U.S. construction spending edged up in November as a gain in home building helped offset weakness in nonresidential construction.
The Commerce Department said Friday that construction spending rose 0.8 percent in November after a 0.1 percent gain in October and a 1.8 percent fall in September.
The strength in November came from a 3.5 percent jump in spending on home building. That reflected a 2.6 percent increase in apartment construction which offset a 1.8 percent drop in single-family construction.
Non-residential construction fell 1.2 percent, with spending on offices and the category that covers shopping centers both down.
Public construction activity was also down in November, falling 0.9 percent after a 1.5 percent gain in October.
Release of the November construction report had been delayed because of the partial government shutdown.