News
Consumer Confidence Improves in July
U.S. consumer confidence in July registered at 117, increasing 6.9 points from June and marking the highest index in two years, according to The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index. The index measuring current business and labor market conditions rose 4.7 points to 160 in July. The short-term outlook index for income, business and the labor markets grew
June U.S. Home Sales Dip
U.S. sales of new single-family homes in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 697,000, decreasing 2.5% from May but 23.8% higher than the comparable month in 2022. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new homes for sale at the end of June was 432,000, representing a 7.4-month supply at the current sales rate.
New Home Demand Up in Q2
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) second-quarter 2023 Housing Trends Report reported that new construction demand rose to 25%, up four percentage points from the first quarter. While all regions had growth, the West saw the largest boost in demand, with an increase of 11 percentage points to 32%. See NAHB
Q1 2023 U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline Strengthens
The latest U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report by Lodging Econometrics reported second quarter 2023 hotel projects totaled 5,572, increasing 7% compared to the same period in 2022. Total hotel rooms under construction rose 6% from Q2 2022 to 660,061. Projects in the early planning stages decreased 6.4% from Q1 to 2,278 with 257,785 rooms.
June U.S. Kitchen and Bath Cabinet Sales Grow Month-over-Month
U.S. kitchen and bath cabinet sales in June were $246.8 million, 3% lower than the comparable month in 2022 but up 4.5% from May, according to the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association’s (KCMA) monthly “Trend of Business” member survey. The number of cabinets sold decreased 16.7% compared to June 2022 but increased 5.8% from May. Semi-custom
U.S. Furniture Orders Increase in May
U.S. residential furniture factory orders in May were $2.3 billion, up 15.5% from the year-ago period and 19.2% higher than April. Furniture shipments dropped 18.1% from last May to $2.4 billion but rose 5% from April. May backlogs were $2.9 billion, declining 61.5% from last year and 2% from April. See Smith Leonard
July Safety Report Now Available
The July Safety Report Is Now Ready for Members to Download
Fall Meeting Attendee List Published; Hotel Reservation Deadline Extended
The Fall Meeting attendee list is now available online, featuring representatives from more than 60 member companies. Rooms for the September 27-29 meeting at the Hyatt Regency Savannah must be reserved by September 9 to secure the discounted group rate. Current meeting details and hotel reservation information are available online. See Annual Meetings. More Info: Anna
Unilin Names New CEO
Unilin announced the appointment of An Nuyttens as CEO. She will join the company in mid-October, succeeding Paul De Cock, who will become CEO of Mohawk Industries on September 30. Nuyttens brings over 30 years’ experience to the role, most recently serving in executive positions at Solvay. Unilin is a global manufacturer of panels and
August U.S. Consumer Confidence Dips
U.S. consumer confidence measured 89.4 in August, a decrease of 0.8 points from the adjusted July reading, according to The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index. The index gauging current business and labor market conditions climbed 6.8 points in August to 121.2. The short-term outlook index for income, business, and labor markets slid 5.8 points to
U.S. New Home Sales Down in July
U.S. sales of new single-family homes in July were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 607,000, falling 10.5% from June and 6.3% below the comparable month in 2025. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new homes for sale in July was 488,000, representing a 9.6-month supply at the existing sales rate. This is 1.9% higher
July U.S. Construction Spending Weakens
U.S. construction spending in July reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2.16 trillion, decreasing 0.5% from June and 3.8% year-over-year. Total public and private residential spending declined 1.3% month-over-month and 7.3% from July 2025 to $871.21 billion. Non-residential spending totaled $1.29 trillion, 0.1% higher than June but down 1.3% from the same month last