U.S. CONSTRUCTION SPENDING ROSE 1.0 PCT IN JAN
U.S. construction spending rose 3.6
billion dlrs, or 1.0 pct, in January to a seasonally adjusted
rate of 378.5 billion dlrs, the Commerce Department said.
    Spending in December fell a revised 3.5 billion dlrs, or
0.9 pct, to 374.9 billion dlrs, the department said.
    Previously, it said spending fell 0.5 pct in December.
    The department said the value of all new construction in
1986 was 376.9 billion dlrs, or six pct more than the 355.6
billion dlrs of building put in place in 1985.
    The department said January construction spending was 5.1
billion dlrs, or 1.4 pct, above the January, 1986 total of
373.4 billion dlrs.
    Residential construction spending rose in January to an
annual rate of 180.7 billion dlrs from 178.6 billion dlrs in
December.
    Public construction outlays rose for a third successive
month to 75.2 billion dlrs in January from 71.2 billion dlrs in
December, and were 7.2 billion dlrs, or 10.6 pct, higher than
the January, 1986 estimate of 68.0 billion dlrs, the department
said.
    The department said a big increase in public spending
occurred on highway construction, where outlays rose in January
to 23.8 billion dlrs from 18.9 billion dlrs in December.
    In constant dlrs, January construction outlays rose 3.6
billion dlrs, or 1.1 pct from December levels, the department
said.
 Reuter
