Billings End on High Note for 2021

January 19, 2022

Billings End on High Note for 2021

The Architecture Billings Index score for December was 52.0, up one point from the November reading of 51.0. Since any score above 50 indicates growth, demand for architectural services was considered positive.

“Since demand for design projects has been healthy over the last year, recruiting architectural staff to keep up with project workloads has been a growing concern for firms,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA.

In December the Project Inquiries index was up 7.4 points at 66.8. The Design Contracts index remained at 55.8.

Regional averages for December were as follows:

Nov Dec
West 50.9 47.5
South 53.7 56.4
Midwest 57.6 51.0
Northeast 45.5 45.3

Describing market conditions, Baker continued, “Architecture is one of the few industries where payrolls have already surpassed their pre-pandemic high, so meeting future staffing needs is a challenge that most firms will need to confront.”


For more information about the Architectural Billings Index, visit the AIA website.