The office furniture industry should rebound in a year, following a moderate decline in 2010, according to the latest outlook from the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA).

A 3.8 percent decline $7.55 billion in North American shipments is predicted this year to Quarterly shipment declines will steadily ease throughout the year before growth returns in the first quarter of 2011, according to the updated outlook.

The outlook projects what BIFMA Executive Director Tom Reardon calls a “fairly healthy” 7.4 percent rebound in shipments in 2011, to $8.08 billion, halting the decline that began in late 2008.