Construction Spending Rises 0.2% in August

Construction spending rose 0.2% in August, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The uptick followed a 0.5% decline in July, Commerce said.
 
Economists had forecast no change in spending, Bloomberg reported.

Private residential construction spending dropped 1.5%, in an 18th straight decline. Non-residential construction, including public projects, rose 1.6%.

Construction spending can boost demand for trucking services because spending increases the number of shipments of goods and building materials.