HOME CONSTRUCTION JUMPS 6.3% IN JUNE

Home construction in the U. S. jumped 6.3% in June, another big swing in a volatile year. The rise in June put home construction at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.64 million units, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Home construction starts rose 12.6% in the West and 9.7% in the South, offsetting high single- digit declines in the Northeast and Midwest.