Architecture firms see another month of declining billings in August

The latest AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index offers little relief for architecture firms: August’s score came in at 47.2 (a mild improvement from 46.6 in July), marking another month below the 50-point growth threshold. 

New-project inquiries ticked up only modestly, while the value of newly signed design contracts continued to slide, the American Institute of Architects reports today. There was some regional variation, with the Midwest finally edging into growth after nearly a year of declines and the West holding roughly flat, while the Northeast fell to its weakest level since 2020.

The mood about what comes next is also getting a bit gloomier. The share of firm leaders expecting billings to decline in the coming quarter has risen from 21 percent earlier this year to 29 percent. 

According to the report, architectural services employment improved, adding 700 positions in July, but inflation in the broader U.S. economy picked up again in August, with the Consumer Price Index ...