Following our recent updates about the Architecture Billings Index, the most recent news from the AIA shows a slight increase for the month of July. The American Institute of Architects reported the July ABI score was 47.9, up from a reading of 46.0 the previous month.
Although the score has increased, it still reflects a continued decline in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The South region measured the highest with an average of 47.9, followed by the Northeast with 47.2, the Midwest with 46.7 and the West with 45.2.
“Business conditions at design firms remain quite volatile,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. “While this recent uptick is encouraging, this state of the industry is likely to persist for a while as we continue to receive a mixed bag of feedback on the condition of the design market from improving to flat to being paralyzed by uncertainty.”
Time are still hard for our profession, but we’re hoping the ABI will continue to rise, no matter how sightly, each month.
