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Spending on US construction projects fell 2.1 per cent in January, biggest drop since July 2011

By: Martin Crutsinger, The Associated Press

Friday, Mar. 1, 2013 at 10:31 AM | Comments: 0

In this Jan. 24, 2013 photo, Rod Cimino of Cookeville, Tenn., works on the rafters of the Owensboro Public Works building in Portland, Tenn. The Commerce Department says construction spending in the U.S. fell 2.1 percent in January compared with December, the largest drop in 18 months. (AP Photo/The Messenger-Inquirer, John Dunham)

WASHINGTON - Spending on U.S. construction projects fell in January by the largest amount in 18 months as home construction stalled and spending on government projects fell to the lowest level in more than six years.

The dip was viewed as a temporary setback with construction expected to keep moving higher this year.

Construction spending fell 2.1 per cent in January compared with December, when spending had risen 1.1 per cent. It was the biggest one-month decline since July 2011, the Commerce Department said Friday.

Residential construction, which has been leading the rebound in building, stalled in January with no gain in activity following a 1.7 per cent rise in December.

Non-residential building dropped 5.1 per cent while public construction was down 1 per cent, pushing activity in the government sector to the lowest point since November 2006.

For all of last year, construction spending totalled $855.4 billion, an increase of 9.9 per cent from 2011. It was the first annual gain after five straight years of decline. But construction still well below healthy levels.

Construction activity in 2012 is 26.7 per cent below the all-time high of $1.17 trillion set in 2007 at the peak of the housing boom.

The housing market began recovering last year after a deep, six-year slump. Steady hiring and nearly record-low mortgage rates have encouraged more Americans to buy homes. More people are also moving out on their own after living with friends and relatives in the recession. That's driving a big gain in apartment construction and also pushing up rents.

Sales of previously occupied homes ticked up in January after rising to their highest level in five years in 2012. And new home sales jumped 16 per cent last month from December to the highest level since July 2008 while home prices rose by the most in more than six years in the 12 months ending in December.

Rising home prices encourage more people to buy before prices rise further.

Builders, meanwhile, started work on the most new homes in 4 1/2 years in December. Last year was the best year for residential construction since 2008, just after the recession started.

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