While Spring Homebuying Was Largely Sluggish, Some Areas Were Buzzing
New York, NY, July 24, 2025-"The spring home-buying season is off to a slow start-but not everywhere,” reports the Wall Street Journal.
Today's Flooring News
Keep up to date with the most recent news in the flooring industry. Today's News...As it happens! We update this news several times a day so you can stay connected.
CARE Launches Installer Grant Program
Dalton, GA, July 24, 2025—As required by AB 863, CARE has launched the Installer Grant Program to provide funding for carpet recycling education/training (installation and removal techniques) and awareness that will establish, increase, improve and enhance additional California generated post-consumer carpet (PCC) collection for recycling and reuse led by unionized apprentice and journey-level carpet installers.
Initial Jobless Claims Declined by 4,000 in Week Ending July 19
Washington, DC, July 24, 2025—In the week ending July 19, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 217,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 221,000, according to the Department of Labor.
Construction Starts Rose 16% in June on Commercial Strength
Boston, MA, July 23, 2025-Total construction starts were up 16% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.33 trillion, according to Dodge Construction Network.
Architectural Billings Declined to 46.8 in June
Washington, DC, July 23, 2025-Architectural billings declined to 46.8 in June, down from 47.2 in May as more firms reported a decrease in billing, according to the AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI).
California Carpet Recycling Rate for Q1 Was 43.1%, Up from 37%
Dalton, GA, July 23, 2025-CARE executive director Bob Peoples reports on the Q1 2025 results for the California Carpet Stewardship Program:
Existing-Home Sales Declined 2.7% in June
Washington, DC, July 23, 2025—Existing-home sales decreased by 2.7% in June, according to the National Association of Realtors Existing-Home Sales Report.
Stephanie Owen Named President & CEO of NWFA
St. Louis, MO, July 23, 2025—The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) announced that Stephanie Owen has been appointed as the new president and CEO.
Laufen Schweiz Acquires Antonio Lupi Design
Laufen, Switzerland, July 23, 2025—Laufen Schweiz AG, part of the Roca Group (Laufen), announced the acquisition of Antonio Lupi Design S.p.A. (Antoniolupi), an Italian company specializing in high-end bathroom furnishings.
Mortgage Applications Rose 0.8% in Week Ending July 18
Washington, DC, July 23, 2025—Mortgage applications increased by 0.8% from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending July 18, 2025.