Architectural Billings Backslide in November

Architectural firm billings declined for the ninth consecutive month in November, according to the November Architectural Billings Index from the American Institute of Architects. The November ABI score of 46.3 for the month indicates that the pace of the billings decline accelerated from October, which saw an ABI of 47.5 (any score below 50 represents a decline in firm billings), according to the AIA.

Looking ahead, architecture firms are “modestly optimistic” about 2021. According to the ABI survey, 7 of firms expect that 2021 will be a great year for their firm, 39 percent expect that it will be a good year, and 25 percent predict a so-so year. However, 25 percent anticipate a challenging year, while 4 percent are worried that 2021 will be a potentially disastrous year for their firm.