WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) has found that 75.4 percent of apartment households paid rent as of Dec. 6. NMHC surveyed its network of 11.4 million professionally managed units as part of its Rent Payment Tracker metric. The most recent figure is an 894,864-household decrease, or 7.8 percent, from Dec. 6, 2019. The December numbers are also a 500-basis point drop from Nov. 6, 2020, though the NMHC notes that Dec. 6, 2020, fell on a weekend, meaning the data might not be a true direct comparison. “While the initial rent collection figures for the first week of December are concerning, only a full month’s results will paint a complete picture,” says Doug Bibby, president of Washington, D.C.-based NMHC. “However, it should not come as a surprise that a rising number of households are struggling to make ends meet. As the nation enters a winter with increasing COVID-19 case levels and even greater economic distress — as indicated by last week’s disquieting employment report — it is only a matter of time before both renters and housing providers reach the end of their resources.” NMHC releases the survey in partnership with apartment management platforms RealPage, ResMan, Yardi, …
LANSING, MICH. — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has extended its order restricting indoor social gatherings and group activities by 12 days through Dec. 20. The department says the extension will enable it to determine the full impact of the Thanksgiving holiday on the spread of COVID-19 across the state. Under the order, residents are urged to avoid indoor gatherings, with only two households gathering inside at any given time. Bars and restaurants must remain closed for dine-in service, but can remain open for outdoor dining, carryout and delivery. Gyms are open for individual exercise with mandatory masking, but casinos, movie theaters and group exercise classes remain closed. Professional and college sports meeting “extraordinary standards for risk mitigation” may continue without spectators. Colleges, universities and high schools will continue with remote learning. There will be no in-person classes. MDHHS will monitor the percentage of hospital beds with COVID-19 patients, the number of COVID-19 cases and the positivity rate when determining whether to reopen at the end of the 12 days. Last week, a federal judge in West Michigan refused to block the state health department’s ban on indoor dining in restaurants and bars. The Michigan Restaurant …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. economy added 245,000 jobs in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced Friday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected the total jobs added to reach 469,000. The unemployment rate dipped 20 basis points from October to 6.7 percent. The most recent figure marks the seventh consecutive month of job growth following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the BLS, outside factors such as surging coronavirus cases, new restrictions in some states and an unapproved stimulus package slowed growth for the month. Job growth was also stunted in part due to the lack of retail hiring ahead of the holiday season. Employment in the retail sector fell by 35,000 jobs, led by decreases in general merchandise stores (-21,000); and sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores (-12,000). Notable job gains occurred in the transportation and warehousing sector, which added 145,000 jobs in November. The figure is still 123,000 jobs below its February level. Employment in professional and business services increased by 60,000 jobs. Employment in the sector is struggling to return to pre-pandemic norms as it is still 1.1 million jobs behind its February level. The healthcare industry added 46,000 jobs, …
As with many other events and rites of passage, the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the holiday season. With concerns over the safety of in-person gathering top of mind, many have moved their normal brick-and-mortar holiday gift shopping online. Even Black Friday — a hallmark shopping event of the holiday season geared toward big sales for those willing to venture among heavy crowds — moved online this year in order to better suit the needs and safety of shoppers in the current environment. With an increase in online shopping comes an increase in need for logistics and industrial space in order to fulfill orders in a timely fashion. Against the backdrop of a predominantly online holiday shopping season, a flurry of big-ticket industrial acquisitions have filled news headlines during the first week of December. Today, news broke that Rexford Industrial Realty has acquired Van Nuys Airport Industrial Center in California, an 18-building portfolio of industrial properties within the Los Angeles submarket, for $154.6 million. Additionally, KKR acquired two industrial distribution properties in Texas totaling approximately 1.8 million square feet for $171 million. “As more consumers migrate to shopping online and expect a seamless delivery experience, the demand for modern logistics real …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Another 712,000 Americans filed for weekly unemployment claims during the week ending Nov. 28, the U.S. Department of Labor reported. The most recent figure is a decrease of 75,000 claims from 787,000 the previous week. It is the lowest since the week ending Nov. 7 (709,000 claims), which is also the lowest amount recorded during the pandemic. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected the claims last week to reach 780,000. The four-week moving average fell by 11,250 claims to 739,500. Continuing claims, for which data lags a week, decreased by 569,000 from the prior week to 5.2 million claims.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Retail consumers have shown excitement for holiday shopping this year, says Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation (NRF). Because of the challenges of this year, Shay and the NRF believe people will buy gifts that may “lift the spirits of family and friends.” The NRF has forecasted U.S. holiday sales to grow between 3.6 percent and 5.2 percent compared to 2019. The expected growth would mean a range between $755.3 billion and $766.7 billion in sales for the season, which NRF defines as November and December. NRF says the average year-over-year growth for the past five holiday seasons has been 3.5 percent. Online and non-store sales are expected to jump between 20 and 30 percent, according to the NRF, for a total of $202.5 billion to $218.4 billion. Holiday sales in 2019 totaled $168.7 billion. Due to pandemic-related reasons, large swaths of people have not been shopping in-person this year, a trend the NRF expects to see continue through December. “We know this holiday season will be unlike any other, and retailers have planned ahead by investing billions of dollars to ensure the health and safety of their employees and customers,” says Shay. …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Initial jobless claims reached 778,000 for the week ending Nov. 21, an increase of 30,000 from the previous week. The U.S. Department of Labor released its findings a day earlier than usual due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected the weekly total to be 733,000. The four-week moving average increased slightly to 748,500, up from the previous moving average of 743,500. Continuing claims, for which data lags a week, fell by 299,000 for the week ending Nov. 14. The total claims stood at nearly 6.1 million.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released a survey that found 71 percent of hotels won’t survive the next six months without government assistance. AHLA conducted the survey of hotel industry owners, operators and employees from Nov. 10 to 13, yielding more than 1,200 respondents. Thirty four percent of owners say they may have to close in the next three months due to low vacancy rates, and 77 percent of survey respondents said they would need to lay off more employees without financial relief. Due to a resurgence in coronavirus cases nationwide, public health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are urging Americans to not travel for the upcoming holiday season. According to a separate AHLA survey, 72 percent of respondents don’t plan to travel over Thanksgiving week. “With a significant drop in travel demand and seven in 10 Americans not expected to travel over the holidays, hotels will face a difficult winter,” says Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA. “We need Congress to prioritize the industries and employees most affected by the crisis. A relief bill would be a critical lifeline for our industry to help us retain and rehire …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Initial weekly jobless claims ticked back up during the week ending Nov. 14, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday. Total claims totaled 742,000, up from 709,000 the prior week — the lowest since the beginning of the pandemic. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected this week’s total to be 710,000. The initial claims have been historically high throughout the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in the United States in mid-March. Claims hovered around 200,000 per week in January and February. The four-week moving average for the week ending Nov. 14 was 742,000, a decrease of 13,750 from the previous week. Continuing claims, for which data is a week behind, totaled nearly 6.4 million for the week ending Nov. 7, a decrease of 429,000 from the previous week.
ATLANTA — The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) has reported that its third-quarter sales reached $33.5 billion, a 23.2 percent increase over third-quarter sales for 2019. Net earnings for the third quarter were $3.4 billion, or $3.18 per diluted share, compared with net earnings of $2.8 billion, or $2.53 per diluted share, in the same fiscal period of 2019. The Atlanta-based retailer’s third quarter ended on Oct. 31. Chairman and CEO Craig Menear cited demand for home improvement projects in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic as a steady driver for increased sales. Menear says sales have reached $15 billion through the first nine months of the company’s fiscal year. As of the end of its third quarter, Home Depot operated 1,986 stores in the United States and territories. In addition to reporting third-quarter earnings, The Home Depot also announced it will invest $1 billion in permanent compensation for hourly associates. Throughout the pandemic, the company has taken actions to support its employees, including temporary weekly bonuses and offering extended paid time off. The Home Depot’s stock price closed Monday at $279.96 per share, up from $238.85 a year ago.