Breaking Flooring News

January Housing Starts Rose 7.2% from Dec., Up 9.5% YOY

Washington, DC, March 17, 2026--Privately-owned housing starts in January were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,487,000, 7.2% above the revised December estimate of 1,387,000 and 9.5% above the January 2025 rate of 1,358,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

MMFA Board of Directors Adds Amorim's Carlos Duarte

Brussels, Belgium, March 17, 2025—The Multilayer Modular Flooring Association (MMFA) has announced the election of Carlos Duarte, global flooring director and executive board member at Amorim Cork Solutions to the MMFA board of directors.

Levi's 4 Floors Named '26 Consumer Choice Award for Columbus, OH

Columbus, OH, March 17, 2026—Levi's 4 Floors has been named the 2026 Consumer Choice Award winner in the Carpet & Flooring Retailer category for Columbus, Ohio.

Builder Confidence Rose 1 Point to 38 in February

Washington, DC, March 16, 2026—Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes rose one point to 38 in March, following a revised upward one-point revision in February, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI).

U.S. Renters Face Affordability Challenges

Cambridge, MA, March 16, 2026—Despite a recent softening in rents for new leases and a cooling construction pipeline, rental housing in the U.S. remains unaffordable for households across the income spectrum, according to America’s Rental Housing 2026, a new report being released by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

Industrial Production Rose 0.2% in February

Washington, DC, March 16, 2026—Industrial production (IP) increased 0.2% in February after moving up 0.7% in January, according to the Federal Reserve.

Construction Job Openings at 231,000 in January

Washington, DC, March 16, 2026—The construction industry had 231,000 job openings on the last day of January, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.

Q4 2025 GDP Revised Down to 0.7% in Second Estimate

Washington, DC, March 13, 2026—Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 0.7% in Q4 2025 (October, November, and December), according to the second estimate released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Customs & Border Protection's Tariff Refund Efforts Deemed Satisfactory

Washington, DC, March 13, 2026—"Court of International Trade Judge Richard Eaton described CBP's [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] work to set up an automated reciprocal tariff refund process as satisfactory and continued to suspend his order to liquidate entries without International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs,” according to International Trade Today.

Consumer Sentiment Declined 1.9% to 55.5 in Early March

Ann Arbor, MI, March 13, 2026—Consumer sentiment declined 1.9% to 55.5 in early March, according to preliminary results from the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers.

California Finds Synthetic Turf Poses No Significant Health Risks

Sacramento, CA, March 13, 2026—The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment California Environmental Protection Agency has released the findings of its Synthetic Turf Study: Assessment of Health Risks from Exposure to Chemicals in Crumb Rubber Infill.

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