Economy
October 5, 2019
Double Decline for ABI in August
Written by Sandy Williams
The American Institute of Architect’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI) posted a score of 47.2 for August indicating a decline in planning activity for nonresidential construction. The national score for new design contracts was also below the neutral point of 50 at 47.9, a rare occurrence for the two scores. Having both indexes in contraction means less work is coming into architectural firms and less design work is being completed.
Most of the slowdown was in the Midwest with a billings score of 46.4, according to the AIA. The South ABI was 48.2 and the Northeast 49.1. Only the West showed growth in August, posting a reading of 51.2.
