Construction Archives - Colorado-based Business and Economic Research

SIngle Family Permits Being Added at Greater Rate than 1991-2005

February 11, 2014June 28, 2014 horvath Leave a comment

Improvement in the construction industry, as measured by single family permits, has contributed to the recovery from the Great Recession.

Looking back, the number of annual permits grew steadily from 1991 to 2006.

After bottoming out in January 1991 at 587,000 annual permits and the average number of permits added that year was 751,000. In September 2005, the number of permits peaked at 1,798,000 and the average number of permits added that year was 1,685,000. Over this period of 15 years months the average number of single family permits increased at an average annual rate of 62,233 units per year.

After the Great Recession hit, the number of monthly permits bottomed out at 379,000 in February of 2011. The average number of permits issues for 2011 was 420,000. In 2013 the number of permits increased to 614,000. For this two year period, permits are being added at an average annual rate of 97,208.

The story of the construction industry continues to be one of good and bad news. Over the past two years, the rate of new single family permits being issued is greater than during the boom years. The problem is the greater recession created such a hole, it seems like there is little construction activity.

single family permits

Construction Output Declined for Eleven Years – Reversed in 2012

July 15, 2013July 15, 2013 horvath Leave a comment

Real GDP for the Construction sector finally rebounded in 2012, after decreasing for eleven years, 2001 to 2011.

Between 1997 and 2012, the Bureau of Economic Analysis statistics show:

The annualized rate of growth for U.S. Private Sector Real GDP (sum of all states) was 2.3% and the U.S. Construction sector declined annually at a rate of -1.5%.
The compound growth rate for Colorado Private Sector Real GDP was 3.1%. The Colorado Construction sector declined annually at a rate of -2.4%.

For this period, the Colorado Construction sector was hit much harder than the U.S. In addition, the recovery was much slower for Colorado.

Between 2009 and 2012, the data shows:

The annualized rate of growth for U.S. Private Sector Real GDP (sum of all states) was 2.5% and the U.S. Construction sector increased at an annualized rate of 0.5%.
The compound growth rate for Colorado Private Sector Real GDP was 2.2%. The Colorado Construction sector declined annually at a rate of -1.4%.

Preliminary data suggests that 2013 Colorado Construction output will again be positive and that it will be stronger than the nation.

Goods Producing Sectors Poised to Add Jobs this Year

August 1, 2012August 1, 2012 horvath Leave a comment

Companies are divided into two categories: Goods Producing sectors and Service Producing sectors. In simplistic terms: you make stuff or you do stuff.

One of the reasons the Goods Producing category is important is that many primary jobs are in these sectors. The NAICS categories include the Extractive Industries, Construction, and Manufacturing.

Only twice (1997 and 1998) since 1990 have all three sectors added jobs in the same year. At the midpoint of 2012, the trio are in a position to show gains for this year also. Previously the gains were a result of an economy hitting on all cylinders. This time the gains will occur because of an economy that has misfired and the sectors have nowhere else to go but up. They are playing a small, but extremely important role in the recovery.

For additional details on the Colorado economy click here or go to https://cber.co/.

Are Construction Jobs being Added Too Quickly?

June 15, 2012June 15, 2012 horvath Leave a comment

The lack of growth in the Construction sector and problems in the housing market are reasons for the lackluster recovery of the economy. In April, 2012 there were 117,900 Colorado Construction workers, virtually the same as in March 1997.

Over 57,000 construction jobs were lost as a result of the Great Recession and an oversupply of construction workers. The recovery has begun; however, only 9.8% of the lost jobs have been recovered.

By comparison, Healthcare and Higher Education did not experience a downturn. Tourism jobs dropped off slightly but have returned to pre-recession levels. The Extractive Industries; and Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services will reach 2008 peak levels later this year.

When all sectors are considered, about 55% of all lost jobs have been recovered.

It is great news that workers are being added to the payrolls, but does the state still have a surplus of construction workers?. This question is asked because the Construction sector should have a location quotient near 1.0 (the location quotient is a ratio comparing the local concentration of workers to the national concentration).

In January, 2012 the location quotient jumped to 1.23 and has remained near that level since. This means the state’s concentration of construction workers was about 23% greater than the U.S. average.

To put this in a historical perspective, the construction location quotient was less than 1.0 in 1990. It had dropped to this level because the state residential and commercial markets were overbuilt during the 1980s. The state experienced a housing bust and negative net migration for five years.

The strong expansion during the 1990s was supported by the increase in the number of construction workers. By January, 2000 the location quotient reached its peak at 1.46. Over the next 12 years, the number of construction workers declined relative to other sectors and the location quotient gradually dropped to 1.17 in August 2011.

The comparative lack of construction activity will probably prevent an oversupply of construction workers. For example office vacancies remain high enough that there is not demand for significant new construction. There is one major speculative office site being built-in Colorado; it is located in Broomfield.

Current activity appears to be in reaction to demand:
• There has been a greater need for multi-family units than single family housing, resulting in new apartments, condos, and townhouses in certain areas.
• There is demand for infrastructure improvements. Construction continues on FasTracks and improvements to the 36 Corridor are on tap for this summer. (It should be noted that different skills are needed for building houses and infrastructure).
• Finally, the expansion of the extractive industries drives construction activity, in areas such as the Niobrara shale field.

The good news is that jobs are being added. Hopefully they will increase at a rate that doesn’t result in an oversupply.

For a more complete update on the recovery of the Colorado economy, go to https://cber.co/.

Construction Finally on the Uptick

May 3, 2012May 3, 2012 horvath Leave a comment

Construction was hit harder than most employment sectors during the Great Recession. For a number of years Colorado has had an oversupply of construction workers, relative to other industries. That has significantly lengthened the time of recovery.

Nationally, seasonally adjusted employment peaked in April 2006 at 7,726,000 workers. The number of workers declined with the Great Recession and appears to have bottomed out in January 2011 at 5,456,000. A total of 2,270,000 workers lost their jobs over that 57 month period. Since bottoming out, only 95,000 construction jobs have been added in 14 months.

There was a similar pattern for Colorado, but not as severe. Construction employment peaked in July 2007 at 170,100. It declined with the recession and appears to have bottomed out at 110,400. A total of 59,700 construction jobs were lost over this 47 month period. Since reaching bottom, 6,500 construction jobs have been added in nine months.

To put this in perspective, national tourism employment moved from peak-to-trough-to-peak in 50 months, while it took Colorado tourism employment 44 months to make the same journey. It has taken the Construction sector longer to go from peak-to-trough than it took the tourism industry to lose jobs and regain them.

On April 24, 2012 Aldo Svaldi of the Denver Post reported that the number of homebuilders in the state declined by 80%, a decrease of 2,903 to 616 builders.

Holy Moly Batman!

For additional information on the overall economy go to the cber.co website.

For additional information on the construction industry check out the cber.co report,Colorado’s Construction Industry – Impact Beyond the Hammers and Nails .

Sectors Losing Jobs Have Higher Wages

October 2, 2011October 2, 2011 horvath Leave a comment

Through the first 8 months of the year there are 7 sectors of the economy that have lost a net total of 25,100 jobs, compared to the same period last year.

Construction                                     -8,800
Financial Activities                            -4,200
Federal Government                         -3,400
Information                                       -3,400
B-to-B (Not Employment Services)  -2,600
Local Government (Not K-12)         -1,600
K-12 Education                               -1,100

These sectors account for 33.3% of total employment. Average wages for this mix of workers is about $56,600 compared to average annual wages for all employees of about $47,900 (calculations based on 2010 QCEW data). In other words, the average wages for the sectors that are losing jobs is significantly greater than the overall state average, based on 2010 data.

The 2011 prognosis is that each of these sectors will show job losses for the year (2011) and that average annual wages for the group will remain well above the overall state average.

For a comprehensive review of the Colorado economy visit the CBER website.

10 Years After 9/11 – Housing Prices

August 14, 2011May 20, 2014 horvath Leave a comment

Can you say housing bubble?

During the Lost Decade Colorado residents felt like Ann Hodges, the only person on record to be hit by a meteorite. While the rest of the nation was enjoying steep appreciation in their housing prices, Coloradans only saw modest gains.

Then their fortunes turned.

When the housing bubble burst in 2006, Colorado prices either remained stable or recorded a modest decline. Comparatively speaking, that is good news. Residents in many other states saw precipitous declines.

The downturn in prices meant that at one point, at least 25% of U.S. homeowners, or more than 11 million people, were underwater on their loans. They owed more than the value of their homes.

This problem can be attributed to the creative financing tools that allowed homeowners to treat their dwellings as “cash registers” during times of steep appreciation. They took on extra debt expecting the steep appreciation to continue. When prices plunged, the additional debt came back to haunt them.

Lower housing prices has theoretically made it possible for first-time buyers, those wanting to upgrade, or those previously shut out of the market to purchase a home. But, there is a catch. Underwater owners have difficulty refinancing their homes and those who qualify for refinancing may choose not to sell at a loss.

The combination of underwater owners and the high number of foreclosures has created chaos for the construction market.

It is not a pretty situation; however, in many cases, the lack of steep appreciation in the first part of the decade has worked to the advantage of Coloradans.

10 Years After 9/11 – Construction

August 8, 2011May 20, 2014 horvath Leave a comment

Colorado construction employment declined from mid-2001 through 2004, in part due to 9/11 and the recession. It rebounded between 2005 and 2008, but plunged in 2008. Employment in 2011 dropped back to levels last seen in 1995.

State single family building permits peaked in 2004 at 40,753 and plunged to 7,231 in 2009. A slight recovery was seen in 2010 and 2011.

Total construction valuation for Colorado peaked at $16.8 billion in 2006 and fell to $6.2 billion in 2010.

Colorado’s Construction Sector Real GDP peaked in 2000. It declined at an annualized rate of -5.9% between 2000 and 2010.

In short, the Construction Sector got hammered.

For additional information, see the reports The Colorado Economy Ten Years After September 11, 2001 and Colorado’s Construction Industry – Impact Beyond the Hammers and Nails at cber.co.

Colorado’s Construction Problems Date Back to 2000

June 26, 2011May 31, 2014 horvath Leave a comment

Colorado’s construction industry has struggled for more than a decade!

Between 2007 and 2009 the construction and related industries accounted for the loss of 1-in-6 private sector jobs. Many believe that construction began its tumble in the middle of the decade. Employment and total valuation peaked in 2006 at 167,800 and $16.8 billion respectfully.

A closer look at Real GDP data shows that the downturn in Colorado’s construction sector actually began in 2000 and has been on a steep downhill path since. At that time the construction industry’s contribution to state output was $15.5 billion, or about 9% of the state’s private sector Real GDP (in 2005 chained dollars). Last year that contribution had dropped to $8.2 billion or about 4% of the private sector output total. From 1997 to 2010 the sector posted an annualized decline of 2.8%.

This decline in output is relevant for two reasons. First, the construction industry affects all of Colorado. More than half of the state’s counties have a higher than average concentration of construction workers. Second, a case can be made that the industry hasn’t bottomed out yet.

Unfortunately, about the only viable solution is time.

Concentration of State Construction Workers Declining

May 3, 2011May 31, 2014 horvath Leave a comment

Colorado Construction employment peaked in 2006 and has been on a downward path since. Not seasonally adjusted data topped 175,000 jobs in 2006. Today, there are 102,000 workers, comparable to mid-1995.

The large number of foreclosures and reduction in housing prices brought the construction of single family housing to a screeching halt. Approximately 9,500 permits will be pulled in 2011, up from the trough in 2009 (7,231). This is a far cry from the peak in 2004 (40,753).

Because it is difficult for geographically large states to develop distinctive competencies in construction, the concentration or workers, or location quotient (LQ), should be near 1.0. (A location quotient is the ratio. It is the percentage of state construction workers divided by the percentage of U.S. construction workers).

A LQ greater than 1.0 indicates a higher concentration of construction workers, much as the state has had for the past 20 years. On the other hand, a LQ less than 1.0 means Colorado has less of a concentration, much as occurred at the end of the 1980s because of overbuilding.

The state LQ for construction workers remained below 1.0 through mid-1991. It increased for the next 10 years (2001) to about 1.5. In early 2001, the LQ began declining and dropped off sharply for three years (2004). It leveled off for five years, then plummeted again in 2009.

How low will the LQ go? In theory it is reverting to 1.0. As the country recovers from the Great Recession, other sectors will expand at a faster, thus driving the LQ lower. It will rise again when Colorado experiences another strong expansionary phase.