- U.S. Economy Loses 92,000 Jobs in Februaryby Jing Fu on March 6, 2026
The U.S. labor market weakened in February, as payroll employment declined and the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%. The cooling labor market could place the Federal Reserve in a challenging position as policymakers weigh slower job growth against inflation pressures from rising oil prices. Wage […]
- Builders Identify Key Long-Term Forces Shaping Housing Demand and Industry Healthby Rose Quint on March 5, 2026
Home builders are keenly aware of the complex long-term outlook ahead for the home building industry. A recent NAHB/Wells Fargo HMI survey asked builders to assess the impact of 14 major trends and forces on the health of the industry and housing demand over the next 10 years. Results show that […]
- Affordability Posts Mild Gains in Second Half of 2025 but Crisis Continuesby Rose Quint on March 5, 2026
Though new and existing homes remain largely unaffordable, the needle moved slightly in the right direction in the second half of 2025, according to the latest data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Cost of Housing Index (CHI). The CHI results from the fourth quarter […]
- Mortgage Rates Dipped Below 6% in February Amid Treasury Rallyby Catherine Koh on March 4, 2026
Mortgage rates continued to decline in February, dipping below 6% in the last week of February. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.05% last month, 5 basis points (bps) lower than January. Meanwhile, the average 15-year rate declined only a basis point to 5.43%. […]
- House Price Appreciation by State and Metro Area: Fourth Quarter 2025by Jing Fu on March 4, 2026
U.S. house prices continued to rise at the close of 2025, though the pace of growth has slowed compared with the rapid gains of previous years. Elevated mortgage rates, affordability challenges, and ongoing economic uncertainty have restrained buyer demand, resulting in wide variations in local […]



