ARCHITECT‘s Ayda Ayoubi reports the AIA’s monthly Architecture Billings Index (ABI) came in at a score of 55.3 in January, a 4.3-point increase from the previous month’s revised score of 51, marking the 16th consecutive month of gains.
The ABI is a leading economic indicator of construction activity in the U.S., and reflects a nine- to 12-month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending nationally, regionally, and by project type. A score above 50, as seen in January, represents an increase in billings from the previous month, while a score below 50 represents a contraction.
“The government shutdown affected architecture firms but doesn’t appear to have created a slowdown in the profession,” said AIA chief economist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, in a press release. “While AIA did hear from a few firms that were experiencing significant cash flow issues due to the shutdown, the data suggests that the majority of firms had no long-term impact.”
