Web Exclusive: FMI Releases Fourth Quarter 2000 Report

FMI Corp. has released its Construction Outlook - Fourth Quarter 2000 Report, a quarterly look at the economic health and future of the construction industry. The report provides insight into the current residential, non-residential and non-building structure sectors of the construction industry, as well as a five-year look into the future.

Highlights of FMI's report include:

• An expectation that the Fed will find it prudent to raise interest rates yet another time or two in the next two or three quarters.

• The economy will continue to drift downward and will execute a soft landing about midyear 2001, at which time it will begin a rather energetic rebound.

• Single-family housing construction will experience modest growth over the next two years. Single-family housing starts will decline from 1999 levels by 2% in 2000 and another 4% in 2001.

• Educational construction will continue its recent boom with predicted growth of 14% in both 2000 and 2001.

• In the non-building sectors, utility structures will leap 15% and highway construction will increase 7% in 2000 and will continue to grow in 2001.

For more information concerning the Construction Outlook - Fourth Quarter 2000 Report, please contact FMI's Chief Economist Tom Loy at 919/785-9267 or tloy@fminet.com. To request a copy, visit www.fminet.com.