Mortgage Employment Index Declines Most in 6 Years

Press release from the issuing company

Monday, March 31st, 2014

Mortgage-related job losses continued to mount, reaching the highest level in six years. But layoffs are quickly slowing.

Mortgage Daily tracked nearly 22,000 layoffs for its Fourth Quarter 2013 Mortgage Employment Index.

Layoffs were 24% worse than the third quarter and 810% more than a year earlier.  

Mortgage layoffs during the fourth-quarter 2013 exceeded hirings by 18,797.

Net job activity has deteriorated for three consecutive quarters and was the worst quarter since 2007.

Period

Layoffs

Hirings

Net

Q4 2013

21,878

3,081

-18,797

Q3 2013

17,683

2,401

-15,282

Q4 2012

2,404

4,975

+2,571

"Mortgage lenders and servicers continued to adjust staffing levels to account for dwindling refinance activity and fewer distressed loans," said Mortgage Daily Founder and Publisher Sam Garcia. "But despite the dismal numbers, early indications are that mortgage layoffs have turned sharply lower in the first quarter of this year."

For all of 2013, mortgage staffing declined by 31,931 employees -- the worst year since 2008.

In California, there were 2,997 more layoffs than hirings in the fourth quarter.-- a bigger loss than any other state.

Biggest Job Losses by State

State

Net

California

-2,997

Ohio

-2,417

Florida

-1,657

North Carolina

-966

Texas

-743

At the other end of the spectrum was Indiana, where jobs expanded by more than 300.

Biggest Job Gains by State

State

Net

Indiana

303

Michigan

61

Kansas

56

Montana

10

Connecticut

8

The three biggest mortgage lenders in the country experienced the most fourth-quarter job losses.

Biggest Job Losses by Company

Company

Net

Wells Fargo

-6,047

BofA

-4,000

Chase

-3,884

Citigroup

-1,136

SunTrust Mortgage

-800

Three growing companies -- Stonegate Mortgage, Walter Investment and United Shore Financial -- were among the five firms with the biggest gains.

Biggest Job Gains by Company

Company

Net

Stonegate

396

Walter Investment

200

Claims Recovery Financial

150

Genpact Limited

150

United Shore

150