Tag Archives: economy

Home builder confidence increased in June, hitting its highest point since September, according to survey data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). “Builders are reporting more serious and committed buyers at their job sites and this is reflected in …

Recently, a local newspaper in Indianapolis, where the North American Retail Hardware Association is headquartered, published a story about an independent hardware store that’s closing its doors. The story also talked about the tough times the independent hardware retailing industry …

Existing-home sales surged in March to the highest annual rate since September 2013, with the midwest snagging the largest gains, according to Realtor Magazine. The rest of the U.S. also experienced growth in existing-home sales. “The combination of low interest rates …

New home construction isn’t back to pre-recession highs, but spending money on home upgrades and repairs is. “Commerce Department figures show that in real, or inflation-adjusted terms, people are spending as much on home and garden tools and supplies as …

Lowe’s reported sales increases for its fourth quarter of 2014, as well as for the fiscal year. The year’s sales were $56.2 billion, a 5.3-percent increase from 2013. Fourth-quarter sales totaled $12.5 billion, which was an increase of 7.3 percent from the …

Construction started on more homes in January than in the same month a year ago. The U.S. saw 1.07 million new housing starts in January, an increase of about 19 percent from January 2014, according to data from the National Association …

The National Retail Federation predicts that consumers will spend more money in 2015 than last year, with sales rising 4.1 percent. This expected increase would be the biggest sales uptick since 2011, the organization reports in a news release. “Already facing far fewer …

During the month of January, the U.S. added 257,000 jobs to its labor force, while the unemployment rate increased slightly, the U.S. Department of Labor reports. As the job market has improved, it’s important to note that people who have been unemployed for awhile are now rejoining the job search, …