The July builder sentiment numbers released by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) fell two points to 34 nationally and 27 in the West amid continued economic uncertainty and market challenges. The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) gauges builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes. Locally, the Seattle metro area’s unemployment rate is 5.2%, one point higher than the U.S. unemployment rate.

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In July 2023, the unemployment rate in Washington stood at a healthy 3.6%, while the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett metropolitan area boasted an even lower rate of 3.1%. Notably, the construction sector in the state experienced growth over the past year, adding 4,500 jobs between July 2022 and July 2023. With a total statewide construction employment of 240,900, these figures reflect a positive trend in Washington's labor market and its continued commitment to economic development.

Read the full September Builders Bulletin:

By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

New data from the Puget Sound Regional Council show our four-county region (King, Snohomish, Pierce, and Kitsap counties) has added more than 464,000 jobs since 2010. That works out to over 2.75 jobs for every housing unit constructed during this period.

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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