The d5R Index: 4.11.12
Net hires for U.S. construction sector in January of 2012: 11,000
Net hires for U.S. construction sector in all of 2009: over minus-one million
Net hires for U.S. construction sector in all of 2005: 4 million
Source: NAHB's Eye on Housing blog
Share of women who say they take the lead in home decorating: 54 percent
Share of women who say they are the "primary chef" in their household: 68 percent
Share of men who say cooking is their job: 23 percent
Source: Coldwell Banker
Average amount U.S. apartment rents rose in 2011: 2.7 percent
Number of metropolitan areas in which average apartment rents rose and vacancy rates fell: 82 (all metropolitan areas tracked by Reis)
First year since 2005 that analysts predict an uptick in the share of apartment renters that move out to buy homes: 2012
source: the Wall Street Journal
Actual base salary increases at U.S. employers in 2011: 2.92 percent
Budgeted base salary increases at U.S. employers in 2012, as of early 2012: 2.91 percent
Percent of companies (globally) planning to freeze salaries in 2012: 4 percent
Percent of companies (globally) that froze salaries in 2009: 37 percent
Source: Society for Human Resource Management
Percent of income that Americans spent on housing in December 1949: 26.1 percent
Percent of income that Americans spent on housing in December 2011: 41 percent
Percent of income that Americans spent on food in December 1949: 40 percent
Percent of income that Americans spent on food in December 2011: 15.3 percent
source: NPR
