housing permits

The Economic Outlook Is Looking Up: Leading Indicators Rise in July

A gauge of future U.S. economic activity improved in July on a drop in new claims for jobless benefits and an increase in housing permits, although the reading still pointed to sluggish growth ahead.

Builders Start More Single-Family Homes; Permit Requests Surge

U.S. builders started work on more single-family homes in May and requested the most permits to build homes and apartments in three and a half years. The increase suggests the housing market is slowly recovering even as other areas of the economy have weakened.