Podcast: An Industry Pulse Check
In the latest episode of the Housing Developments podcast, NAHB CEO Jim Tobin and SVP Paul Lopez take a look at home building from multiple perspectives — economic, policy and regulatory — and discuss what the current business environment means for housing in the short- and long term.
Listen to Housing Developments wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video version of your hosts in-studio at the link below.
Editor’s note: Find more in-depth analyses on housing data on NAHB’s economics blog, Eye on Housing.
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Latest Economic News
Jan 07, 2026
Construction Job Openings Increased in NovemberThe count of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry increased in November, per the delayed Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The current level of open jobs is down measurably from two years ago due to declines in construction activity, particularly in housing.
Jan 06, 2026
Mortgage Rates End 2025 at the Lowest Level of the YearLong-term mortgage rates have been declining since mid- 2025 and ended the year at their lowest level since September 2024. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.19% in December, 5 basis points (bps) lower than November. Meanwhile, the 15-year rate declined 3 bps to 5.48%.
Jan 05, 2026
Housing Share of GDP: Third Quarter 2025Housing’s share of the economy was 16.1% in the third quarter of 2025, according to the latest estimates of GDP produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This share is down from 16.3% in the second quarter but has remained about 16% since the fourth quarter of 2019.