CONSTRUCTION INDICATORS
Note: Data is available on an annual basis for the Fort Wayne MSA at Hoosiers by the Numbers. In order to show seasonality, Allen County monthly data is shown later.
Note: Data is available on an annual basis for the Fort Wayne MSA at Hoosiers by the Numbers. In order to show seasonality, Allen County monthly data is shown later.
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Source: Allen County Indiana Building Department, U.S data: US Census Bureau, Construction Expenditure Branch (C30) Definitions, Explanations, Comments Questions? Contact CRI |
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Sources: Allen County Indiana Building Department and U.S. Census Bureau Definitions, Explanations, Comments Looking for more data? Hoosiers by the Numbers ( To get annual MSA data, go to “Economic Developers” then, to “Economic Indicators” then, “Building Permits”) Questions? Contact CRI (CRI has monthly data available. If you need this data, please contact CRI.) |
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Definitions, Explanations, Comments
The value of New Commercial Permits is a measure of commercial construction activity (new, additions, and repairs). Because the monthly data tend to be volatile, they are "smoothed" by calculating a 12-month moving average. This helps in the identification of underlying trends. Value is measured in current dollars; therefore, inflation alone can cause the data series to increase. It should be noted that contractors estimate the dollar value of commercial construction; therefore, there can be a difference between estimated and actual values of the commercial construction. Data shown here are the estimated values.
At the national level, the New Housing Permits data series is one of the 11 series comprising the Composite Index of Leading Economic Indicators. That is, changes in permits tend to signal similar changes in the overall performance of the national economy. The housing market is one of the first economic sectors to rise or fall when economic conditions improve or degrade, and housing permits and starts are the earliest indicators of activity in the housing market. New residential housing construction generally leads to other types of economic production. The new housing market is sensitive to interest rate changes; therefore, it is sensitive to changes in interest rates initiated by the Federal Reserve. Locally, the new-housing market is affected by those same interest rate policy change nationally, but it also may be influenced by strictly local factors. For example, local plant closings (and an associated drop in employment and income) may cause new-housing construction locally to decline.