The nation’s builders boosted their production in May, starting new housing units at an annualized rate of 532,000, up 17.2% from the revised estimate of 454,000 in April.
The data release, a monthly report from the Census Bureau, also revealed that building permits jumped by 4% to a rate of 518,000 from 498,000 in April.
Both figures were higher than expected. A consensus estimate from Briefing.com had forecast that starts would rise 485,000 and permits to 508,000.
But despite those big improvements against record lows set the month before, the home construction industry still sits deep in the doldrums. In May 2008, new home starts showed an annual rate of 975,000. Two years ago, the rate was about 1.4 million units.
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