Florida shelter developers pulled 7.68 permits for every 1,000 non-farm jobs in the first quarter. Georgia is second with 6.65 permits; North Carolina is third with 5.81 permits; and Texas is fourth with 4.49 permits.

Nevada is not in the 15-state group often studied by government and private business economists for trends and performance but still leads the nation in total permits pulled with 9.5 permits for every 1,000-non-farm jobs. Florida ranks third nationally, behind Arizona with 7.83 permits.

"The index of private construction intensity relates the sheer number of authorized permits to the payroll jobs based in each state," says Dr. David F. Scott Jr., executive director, Dr. Phillips Institute for the Study of American Business Activity and Phillips-Schenck chairholder, University of Central Florida. Scott's office compiles the quarterly indexes.

He says "this procedure provides both a statewide measure of construction vigor and serves as a leading indicator of confidence of building contractors in the economic strength of the state. A higher index suggests greater vigor and confidence."

The UCF professor says the 15 states group "typically accounts for some 65% of total non-farm payroll jobs in any given month." Florida also occupied the first-place position in this grouping for the entire year of 2003.

Other states ranked on the 15-state pole are Virginia, 4.19 permits for every 1,000 non-farm jobs; Washington, 3.6; California, 3.29; Indiana, 2.78; Michigan 2.19; Illinois, 2.06; Pennsylvania, 2.04; New Jersey, 1.96; Ohio, 1.88; Massachusetts, 1.20; and New York, 1.11.

Instant Insights /

Index: Florida Ranks No. 1 in Multifamily Building Permits

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