Architecture billings improve slightly in June as industry slump enters 41st month

The latest AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index, released this morning, offers a mixed snapshot of the architecture market: While the June score of 47.3 marked a nearly three-point improvement from May, it still signals that billings are declining at a majority of firms. The industry remains stuck in one of the longest downturns in the ABI’s history, with 41 consecutive months without broad-based billings growth.

On the brighter side, inquiries for new projects picked up again, and newly signed design contracts were essentially flat — suggesting demand may be stabilizing.

The slowdown continues to put pressure on firm backlogs, which dipped from an average of 6.6 months in Q1 to 6.3 months in Q2. Smaller firms and those focused on multifamily housing saw some of the steepest declines, raising concerns that firms with fewer resources could face more challenges if new work remains limited. Billings fell across most regions and specializations, with the South holding steady while mul...