Market Report

2021 Q2 | Office Market Report (Signature Associates, Detroit)

Second quarter 2021 closed with a direct vacancy rate of 19.90%, an overall vacancy rate of 21.46%, and an average asking direct rental rate reported at $18.52 psf. In June, the Michigan unemployment rate was recorded at 5.0%, a decrease of 16.2 percentage points compared to this time last year, while the U.S. unemployment rate was recorded at 5.9%, a decrease of 5.2 percentage points from one year ago. U.S. job openings surged to a record high as available positions escalated to 9.21M in May compared to April’s 9.19M. As the economy begins to rebound, social activity begins to grow, and more individuals become vaccinated U.S. employers are in high demand to fill a growing number of positions yet continue to face challenges. Many employers have begun offering incentives and increased wages to attract new employees and retain existing ones. Despite the 5% increase in the consumer price index over the past year, the largest increase since 2008, additional indicators and resources are pointing to an improving economy. Indicators include available job openings, an increase in travel, a spike in U.S. home construction that increased from 3.6% in May to 6.3% in June, and a growth in the manufacturing sector despite issues with the supply chain.