04/08/2022
“In addition to the strong job gains, the employment disruptions caused by the pandemic also continue to show improvement,” Fratantoni noted. “Only 10% of workers reported teleworking due to the pandemic in March, down from 13% in February and less than half the level from its peak. As the federal government and others return to work in April, this number should drop sharply, which may well lead to further job changes in retail, professional services, and other sectors that are dependent on in-person work. This is good news for commercial real estate lenders and investors.”
He added that while mortgage rates have spiked more than half a percentage point over the past two weeks, reducing affordability for many potential first-time homebuyers, “the increase in wages will certainly somewhat help offset that hurdle. And the confidence that many potential homebuyers have in their financial situation also benefits from this historically strong job market.”