Billings growth dips but is stable across sectors.
Architecture firm billings slowed in June but remained positive for the ninth consecutive month, according to a new report today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA).
AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score for June was 51.3 compared to 52.8 in May, which is positive since any score over 50 represents billings growth. As a result, June’s ABI shows that demand for architecture firm services continues to improve across all sectors.
“Architects continue to see increases in demand for their services this summer, with new project work coming in at a healthy pace,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD. “However, business conditions are beginning to vary across the country. While essentially remaining flat in the Northeast and Midwest, billings jumped in the South while dropping in the West.”
Key ABI highlights for June include:
- Regional averages: West (46.9), Midwest (49.8), South (57.4), Northeast (50.2)
- Sector index breakdown: multi-family residential (54.6), institutional (51.6), commercial/industrial (53.4), mixed practice (49.3)
- Project inquiries index: 56.0
- Design contracts index: 54.1
Regional and sector categories above are calculated as a three-month moving average, whereas the national index, design contracts, and inquiries are monthly numbers.
About the AIA Architecture Billings Index
The Architecture Billings Index (ABI), produced by the AIA Economics & Market Research Group, is a leading economic indicator that provides an approximately nine to twelve month glimpse into the future of nonresidential construction spending activity. The diffusion indexes contained in the full report are derived from a monthly “Work-on-the-Boards” survey that is sent to a panel of AIA member-owned firms. Participants are asked whether their billings increased, decreased, or stayed the same in the month that just ended as compared to the prior month, and the results are then compiled into the ABI. These monthly results are also seasonally adjusted to allow for comparison to prior months. The monthly ABI index scores are centered around 50, with scores above 50 indicating an aggregate increase in billings, and scores below 50 indicating a decline. The regional and sector data are formulated using a three-month moving average. More information on the ABI and the analysis of its relationship to construction activity can be found in the recently released White Paper, Designing the Construction Future: Reviewing the Performance and Extending the Applications of the AIA’s Architecture Billings Index available on AIA’s website.