Helpers in construction trades had a fatal work injury rate of 27.4 fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2023.
schwartstock/Getty Images
Roofers, construction helpers, and grounds maintenance workers have higher fatal injury rates than many other jobs.
Last year, logging workers had the highest rate per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers at 98.9.
The overall rate dropped from 3.7 fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2022 to 3.5.
Logging, transportation, and hunting work can be risky jobs in the US based on the latest fatal work injury rates released by the Labor Department.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently published data on fatal injuries at work in 2023 by industry and occupation.
Fatal injury rates at work were down overall last year. "A worker died every 99 minutes from a work-related injury in 2023 compared to 96 minutes in 2022," a news release from BLS on Thursday said.
Three civilian occupations had rates above 50 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. Logging workers had a fatal injury rate of almost 100 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2023, way above the overall rate of 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers last year. That rate of 3.5 was a tick down from the rate of 3.7 in 2022.
Below are the 10 deadliest jobs in the US based on fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers.
The metro area of San Francisco had the highest regional price parity in 2023.
Alexander Spatari/Getty Images
Ten of the 15 most expensive metros based on regional price parity data for 2023 were in California.
Miami and New York were two non-California metros with higher prices than the national average.
Some of the least expensive areas were in Arkansas.
The most expensive US metros are commonly found in California, while many of the least expensive ones can be found in the South.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis recently published regional price parity data for 2023. The figures for states and metros show how price levels of goods and services compare to the national average.
The metro area of Seattle had a regional price parity for goods and services of around 113 in 2023. That means prices were 13% more expensive than the national average, making it one of the metros with the highest regional price parities.
"Whether you are considering a job offer in a more expensive city, looking for an affordable place to retire, or are just curious about how price levels compare between different parts of the country, our regional price parities can help," Vipin Arora, the director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, said in a post.
California was 12.6% more expensive than the national average in 2023, making it the state with the highest regional price parity.
Several Golden State metros had the highest regional price parities among the over 380 metro areas in the US. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles was roughly 11% more expensive than the national average, and prices in San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley were 18% higher than the average.
It's also especially pricey in the Seattle, New York, Miami, Boston, and Honolulu metro areas, rounding out the non-Californian metros with the highest regional price parities in 2023.
Pine Bluff, Arkansas, was around 20% less expensive than the national average, making it the metro with the lowest regional price parity in 2023. Arkansas had the lowest regional price parity among states last year.
Several other metros in Arkansas were among the least expensive areas in the US. Most of the 15 metros with the lowest cost of living were in the South.
The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates this week by 25 basis points.
Inflation has ticked back up in recent months, and economists think the job market is still robust.
The outlook for 2025 is more uncertain while the Fed waits to see how Trump will impact the economy.
The final interest-rate decision of the year is coming this week, and it's likely to give Americans some more financial relief.
On Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee is expected to announce another interest-rate cut. As of Monday afternoon,CME FedWatch, which estimates interest-rate changes based on market predictions, forecasts a close to 100% chance the Federal Reserve will cut rates by 25 basis points.
Data out last week showed overall inflation has sped up. The consumer price index's year-over-year growth rate rose from 2.4% in September to 2.6% in October before climbing to 2.7% in November. Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, has been holding steady, with a year-over-year change of 3.3% from September to November.
Jerome Powell, chair of the Fed, said at The New York Times' DealBook Conference on December 4 that "we're in a very good place with the economy," but inflation is still not quite where the central bank wants it to be.
"The labor market is better, and the downside risks appear to be less in the labor market, growth is definitely stronger than we thought, and inflation is coming a little higher," Powell said. "So the good news is that we can afford to be a little more cautious as we try to find neutral."
Slower job growth and higher unemployment may add fuel to the argument for continuing to cut, while a tighter-than-expected labor market could lead the central bank to pause while waiting to see if wage growth and inflation speed up.
"I don't think there's that much cause for concern in the labor market data that would lead to them suspending their plan to cut," Julia Pollak, the chief economist at ZipRecruiter, told Business Insider.
Pollak said the quits rate, the latest reading of which was 2.1% in October, is "consistent with a non-inflationary labor market" and that "wage growth at 4% over the year should be sustainable given current productivity growth." Cory Stahle, an economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab, said the US economy continues to add jobs above population growth and has low unemployment.
The unemployment rate increased from 4.1% to 4.2% in November. The three-month average job gain in November was around 173,000, lower than early 2024 but still strong.
"There are still many reasons to be optimistic about the labor market, but also you don't, as a Federal Reserve policymaker, you don't want to wait until things start looking bad to react to that because by then, you might be too late," Stahle said.
The interest rate outlook for 2025 is a bit more uncertain. President-elect Donald Trump has already posed broad tariff threats on key trading partners with the US, including China, Canada, and Mexico. If he implements those tariffs, consumers would likelyface higher prices on impacted goods. The Fed could respond to inflationary trade pressures by once again raising interest rates.
However, Powell has so far declined to comment on any policy changes the Fed would consider in response to Trump's tariff threats, saying during the DealBook conference that too much about what Trump might do with tariffs is unknown.
"We can't really start making policy on that at this time. That is something that lies well into the future. We have to let this play out," Powell said, emphasizing that the Fed is making decisions about what's happening in the economy now and not six months from now.
Still, some economists expect 2025 to be another strong year for the economy. Gregory Daco, the chief economist at EY, said that the US "remains on a solid growth trajectory supported by healthy employment and income growth, robust consumer spending, and strong productivity momentum that is helping tame inflationary pressures."
"We expect these positive dynamics will carry into 2025 allowing the Fed to pursue gradual, but cautious, policy recalibration," Daco said in written commentary.
Lifestyle and fashion creator Joseph Arujo said he no longer solely relies on TikTok for his business.
Joseph Arujo
TikTok faces a potential ban in the US if ByteDance doesn't divest by January 19.
The ban could impact creators relying on TikTok for income through brand deals and e-commerce.
Instagram and YouTube may benefit from a ban as creators shift their efforts.
TikTok creators and their teams are starting to take the threat of a ban in the US more seriously — and some wish they had begun preparing earlier.
TikTok could be yanked from US app stores as early as January 19 unless its Chinese owner, ByteDance, divests. TikTok is challenging the law in court but was just handed another legal defeat this month.
While a ban might annoy many of TikTok's 170 million US users, it would be far more impactful for those creators who use it to make money through brand deals, its Creator Rewards Program, or other methods.
"Looking back, I wish I had encouraged my talent to focus on YouTube Shorts about a year ago — but no time like the present," said Estella Struck, founder of Viviene New York, referring to YouTube's short-form video product. Viviene New York is a marketing agency that works with brands and several TikTok-native creators.
"We're already preparing to diversify by focusing heavily on Instagram, YouTube, and even LinkedIn for short-form video content," Struck added.
Other creator-economy insiders expressed similar sentiments to BI about diversification. They generally felt that they could continue to build up audiences on other platforms or income through other gigs.
"The creator economy would take a blow, but it wouldn't be fatal," said Jasmine Enberg, VP and principal analyst at EMARKETER. "While over half of US companies use TikTok to work with creators and influencers, TikTok accounts for 17.2% of total spending."
Some parts of the creator economy could be hit harder than others, however.
Barbara Jones, CEO of Outshine Talent, said a ban "would be crushing for the e-commerce side," like those creators and brands earning money through TikTok Shop.
"Live e-commerce is really just getting started in the US, and TikTok Shop is leading the way," Jones said. "So, I think that side would be devastated. I think for content creators that make short-form content, they will be less affected."
Sam Saideman, CEO of talent firm Innovo.
Sam Saideman
'We are acting as if it may actually be gone in January'
Jones said she's gotten "a lot of calls of concerns and worry" about a potential TikTok ban.
Many creators and managers are putting together post-TikTok plans, even if they think there's a chance it could stick around.
"We are acting as if it may actually be gone in January despite, in my opinion, not thinking it will actually be gone," Sam Saideman, CEO of talent firm Innovo, told BI. "Best case, it doesn't go away."
Some ways of preparing are easier than others, Saideman said.
"Low-hanging fruit is to migrate fans to other social platforms," Saideman said. "Harder sells are to migrate those audiences to a place that is not reliant on algorithms such as SMS lists, email lists, or exclusive membership groups."
TikToker Joseph Arujo, who has over 830,000 followers, said he believes that even if TikTok is banned, it'll be short-lived, and ByteDance would be forced to sell.
"I think it's scary now that there is this deadline," Arujo said. "But I'm weighing out my options and going to other platforms."
Arujo isn't the only creator thinking about making changes. Justine, a content creator who has almost 260,000 followers on TikTok, said she isn't too worried about the potential ban but is thinking about "shifting a lot of focus" to Instagram and YouTube.
"I think regardless of what job you have, what role you have, having more streams of income, especially in this economy, is almost essential," said Justine, who asked her last name not be used for privacy reasons.
Creator Lauren Schiller, cofounder of the clothing company OGBFF, said that in the short term, she would post to Instagram reels, and then look to make longer-format videos for YouTube and post on her brand's blog.
A TikTok ban wouldn't impact all creators equally, Enberg said.
"A ban would be detrimental to up-and-coming creators and small businesses that rely solely or primarily on the app," Enberg said. "Big brands and established creators would also be disrupted, but can better withstand the upheaval as they're more likely to have diversified their channels and have large, engaged audiences on other platforms."
Megan, who asked her last name not be used for privacy reasons, is a stay-at-home mom who uses TikTok Shop as a side hustle to earn extra income through affiliate commissions.
"It's good to save, to take the trips, to buy Christmas gifts, to live a little more not so paycheck to paycheck," she said, adding that she earned nearly $8,000 in TikTok commissions one month.
She said she planned to allocate time to her other side hustles to make money if TikTok is banned.
Lauren Schiller (L) and Angela Ruis (R) run a "Y2K"-inspired clothing company that has grown an audience thanks to TikTok.
Courtesy OGBFF/@chloegolan
The platforms creators and brands are turning to
"If there's a shift, I believe Instagram will likely take center stage, especially with its direct product-linking capabilities," Struck said.
Enberg said she thought Instagram and YouTube would be the biggest beneficiaries as they both have short-form video products that are natural fits for TikTokers.
"But even if a platform can replicate the technology, they can't force a change in culture," she said. "The type of viral, FOMO and trend-driven behavior doesn't exist on reels, even as the platform has tweaked its algorithm to better serve relevant content, including from smaller creators, to users."
Nya-Gabriella Parchment, cohead of brand partnerships at influencer firm Digital Brand Architects, said a lot of brands are betting on Instagram reels.
"It's easier to convert on Instagram, with ways to link out, so usually brands still use Instagram as their bedrock," Parchment said.
Parchment said creators are also interested in Snapchat again.
Arujo is one of them.
"Ever since the first threat of a TikTok ban, I decided I'm not going to rely on just this," Arujo said.
"Snapchat has been my No. 1," he said.
EMARKETER is owned by Business Insider's partner company Axel Springer.
California had the highest regional price parity last year, which suggests living there is expensive.
Carmen Martínez Torrón/Getty Images
New regional price parity data showed the varying cost of living in the US.
California and Washington, DC, had the highest cost of living, largely driven by housing costs.
Most of the states with the lowest relative cost of living were around the middle of the country.
Many states have a lower cost of living than the national average, but the West Coast and Northeast are still pricey.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis published new regional price parity data on Thursday that showed how expensive it is to live in different areas of the US.
"Regional price parities measure the differences in price levels across states for a given year and are expressed as a percentage of the overall national price level," BEA said in a news release.
The new 2023 data showed 16 states and Washington, DC, had more expensive goods and services than the national average. The states with the lowest cost of living were mainly around the middle of the country, including some states in the South.
The following map shows overall regional price parities, where a value over 100 means it was above the national average. Hawaii's figure of 108.6 means goods and services were about 9% more expensive than the average.
California had the highest relative cost of living; the state is 12.6% more expensive than the average. California metros also made up the majority of the top 10 that had the highest all-items regional price parities in 2023. The metro area of San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley had the highest at 118.2, meaning it was almost 20% more expensive than the national average.
Washington, DC, had an ever-so-slightly higher figure than California in 2022 but fell short of California's in 2023. DC was 10.8% more expensive than the average. New Jersey ranked right below DC.
Relatively high housing costs contributed to the overall high regional price parities in those two states and DC. BEA said rents are usually "the main driver in differences in RPPs." DC, California, and New Jersey had the highest regional price parities for rents.
Arkansas continued to have the lowest regional price parity and was 13.5% less expensive than the national average in 2023. Alabama, West Virginia, and South Dakota were among the 10 states that were at least 10% less expensive than the national average.
The consumer price index increased 2.7% from a year ago as expected, higher than October's 2.6% rate and the highest reading since July, when the rate was 2.9%.
Matt Colyar, an economist at Moody's Analytics, told Business Insider before the new data was published that an acceleration wouldn't be concerning because November's increase would likely be because of housing inflation. Shelter inflation has mainly been cooling from its peak of over 8% in March last year but is still high compared to the pre-pandemic rate.
"If inflation were to accelerate because prices for cyclical, demand-driven things like hotels, vehicles, airfare, etc. jumped, then policymakers at the Federal Reserve will start to look at the US economy with a bit more caution," Colyar said. "That shouldn't be overstated, however. It takes more than one monthly data point to be a trend and we haven't yet seen that kind of dynamic emerging."
While shelter was the biggest contributor to inflation overall, housing price growth has slowed. "The shelter index increased 4.7 percent over the last year, the smallest 12-month increase since February 2022," a Bureau of Labor Statistics news release on Wednesday said.
Members of the Federal Open Market Committee will meet once more this year next week on December 17 and 18 and will likely announce another interest-rate cut. CME FedWatch showed after the new inflation data was published traders expected a nearly 100% chance of an interest rate cut of 25 basis points next week, up from a nearly 90% chance before the report.
The CPI increased 0.3% over the month in November from October, the same as the forecast and an uptick from October's increase of 0.2%. The news release said that the rise in the shelter index over the month accounted for almost 40% of the overall increase.
Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, increased 3.3% from a year ago as expected. That's the same year-over-year rate as in October.
The energy index fell 3.2% year over year in November after declining 4.9% in October. Gas tumbled by 8.1% in November.
The food-at-home index rose 1.6% year-over-year in November after rising 1.1% in October, and the food-away-from-home index increased 3.6% in November after rising 3.8% in October.
Cory Stahle, an economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab, told BI following the jobs report that "there are still many reasons to be optimistic about the labor market," like the layoff rate being less than the pre-pandemic low. However, Stahle added, "As a Federal Reserve policymaker, you don't want to wait until things start looking bad to react to that because then by then you might be too late."
The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 since 2009, although many states have raised their own pay.
Luis Alvarez/Getty Images
President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview that he "would consider" raising the federal minimum wage.
It has been at $7.25 per hour since 2009; however, 30 states and DC have increased their minimum above the federal level.
Here's where it stands in every state and the raises both parties have proposed.
President-elect Donald Trump said he'd consider raising the federal minimum wage. It's been $7.25 per hour since 2009, though 30 states and a slew of cities have adopted higher rates.
"It's a very low number," Trump said in an interview with "Meet the Press" that aired on December 8. While he didn't commit to a specific level, he said that a federal minimum of $8 or $9 "might have very little effect" because of the low cost of living in some areas.
Any raises to the federal minimum wage would directly affect workers in at least the20 states where, as of July, the minimum wage was at or below the federal level, per the Department of Labor. Most minimum wage jobs are in the service sector, largely in food preparation and serving-related positions.
Washington, DC, has a higher minimum wage than any state in the country at $17.50, though some US cities have raised it even more. Washington state, with a minimum wage of $16.28, and California, with a minimum wage of $16, came in second and third, respectively.
On January 1, 21 states — and 48 cities and counties — are set to see their minimum wages increase, mostly as a result of existing laws, per the National Employment Law Project. In the most recent election, Missouri voted to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026, and Alaska voted to hike its minimum to $15 by mid-2027.
The last federal minimum increase was in July 2009, from $6.55 to $7.25. Since then, overall prices based on the consumer price index have gone up around 47% in the US as of November.
Trump pointed out in his "Meet the Press" interview thatthe cost of living varies across the country, and a federal wage might not be a one-size-fits-all solution.
"The other thing that is very complicated about minimum wage is places are so different," he said. "Mississippi and Alabama and great places are very different than New York or California in terms of the cost of living and other things."
Indeed, regional price parities data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis show that Mississippi and Alabama had among the lowest costs of living in the country in 2023, while California and New York were more expensive than the national average. Alabama and Mississippi don't have state minimum wage laws. The minimum wage in New York is $16 in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester, and $15 for the rest of the state.
While Trump said wage changes like California's — which hiked it to $20 for fast food workers in April — might go too far, "there is a level at which you could do it, absolutely." He said before making any changes, he'd want to speak to governors.
President Joe Biden backed a $15 wage, which every Republican senator and eight Democrats ultimately voted against. Some lawmakers on the left have gone even further, with Sen. Bernie Sanders pushing to raise the wage to $17 by 2028.
Some Republicans have also proposed raising the federal minimum wage. While he was still in the Senate, Vice President-elect JD Vance cosponsored a bill to gradually increase it to $11, although that bill also includes additional measures like raising penalties on employers that hire workers living in the country illegally.
The Trump-Vance transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider on Trump's potential plans for the minimum wage.
The US added 227,000 jobs in November, greater than the expected gain of 202,000.
Unemployment ticked up as expected from 4.1% to 4.2%.
The job market's strength in October was clouded due to hurricanes and strikes impacting data collection.
The US added 227,000 jobs in November, more than the consensus expectation of 202,000.
Unemployment increased as expected, from 4.1% in October to 4.2% in November. The rate has been at least 4% since May. While that's low compared to historical averages, the overall labor market has cooled due to a hiring slowdown.
The new jobs report gives the Federal Reserve better information about the state of the labor market after October's report was hampered by the effects of hurricanes and strikes. Friday's report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed October's preliminary gain was revised up — from 12,000 jobs to 36,000. September's growth was also revised upward, from 223,000 to 255,000.
"Some of the story in November is post-hurricane bounce back," Ernie Tedeschi, the director of economics at The Budget Lab at Yale, wrote on X.
Tedeschi said the revisions for October and September increased the three-month moving average job growth to 173,000 a month. That's in line with this year's trend, suggesting that the weak October report was indeed a hurricane- and strike-fueled outlier.
Slightly fewer people were working or looking for work in November. Labor force participation dropped from 62.6% in October to 62.5%.
Wage growth remained steady, with average hourly earnings increasing 4% year-over-year in November, matching October's rate.
The CME FedWatch tool, which shows what traders think Fed rate decisions will be, showed a roughly 90% chance of a 25-basis-point cut in December after the BLS release, up from around 70% before the report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Drivers and customer service representatives are the most common jobs for young men and women, respectively, in the US without a four-year college degree.
Ron Watts/Getty Images
A Pew Research Center analysis shows the largest occupations for young US workers without degrees.
Men often work as drivers or in construction, while women work in customer service or nursing roles.
College enrollment rates have declined in recent years.
Men and womenbetween the ages of 25 and 34 who don't have college degrees also work as construction laborers, health aides, cashiers, and chefs, per a Pew Research Center analysis published in July.
There was little overlap in the most common jobs for young men and women without a college degree, but the two groups did share two roles: first-line supervisors of sales workers and retail salespersons.
Roles like these have become particularly prevalent for men, whose college enrollment rates have fallen behind women's in recent years.
Forty-seven percent of US women between the ages of 25 and 34 have a bachelor's degree compared to 37% of men, per a Pew analysis published in November. However, overallcollege enrollment rates have fallen in recent years: The share ofmale high school graduates between the ages of 16 and 24 enrolling in college has declinedto 58% as of 2023 from 67% in 2018, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Young women's enrollment rate has declined to 65% from 71% over this period.
Many of these young people are seeking jobs that don't require a college degree, and some have benefited from companies dropping degree requirements. The share of US job postings that require at least a college degree has fallen to 17.8% from 20.4% in 2019, according to an Indeed report publishedearlier this year. To be sure, many employers still prioritize hiring workers with a college diploma.
The Pew report published in July also highlighted the most common job categories for Americans with a four-year college degree. Four occupation categories were among the 10 most common jobs for both men and women: software developers, managers, accountants and auditors, and elementary and middle school teachers.
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In a Saturday post on Truth Social, Trump targeted the BRICS group, which comprises nine countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. All have pushed to curb the global dominance of the US dollar. He wrote that he would impose a 100% tariff on those countries' goods unless they committed to not creating another currency that competes with the dollar.
"There is no chance that the BRICS will replace the U.S. Dollar in International Trade, and any Country that tries should wave goodbye to America," Trump wrote.
Business Insider looked at the top goods the US imports from BRICS nations, including medicine, apparel, and electronics. While Trump appears to be using the tariff threats as a negotiating tool and could choose not to implement them at the scale he's proposing, the top imports from the targeted countries could see prices increase even with smaller tariffs.
Census Bureau trade data showed that in 2023, the BRICS nations together accounted for about $578 billion in US imports. China was responsible for the lion's share of that trade, with about $427 billion.
In 2023, the US imported $66.7 billion in cellphones and other household goods from China, $37.4 billion in computers, and $32 billion in toys, games, and sporting goods.
The US imported $151 billion in goods from the remaining eightBRICS nations, including over$11 billion in pharmaceutical preparations, followed by nearly $9 billion in gem diamonds, $6.3 billion in crude oil, and $6.1 billion in cotton apparel and household goods. India accounted for much of the imports from BRICS nations other than China.
Trump is targeting this group because some BRICS leaders have previously suggested acting to reduce their countries' reliance on the US dollar. Last year, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva proposed creating a common currency among the BRICS nations.
The tariff threat on BRICS came just days after Trump said he would impose a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada that would remain in effect "until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!" He also warned of a 10% tariff on imports from China on top of any additional tariffs put in place on the country.
Russia has already responded to Trump's tariff threat. The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that if the US used "economic force to compel countries to use the dollar," it would empower countries to shift to other currencies for international trade.
Some companies, including Walmart and Columbia Sportswear, have already said they are preparing to increase prices should Trump implement tariffs on key trading partners.
The Trump team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the impact of Trump's tariff threats on prices. Trump has previously said tariffs will not hurt Americans, misleadingly calling them "a tax on another country" (tariffs imposed by the US are paid by US importers).
During Trump's first term, he threatened tariffs against Mexico as a response to illegal immigration over the southern US border but later withdrew the plan. Sen. Bill Hagerty told NBC News on Sunday that trade had long been used as a "strategic tool," and he said he supported Trump using tariffs as leverage to achieve his priorities.
"We need to take a very hard look at countries that don't have our best interests at heart, countries that are allowing our borders to be violated," Hagerty said, "and use those tariffs as a tool to achieve our ends."
Buying a home in America today is no walk in the park.
Buyers have higher mortgage rates and larger down payments.
Nine charts capture how homebuying has become a larger challenge over the years.
Feel like buying a home is tougher than ever? You're not the only one.
Homebuyers are older than ever, make more money, and are less likely to have young children at home, based on historical data on homebuyers from the National Association of Realtors, or NAR.
These trends have largely resulted from declining housing affordability over the past several decades, Brandi Snowden, NAR's director of member and consumer survey research, told Business Insider.
"We're seeing that affordability is becoming increasingly difficult, with higher incomes needed to enter the market," Snowden said. "Buyers are also facing limited inventory, so they often need to search longer to find the right home."
Here are nine charts that show how the state of US homeownership has changed over the last several decades.
Data from the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development showed the median sales price of new houses in the US surged during the pandemic, reaching a peak of $442,600 in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Rising prices have made it more difficult for Americans, especially first-time homebuyers, to break into homeownership, as real median household income growth hasn't kept up.
"We've seen that first-time homebuyers have needed to be wealthier in order to be successful homebuyers, especially with rising home prices and interest rates," Snowden said.
The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has generally been rising this fall.
It was 6.84% as of the week ending November 21. While that's lower than a year ago and below the recent nearly 8% peak in October 2023, it's still a relatively high rate.
A higher rate plus more expensive homes leads to bigger monthly mortgage payments.
"A challenge for first-time homebuyers is higher mortgage rates, especially over the last year," Snowden said. "It could be a factor in their delaying a home purchase."
The typical down payment homebuyers put down has also been generally rising since the Great Recession.
The median down payment was 8% in 2009 and 2010. In 2024, though, it's typical for a homebuyer to make an 18% down payment.
Down payments of this size are not unprecedented: The median hit 20% in 1989 and 18% in 2001.
"We see that a large share of homebuyers, especially first-time buyers, rely on gifts or loans from family and friends," Snowden said. "They may also be tapping into stocks, bonds, or even their 401(k) for their down payment."
Snowden said that homebuyers may opt for a larger down payment that can help offset the mortgage interest rate with a lower monthly payment.
The climb in the median household income for people purchasing a home for the first time suggests Americans typically need to make closer to six figures to become homeowners.
In 1984, the typical household made $22,420 a year — or around $66,000 in 2023 dollars —while the typical first-time buyer made nearly $31,000 — or around $91,000 in 2023 dollars. In 2023, the median household income was around $80,600, and first-time homebuyers made $97,000.
Zillow research published earlier this year said people have to make over $106,000, 80% higher than what was needed in January 2020, "to comfortably afford a home."
Median incomes for homebuyers dipped in 2021 in part due to the kinds of areas people were moving to.
"Lower median income may be a reflection of buyers purchasing in more affordable locations such as small towns," a NAR report said, adding, "and an increased share of senior buyers who may be retired."
The share of first-time homebuyers dropped to just 24% in 2024, down from 32% in 2023 and a record 50% in 2010. This marks the lowest percentage since NAR began tracking the data in 1981.
The pullback in homebuying demand has been largely driven by the ongoing affordability crisis, compounded by a shrinking supply of entry-level homes.
There are fewer of these types of homes — typically smaller and more affordable for first-time buyers — on the market than there used to be, and the ones that are for sale are more expensive.
"We're seeing that the most difficult step for successful homebuyers is finding the right property," Snowden said.
In 2024, the median age of first-time buyers was 38, nine years older than in 1981. Meanwhile, the median age of repeat buyers increased from 36 to 61.
Unlike repeat buyers, who tend to be older and have more wealth or home equity, many would-be first-time buyers — often younger people, like Gen Zers and millennials — lack the financial resources needed to purchase a home.
Snowden said that many people are spending money on expensive rents, student loans, credit card bills, and car loans that they would otherwise set aside for a down payment.
Married or cohabitating couples without children are often referred to as DINKS — an acronym for "dual income, no kids." Data from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances shows that DINKs typically have a median net worth exceeding $200,000.
In contrast, many households with children experience financial strain, as parents allocate a significant portion of their income to day care, medical bills, and school tuition — expenses that can make saving enough tobuy a home more challenging.
In addition to couples who never had kids, many baby boomers and Gen Xers who had kids are now empty nesters and may be looking to downsize.
Since NAR started collecting data, single women homebuyers have outpaced single men homebuyers, but the gap has grown.
Single women made up 20% of all homebuyers in 2024, while the share of single men purchasing homes dropped to just 8%.
Snowden said single women are oftendrawn to homeownership for several reasons, including independence, divorce, and the responsibility of raising children.
Snowden said that single female buyers are typically older than their single male counterparts, with the median age for single women at 60 compared to 58 for single men. "These buyers could be recently divorced or purchasing a home for more than just themselves, but also for their children and parents," she said.
Jessica Lautz, NAR deputy chief economist and vice president of research, said in a news release that "current homeowners can more easily make housing trades using built-up housing equity for cash purchases or large down payments on dream homes."
First-time homebuyers, meanwhile, tend to have to go through the process of taking out a mortgage, potentially losing their chance on a housing bid to those who have money ready for their next home.
The share of homebuyers who paid in cash climbed from 7% in 2003 to 26% in 2024. Snowden said this data is based on primary residences only, excluding investor properties.
Have you recently bought a home, or are you thinking of buying one next year? Share with these reporters how your housing search has gone at [email protected] and [email protected].
President-elect Donald Trump is expanding his plans for tariffs on Mexico, China, and Canada.
The US imports key goods from them that may increase in price, like electronics, oil, and gas.
Trump's tariff plans could face legal issues, and he may choose not to implement them.
President-elect Donald Trump's newly expanded proposal to increase tariffs on the US's three largest trading partners could raise prices on various goods Americans rely on.
Business Insider looked at what the US imports the most from Mexico, Canada, and China to determine the products most likely to increase in price if Trump's plans come to pass.
The biggest categories are oil, electronics, and vehicles.
On Monday night, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that on his first day in office, he would "sign all necessary documents" to impose a 25% tariff on goods imported from Mexico and Canada.He also threatened a 10% tariff on imports from China "above any additional" tariffs on that country.
While the feasibility and legality of Trump's proposal are still unknown, if implemented,theproposed tariffs could affect a wide variety of goods Americans use daily. The Census Bureau reported thatin 2023, the US imported about $1.3 trillion in goods from China, Mexico, and Canada combined.
From Canada, the top 2023 imports included over $92 billion worth of crude oil, about $34 billion in passenger cars, and almost $9 billion in natural gas.
The US imported over $65 billion worth of car parts from Mexico in 2023, along with about $26 billion in computers, nearly $20 billion in crude oil, and almost $14 billion in medicinal equipment.
China, meanwhile, is a major supplier of electronics to the US. The census data showed that in 2023, the US imported nearly $67 billion in cellphones and other household goods from China, over $37 billion in computers, and more than $32 billion in games, toys, and sporting goods.
Some companies have already been preparing to increase prices as a result of Trump's tariff plans on the campaign trail. Walmart CFO John David Rainey told CNBC on November 19 that price hikes are likely on the horizon if Trump implements his tariffs: "We never want to raise prices. Our model is everyday low prices. But there probably will be cases where prices will go up for consumers."
This is the most detailed tariff plan Trump has released to date. On the campaign trail, he did not detail tariffs on Canada and Mexico — he proposed a 60% tariff on all imports from China, along with a 10% to 20% tariff on goods imported from anywhere else.
Trump appears to be using this round of tariff threats to push for changes in migration and drug policy in the targeted nations. "This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!" Trump wrote of the Mexico and Canada tariffs.
Some political leaders in Canada responded to Trump's threat on Monday night. François Legault, the premier of Quebec, wrote in a post on X that Trump's plan posed a huge risk to Quebec's and Canada's economies. Per a translation from X, he added: "We must do everything possible to avoid 25% tariffs on all products exported to the United States."
Additionally, Trump's plan could spark legal issues. Arturo Sarukhán, a former Mexican ambassador to the US, wrote in a post on X that the tariffs would violate the US-Mexico-Canada agreement, a free-trade agreement negotiated by Trump in his first term that went into effect in July 2020.
Companies and economists have said that Trump's tariff plans would increase consumer prices. BI previously reported that Trump's broad tariff proposals were likely to increase prices across the board, from clothes and footwear to computers and video games.
Trump has denied that would be the case. "I am going to put tariffs on other countries coming into our country, and that has nothing to do with taxes to us. That is a tax on another country," Trump said in an August speech.
The tariffs implemented during Trump's first term did not significantly influence inflation, but his proposals for his second term are much broader and could have a larger impact on prices if implemented.
At this point, however, Trump's proposals could still change. During his first term in 2019, Trump announced new tariffs on Mexico with the aim of strengthening the border, but following criticism from lawmakers — including some Republicans — he withdrew the plan.
LightFieldStudios/Getty, Garen Meguerian/Getty, Anna Kim/Getty, Travelpix Ltd/Getty, Tyler Le/BI
Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency aims to reduce the number of federal workers.
Business Insider looked at the highest average salaries of federal civilian employees by occupation.
The top 20 had average salaries over $160,000, with medical officers ranking No. 1.
Federal workers who are employed as medical officers, ship pilots, and general attorneys earn lucrative pay on average — but their jobs might be at risk under President-elect Donald Trump's new government efficiency initiative.
Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, is spearheaded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The two leaders of the commission wrote in a recent opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal that they will aim to slash government spending and reduce head count at federal agencies, meaning government workers are at risk of losing their jobs.
Using US Office of Personnel Management data as of March, Business Insider looked at the average salaries of federal civilian employees for all agencies to see who is earning the most on average among hundreds of occupations.
Three of the five jobs with the highest average salaries were health-related. Medical officers, who largely worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs, had the highest average salary. Financial analysis workers rounded out the top 20 highest-paying jobs on average; their largest employer, with about 300 analysts, was the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Most of the top jobs were classified as white-collar by OPM.
Looking at the average salaries of workers within cabinet-level agencies regardless of occupation, the Department of Education and the Department of Energy had the highest, with averages over $140,000.
Musk and Ramaswamy floated in the op-ed requiring all federal employees to come into the office five days a week, which may lead to higher voluntary turnover. Office of Personnel Management data showed around 1.3 million federal civilian workers as of March were "eligible to participate in telework," many of whom were professional and administrative workers.
"DOGE intends to work with embedded appointees in agencies to identify the minimum number of employees required at an agency for it to perform its constitutionally permissible and statutorily mandated functions," Musk and Ramaswamy wrote.
Musk and Ramaswamy also suggested early retirement and severance packages to incentivize lower headcount but didn't provide further detail on the benefits they would offer impacted employees.
"The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail," Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition, previously told BI when asked about DOGE's plan for spending cuts. "He will deliver."
Are you a federal worker worried about your employment or looking to move into the private sector? Reach out to these reporters at [email protected] and [email protected] to share.
