Pulte cuts jobs 16 percent

Pulte, not known for building to the subprime end of the real estate market, is cutting its workforce by 16 percent, or 2,000 jobs.

“The homebuilding environment remains difficult and our current overhead levels are structured for a business that is larger than the market presently allows,” CEO Richard J. Dugas, Jr., said in a statement.

Pulte had already shed 1,600 jobs over the previous two years.

And, yes, it is a sign of the times. The National Association of Realtors, which had previously predicted a 2.2 percent sales decline in existing homes this year, has revised that downward to a 2.9 percent drop. Something more, like 3.5 percent, wouldn’t surprise me.