News In Brief

US construction spending regains pace set in June

Spending on new construction rose 1.1 percent in September, its best gain in four months, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. It said total construction spending rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $315.3 billion in September. The gain came after three months of very weak activity and left the overall total at the same level as in June.

Overall spending rose only 0.3 percent in August after declines of 1.4 percent in July and 0.4 percent in June.