Demand for design services from U.S. architecture firms continued to contract in December, according to a new report from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
The pace of decline during December slowed from November, posting an Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score of 47.5 from 46.6 (any score below 50 indicates a decline in firm billings). Inquiries into new projects posted a positive score of 52.3, however new design contracts remained in negative territory with a score of 49.4.