Podcast: Jobs and Wages Make Headlines
On the latest episode of Housing Developments, CEO Jim Tobin and SVP Paul Lopez discuss joint legislative activation by NAHB and the Home Builders Institute on the Job Corps defunding issue. Tobin and Lopez also address the Department of Labor’s proposed overtime rule, which could affect more than 3.6 million salaried workers and thousands of businesses, and other congressional activity heading into fall, including the impending vote on a continuing resolution to keep the government funded.
Listen to Housing Developments through your favorite podcast app, or watch this episode below.
Latest from NAHBNow
Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes inched up one point to 35 in August, according to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today.
Two regulations will become effective under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) on Aug. 20, and a third final rule rescinding the ESA’s 45-year-old “harm” regulatory definition becomes effective next month.
Latest Economic News
In the second quarter of 2026, consumer credit growth slowed over the quarter and was lower than a year ago. According to the Federal Reserve’s G.19 Consumer Credit Report, total outstanding U.S. consumer credit reached $5.17 trillion in the second quarter of 2026.
Builder sentiment remains muted from economic and geopolitical uncertainty, elevated mortgage rates and rising construction costs.
Single-family permitting activity continued to weaken through the first half of 2026, while multifamily permitting remained somewhat stronger compared with the same period last year.