Truck Loggers Descend on Vancouver, BC
Drama unfolded large in downtown Vancouver, BC, last week, where was being held the Union of British Columbia Municipalities annual meeting. Mayors and political leaders from across the province were greeted by a convoy of 230 unloaded logging trucks arriving Friday morning to large crowds of surprised, and cheering, onlookers. The issue of reduced timber…
