Jan 2000 - Sept 2009: Blue; single famile Red; Two or more units. Full-scale chart

US home construction rose for a third time in four months in September but the increase was modest ahead of the expected end of a government tax credit for first time home buyers, at the end of November. Housing completions were 39.6 percent below the year before level. In a separate report, lower energy prices pushed US producer/wholesale prices lower in September. Housing completions were 39.6 percent below the year before level.

Housing starts rose 0.5% to a seasonally adjusted 590,000 annual rate compared to the prior month. Building permits fell and August starts were revised down.

The US Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly announced the following new residential construction statistics for September 2009:

Building permits

Privately-owned housing units authorised by building permits in September were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 573,000. This is 1.2 percent below the revised August rate of 580,000 and is 28.9 percent below the September 2008 estimate of 806,000.

Single-family authorisations in September were at a rate of 450,000; this is 3.0 percent below the revised August figure of 464,000. Authorisations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 104,000 in September.

Housing starts

Privately-owned housing starts in September were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 590,000. This is 0.5 percent above the revised August estimate of 587,000, but is 28.2 percent below the September 2008 rate of 822,000. Single-family housing starts in September were at a rate of 501,000; this is 3.9 percent  above the revised August figure of 482,000. The September rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 78,000.

Housing completions

Privately-owned housing completions in September were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 693,000. This is 10.2 percent below the revised August estimate of 772,000 and is 39.6 percent below the September 2008 rate of 1,148,000. Single-family housing completions in September were at a rate of 464,000; this is 8.3 percent below the revised August figure of 506,000. The September rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 210,000.

PRODUCER PRICES

The US producer price index for finished goods fell 0.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in September, the Labor Department reported today after rising 1.7 percent in August.

The PPI was down 4.8 percent from September 2008.

Core PPI, which exclude volatile food and energy prices, fell 0.1% last month compared to August.

It was up 1.8% from a year ago.