US construction spending drops 0.6 percent in June

The weakness in construction in the spring was reflected in a disappointing report on overall growth in the second quarter, as measured by the gross domestic product.

The GDP expanded at a modest annual rate of 1.2 percent in the April-June quarter with residential construction falling at an annual rate of 6.1 percent after six quarters of strong gains.

For June, housing construction showed was unchanged with an increase in home renovation spending offsetting declines of 0.4 percent in single family construction and a drop of 1.5 percent in apartment building.