Housing starts fall heavily housing in the United States

The construction sector is not out of the crisis. The starts of homes plummeted 10.6% in October in the United States, a severe disappointment to economists who had forecast a rise of 1.7%. A 590,000 annual rate, they fall to their lowest level since April.

The financial community expected to increase, however, thanks to state subsidies. The government has decided to extend until April 2010 its aid program for first-time buyers, which is a tax credit of $ 8,000. He had previously ended in late November.

In addition, building permits, whose variation is generally less volatile, fell 4%. They are at their lowest since May