June construction starts climb 9 percent

New construction starts in June advanced 9 percent from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $832.7 billion, according to Dodge Data & Analytics.

The increase followed the 10 percent gain reported for May, as total construction starts continued to strengthen following April’s subdued performance. By major sector, much of the lift in June came from a 16 percent jump for nonresidential building, which reflected the start of the $1.1 billion expansion to Terminal 5 at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, as well as sharp gains for office buildings, public buildings (detention facilities and courthouses), healthcare facilities, and warehouses. The other two major sectors registered moderate growth in June, with nonbuilding construction up 6 percent and residential building up 5 percent. Through the first six months of 2019, total construction starts on an unadjusted basis were $378.8 billion, down 8 percent from the