WASHINGTON (AP) - Construction spending fell for a fifth straight month in February as another big drop in home building offset a slight rebound in nonresidential construction.

The Commerce Department says February construction activity
dropped 0.9 percent, better than the 1.5 percent decline economists
expected. Total construction has been falling since October. The level of activity is at the slowest pace in nearly five years.

The weakness in February reflected a 4.3 percent drop in housing
construction, which pushed the level down to the lowest in 11 years.

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