Single-family housing starts leveled off in June, dropping by 0.7%, following a 10% decline in May after the expiration of the federal homebuyer tax credit.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that single-family housing starts fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 454,000 in June from a 457,000 rate in May. It was the lowest reading since October.
One bright area of the report was an increase in building permit applications, a sign of future construction activity. They rose 2.1% from a month earlier to an annual rate of 586,000.
Construction activity rose 3.6% in the South and 3.1% in the West, but fell 8.9% in the Northeast and 11.3% in the Midwest.
"The housing industry remains stuck in a rut, with both sales and construction activity moribund," said Mike Larson, a housing analyst with Weiss Research. "Until we see signs of life in the labor market, we're just not going to see a robust recovery -- only more malaise."
Builders broke ground on 88,000 multifamily units in June, down 19.3% from May.
The figures were released a day after the National Association of Home Builders said they are confident that home buying will pick up steam in the second half of the year.
