Des Moines, Iowa (January 23, 2019) — Architecture firm billings growth softened in December but remained positive for the fifteenth consecutive month, according to a new report released today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA).
AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score for December was 50.4 compared to 54.7 in November across the nation. Despite the positive billings, a softening in growth was seen across several regions and sectors, as well as in project inquiries and design contracts.
“The month of December has shown the Midwest a 3.2 point increase from November to December, which is great. Construction in the Midwest seems unaffected by the ongoing tariff situation thus far compared to the soft growth in other areas across the United States. This is similar to what we saw in the mid-2000’s, when market growth declined on the coasts but here in Iowa we stayed fairly insulated compared to the rest of the market.” said Jessica Reinert, Executive Director, AIA Iowa. “We hope the growing concern of unstable business conditions and the Federal Government shutdown won’t affect the design professions in the coming months but it certainly could have an impact.” Key ABI highlights for December include:
- Regional averages: Midwest (56.3), Northeast (51.6), South (49.4), West (49.2)
- Sector index breakdown: institutional (53.1), commercial/industrial (51.2), mixed practice (50.2), multi-family residential (49.8)
- Project inquiries index: 55.6
- Design contracts index: 52.1
Regional and sector categories above are calculated as a three-month moving average, whereas the national index, design contracts, and inquiries are monthly numbers.
More information on AIA’s ABI is available online.
