The Architecture Billings Index Was Strong on the Eve of the Pandemic

The Architecture Billings Index in February 2020 could lend hope in the current economic climate, or it could set a benchmark for a future recovery.

1 minute read

March 20, 2020, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell

Chaiyaporn Baokaew / Shutterstock

Antonio Pacheco reports on the February 2020 Architecture Billings Index (ABI), with the awareness that this key economic indicator is now obsolete. Still, "these strong numbers could lend a bit of hope to architecture firms struggling to make it through the economic recession that has manifested in recent weeks, though that is far from guaranteed."

"Generally speaking, February's ABI numbers paint a rosy picture for the industry," according to Pacheco. "This, of course, is likely to change as the impacts of the pandemic are felt more broadly across the American economy."

Demand for design services grew for the sixth consecutive month in February, according to the ABI. Pacheco also breaks down the ABI by region (design activity in the Northeast was anemic, for instance) and by construction sectors (all sectors showed growth in February).

FULL STORY: Architecture Billings Index rose in February. That was then

Wednesday, March 18, 2020 in Archinect

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