Homebuilding in U.S. Probably Fell in July, Manufacturing Rose

Builders probably began work on fewer houses in July, showing residential real estate is failing to contribute to U.S. growth two years into an economic recovery, economists said before a report today.

Housing starts fell 4.6 percent to a 600,000 annual rate, according to the median estimate of 77 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. Another report may show factory production rose as auto making began to bounce back from the disaster in Japan.