2025.09.1712:37:38UTC+00US Building Permits Lowest since May 2020

In August 2025, the number of building permits issued in the United States decreased by 3.7%, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.312 million. This marks the lowest level since May 2020 and fell short of market predictions, which anticipated 1.37 million. Permits for single-family homes saw a decline of 2.2%, bringing the annual rate to 856,000. In contrast, permits for structures with five or more units experienced a significant drop of 6.7%, totaling 403,000. When looking at regional data, permits decreased in the Northeast by 3.2% (to 121,000), in the Midwest by 9.5% (to 200,000), and in the South by 6.9% (to 691,000). However, the West witnessed an increase of 9.5%, reaching 300,000.