Steel Markets

ABI Decline Does Not Worry Their Chief Economist

September 21, 2016

The Architecture Billings Index dipped to 49.7 in August from 51.5 in July. The Northeast average dropped to 44.9 which pulled the headline index down.

“This is only the second month this year where demand for architectural services has declined and it is only by a fraction of a point,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD. “Given the solid numbers for new design contracts and project inquiries, it doesn’t appear that this is the beginning of a broader downturn in the design and construction industry.”

Key ABI highlights:

Regional averages: South (55.2), Midwest (52.8), West (49.0), Northeast (44.9)
Sector index breakdown: mixed practice (51.8), multi-family residential (50.9), commercial/industrial (50.8), institutional (50.7)
Project inquiries index: 61.8
Design contracts index: 52.7

About the AIA Architecture Billings Index

The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) is considered a leading economic indicator of construction activity, and reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending. The regional and sector categories are calculated as a 3-month moving average, whereas the national index, design contracts and inquiries are monthly numbers. The monthly ABI index scores are centered around the neutral mark of 50, with scores above 50 indicating growth in billings and scores below 50 indicating a decline.

Below is a graph showing the history of The Architecture Billings and Inquiries Indexes. You will need to view the graph on our website to use its interactive features, you can do so by clicking here. If you need assistance logging into or navigating the website, please contact our office at 800-432-3475 or info@SteelMarketUpdate.com.