Results of the American Society of Interior Designers’ (ASID) Interior Design Billings & Inquiries Index for the July-August period of 2011 signaled that business conditions for the interiors industry were aligned with the broader U.S. economy’s sub-par growth.
According to Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist for ASID, “Overall economic growth is expected to pick back up over the next few months. The labor market is improving and consumer spending is up, although employment growth remains weak. What’s in store for the interior design industry in the upcoming months, however, remains unclear. Political and economic uncertainties remain as major speed bumps to recovery, keeping credit tight and jostling consumer confidence.”
The report also indicated that both the West and Northeast areas of the U.S. improved during the last three months, even though the national index showed a downturn. In a comparison of the ASID and AIA indices, the Northeast region was the only region that both architectural and interior design firms tracked on a positive trajectory together. Likewise, architectural firms and interior design firms in the South showed that business conditions have deteriorated.
In residential design, both multi-housing and single-family sectors reported increases in September. This is consistent with the Bureau of the Census Construction Spending Report, which shows increases in new single- and multi-family structures.
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