Economy

March 31 SMU Community Chat to Focus on Construction Market
Written by Tim Triplett
March 23, 2021
Ken Simonson, chief economist at the Associated General Contractors of America, will be the featured speaker at the next SMU Community Chat beginning at 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday, March 31.
Simonson will speak to the status of the residential, commercial and industrial construction markets and forecasts for construction in the coming months. He will also cover the most recent Data DIGest from the AGC and discuss what the trade group’s members are predicting for future construction projects.
Join us at 11 a.m. ET next Wednesday, March 31. The 45-minute webinar is free and open to all. To register, click here.

Tim Triplett
Read more from Tim TriplettLatest in Economy

Architecture firms struggle through April
For the third month in a row, architecture firms reported a reduction in billings through April, according to the latest Architecture Billings Index release.

House committee blocks GOP budget proposal
The budget proposal has big implications for steel and manufacturing.

Manufacturing in New York state contracts again in May
Manufacturing activity in New York state declined for the third consecutive month, according to the May Empire State Manufacturing Survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Responding firms continue to forecast weaker business conditions in the coming months.

Chicago Business Barometer falls back in April, remains in contraction
The Chicago Business Barometer declined in April, reversing March’s gains, according to Market News International (MNI) and the Institute for Supply Management (ISM).

Fewer manufacturers optimistic about the economy
PMA’s April report shows that only 16% of surveyed manufacturers anticipate an increase in economic activity in the next three months (down from 23% in March)