Is residential construction a leading indicator of the US economic cycle?
We are now seeing the start of a downturn in building permits and housing starts in the United States. We will therefore look at the role of residential construction as a leading indicator of the US economic cycle. In the past , building permits and building starts were good leading indicators of GDP growth in the United States, with a one- to two-quarter lead, which gives reason for concern about the US cycle . Residential construction may have an impact on the future economic cycle: Directly, because of its weight in activity, Indirectly, via the wealth effect caused by real estate prices and via households’ borrowing capacity linked to real estate prices.