Stay Current with the Industry


	Stay Current with the Industry The U.S. Census Bureau provides valuable information for the construction industry. The Bureau tracks building permits, housing starts and housing completions. Building permits represent the number of new housing units authorized by building permits in the United States. The Building Permits Survey is a leading economic indicator used to track the housing industry. Local governments and organizations such as planning commissions, universities, libraries and home builders’ associations use the data to obtain valuable information about your community. The following is data from 2005. An estimated 2,141,200 housing units were authorized by building permits An estimated 2,064,7000 housing units were started An estimated 1,930,300 housing units were completed To stay current with the residential construction industry click on the link to visit NAHB’s online weekly publication Nation’s Building News. Fast Facts The construction of 1,000 single-family homes generates 2,448 jobs in construction and construction-related industries. Source: National Association of Home Builders, NAHB 2004 Facts, Figures & Trends www.nahb.org The U.S. workforce is 115 million people strong at 7.1 million sites. Source: OSHA www.osha.gov Construction is one of the nation’s largest industries with 8.3 million workers. The number includes 1.6 million self-employed and 6.7 million wage and salary jobs. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics www.stats.bls.gov Lumber is the primary material used in new homes. A typical new wood-framed home requires about 15,000 board feet of lumber. Source: American Consumers for affordable Homes www.acah.org; National Association of Home Builders Background On Lumber, Michael Carliner 2003 www.nahb.org Steel is an alternative to using lumber for framing a home. Source: Steel Framing Alliance www.steelframingalliance.com; BuildingGreen.com www.buildinggreen.com More than 100,000 building industry professionals and 1,600 suppliers attend the annual International Builders’ Show. The industry trade show brings together the leading builders and top suppliers of the home building industry. Source: National Association of Home Builders www.nahb.org There are approximately 150+ careers involved with building a home Construction is one of the nation’s largest industries with 8.3 million workers. The number includes 1.6 million self-employed and 6.7 million wage and salary jobs. By the year 2012 there will be a need for an additional 1.1 million special trades contractors Bet You Didn’t Know… Housing accounts for about 15 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in a typical year. There were 1.9 million new home starts in 2004. 18 million new homes and apartment units will need to be built to meet demand over the next decade The construction of 1,000 single-family homes generates 2,448 jobs in construction and construction-related industries; approximately $79.4 million in wages; and more than $42.5 million in federal, state and local tax revenues and fees The construction of 1,000 multifamily homes generates 1,030 jobs in construction and related industries; approximately $33.5 million in wages; and more than $17.8 million in federal, state and local tax revenues and fees. A typical 100-unit project in an average city generates 559 jobs over 10 years, $161.7 million in local income over 10 years and $25.5 million in local taxes and fees over 10 years The median and average prices of new and existing homes more than doubled in the last two decades of the 20th century. New home sales reached a record of over one million in 2003. A typical new home weighs in at about 339,000 pounds, or more than 150 tons. Today’s average new single-family home is 2,320 square feet, and includes 23 linear feet of kitchen countertops and 19 windows. In the first 12 months after purchasing a newly built home, owners spend an average of $8,905 to furnish, decorate and improve them. Remodelers throughout the country consistently report that the three most popular remodeling jobs are kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling and room additions. Since 1980, home prices on average have increased around five percent annually and have never shown an annual loss In 1900, 75 percent of urban Americans lived in rented apartments or flats. In contrast, last year homeownership in the U.S. reached a record high of 68 percent. HBA Programs-At-A-Glance Local Home Builder Associations (HBAs) throughout the country have developed industry/education partnership programs that are educationally enriched, challenging and creative. Programs provide middle and high school age students with information about the industry and have an impact on career choices during these critical career decision-making years. These educationally enriched, challenging and creative HBA partnerships also include adult training programs.