By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

Construction employment in Washington state reached 227,900 in December 2019, according to preliminary numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is the highest statewide construction employment number recorded by BLS for Washington in the past decade. Last month’s increase of 1,200 construction jobs in our state was led by a gain of 700 specialty trade contractor jobs, according to the Employment Security Department..

The Builder's Bulletin is intended to provide a convenient way to track housing in our market and includes information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, State of the Cities Data Systems, Office of Financial Management and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

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Homing in on Our Region's Housing Statistics

King County multifamily construction is on the upswing after three months of depressed permits following the implementation of the 2018 Energy Code. 91.7% of those multifamily units—and all of the multifamily growth in King County—are in buildings with five or more units; permits for two- to four-unit housing remain low. King County single-family permits have also hit a high for the year, although it is slightly lower than permit numbers at the same time last year. With less than one month of supply in both King and Snohomish counties, more housing production is desperately needed.

Please contact data@mbaks.com with questions or feedback. We want to know what data would be useful to you!

Months' Supply of Housing Inventory

As of August 2021

	King County had 0.62 months' supply of inventory (down from 1.16 months' of inventory a year ago).
	Snohomish County had 0.49 months' supply of inventory (down from 0.69 a year ago).

Many industry analysts consider a four-to-six-month level as an indicator of a healthy market.

Source: Northwest Multiple Listing Service

Median Home Price

August 2021

	The median price of single-family homes and condos was $771,750 in King County and $667,410 in Snohomish County.
	For single-family homes only, the median price in King County rose 14.41%, from $742,950 a year ago to $850,000. The median price in Snohomish County rose 25.21%, from $555,000 to $694,900.
	In Seattle, the median price of single-family homes and condos was $799,000. The median price for single-family homes only was $875,000, a 6.06% increase from $825,000 in August 2020.

Source: Northwest Multiple Listing Service

Building Permit Activity

Jobs

	The Washington unemployment rate for August 2021 is 5.1%; for Seattle/Bellevue/Everett, it is also 5.1%.
	Construction employment in Washington decreased by 1,600 between July 2021 and August 2021. Total construction employment is 224,200 statewide and 107,300 for Seattle/Bellevue/Everett specifically.

Source: Employment Security Department: WA Employment Estimates (Seasonally Adjusted), August 2021 and Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Population

The Puget Sound region's population as of April 1, 2021 was 4,330,400. Over the past year, the region added 66,200 people, as follows:

Source: Office of Financial Management

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Listen: The Dunn Lumber Podcast: How Contractors Can Protect Themselves From Litigation, recorded live November 17 at the Master Builders Association Remodelers Council Dinner.

Scott Noel is an attorney with AMS Law, focused on Washington State Safety Act (WISHA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citations. In this podcast, Scott provides insights into avoiding litigation in the first place and how to protect your business once litigation has begun.

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