The Commerce Department released a report on Tuesday showing a steep drop in new residential construction in the U.S. in the month of May.
The report said housing starts plummeted by 15.4 percent to an annual rate of 1.177 million in May after plunging by 8.5 percent to a revised rate of 1.392 million in April.
Economists had expected housing starts to slump by 2.4 percent to an annual rate of 1.430 million from the 1.465 million originally reported for the previous month.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.