For the fourth month in a row, billings at the nation’s architectural firms were off.
But the good news, according to numbers compiled by the Washington-based American Institute of Architects, is that the decline is less than what it has been in recent months.
With a score above 50 representing an increase in billings from the month before, and anything below 50 showing a decline in billings, the overall score for all reporting firms in January stood at 49.3.
In December that number stood at 48.4.
Seen regionally, the Midwest posted the strongest billings numbers at 51.6, followed by the West at 51.3, and the Northeast at 50.9. The South, in pre-covid months an industry hotbed, came in at 46.9.
“Business conditions were soft at most firm specializations,” an AIA press release noted, while firms offering a mixed specialization saw growth for the third month in a row.
Firm responses indicated that project inquiries, on a general decline for the last year, saw an uptick in January, as did design contracts.
Billings were strongest, at 48.6, in the institutional sector; followed by the commercial/industrial sector at 46.8; and residential at 45.0.
In a statement, Kermit Baker, chief economist with the AIA, said that despite the continued industry decline in billings, “there are signs of easing.”
Continued Baker: “In particular, architecture firms reported that new project work has begun to increase, signifying that this decline in billings may reverse in coming month.”
By Garry Boulard
