Economy

ABI Shows Growth in May
Written by Sandy Williams
June 25, 2015
The Architecture Billings Index rose to 51.9 in May from 47.8 in April. The Index, which reflects the approximate nine to 12 month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending, showed an increase in demand for new schools, hospitals, cultural facilities and municipal buildings last month.
The ABI, published monthly by the American Institute for Architects (AIA), has fallen twice so far in 2015, and is now back in positive territory. Any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings for design services.
“As has been the case for the past several years, while the design and construction industry has been in a recovery phase, we continue to receive mixed signals on business conditions in the marketplace,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD. “Generally, the business climate is favorable, but there are still construction sectors and regions of the country that are struggling, producing the occasional backslide in the midst of what seems to be growing momentum for the entire industry.”
The ABI highlights are:
– Regional averages: South (54.6), Midwest (52.3), West (49.9) Northeast (45.2)
– Sector index breakdown: institutional (55.2), mixed practice (52.5), commercial / industrial (48.3) multi-family residential (45.9)
– Project inquiries index: 61.5
– Design contracts index: 53.4
Note: An interactive ABI Chart can be accessed by logging into the SMU website and visiting this page. A screenshot of the graphic is below.

Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Economy

Architecture billings continue to slide in March
Architecture firms said billings continued to decline in March, according to the latest Architecture Billings Index (ABI) released by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Deltek.

Beige Book shows concerns about trade policy
Manufacturing was mixed, but two-thirds of districts said activity was little changed or had declined.

New York state manufacturing index drops again in April
Firms were pessimistic, with the future general business conditions index falling to its second lowest reading in the more than 20-year history of the survey

Construction adds 13,000 jobs in March
The construction sector added 13,000 jobs, seasonally adjusted, in March, but tariffs could undermine the industry.

Supply chains, end-users brace for impact from tariffs
Supply chains are working through what the tariffs mean for them