Housing Starts Jump in January

.S. housing starts rose 15% in January, the biggest jump in 33 years, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

The increase to a 2.276 million unit annual rate from December was buoyed by unseasonably warm weather during January, Bloomberg reported.

uilding permits, an indicator of future construction, also rose, gaining 6.8% to a 2.217 million rate.

ncreased construction can mean more business for flatbed trucking companies that haul building materials. In home construction, dry van freight can see demand increases in for delivery of household appliances and furniture.

Housing starts rose in all four regions, led by a 29% jump in the Northeast, Commerce said.