Bureau of Labor Statistics
Portland Construction Costs Rise Just 0.86 Percent in Q1 2026 as Market Trails National Escalation
Portland’s nonresidential construction costs increased a modest 0.86 percent in the first quarter of 2026 and 2.55 percent year-over-year—the slowest annual escalation among...
Trade Partners Cut Fees to Win Work as Seattle Construction Costs Rise Just 0.56 Percent in Q1 2026
Seattle nonresidential construction costs rose just 0.56 percent in the first quarter of 2026—the smallest quarterly increase among the eight metropolitan markets Mortenson...
Cooling Labor Market Reshapes Apartment Demand While Other CRE Sectors Hold Firm
Slowing job creation and falling workforce participation among young adults are postponing rental demand, but office, retail, and industrial properties show resilience to...
March’s Jobs Report and the Art of Misdirection
Behind the rosy March employment headline, a quiet exodus: nearly 400,000 Americans gave up on the job market in a single month. By...
Architecture Firms Close Out 2025 With Billings in Decline for 12th Consecutive Month
The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index registered 48.5 in December as project delays, stalled work, and cancellations weigh on the industry heading into 2026....
Data Center Construction Boom Fuels Surge in Temporary Worker Camps Across Rural America
As AI infrastructure pushes into remote regions of Texas and Louisiana, housing thousands of construction workers has become one of the industry’s most...
Wells Fargo Forecasts Sharp February Payroll Slowdown as January Jobs Surge Fades
The blockbuster January jobs number was likely a mirage, per the assessment of economists at Wells Fargo Economics, who are projecting nonfarm payroll...
Portland Nonresidential Construction Costs Rise 0.32 Percent in Q4 2025, Among Lowest of Major U.S. Markets
Mortenson’s latest cost index places Portland well below the national average as stable labor and competitive bidding temper escalation pressures heading into 2026...
Seattle Nonresidential Construction Costs Post Smallest Quarterly Gain Nationally at 0.3 Percent in Q4 2025
Competitive bidding, reduced activity in office and healthcare, and steady labor supply kept cost escalation at the low end of Mortenson’s eight-market index ...
AI’s Toll on Customer Service Signals Broader Workforce Reckoning as Tech Spending Reshapes Markets
New survey data shows customer support hiring has cratered by nearly two-thirds in two years, even as historical patterns suggest AI will ultimately...
March Rate Cut Unlikely as Labor Market Stabilizes, Wells Fargo Sees 2 More Cuts in 2026
Solid consumer spending, 70K average monthly payroll growth and core PCE easing to 2.6 percent by Q4 shape updated U.S. outlook After a...
Immigration Slowdown Hits West Coast Economy Hard as Net Migration Turns Negative
Brookings analysis finds first negative migration in 50 years threatens labor force growth and consumer spending across key Western states The United States...
