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increase but other signs weaken.
The
PPI for inputs to construction
industries, which includes all materials used in construction plus items
consumed by contractors, such as diesel fuel, rose 0.9% and 5.5%. Among
construction segments, the largest increases were for highway and street
construction, 1.5% and 12%, followed by other heavy construction, 1.0% and
8.1%; nonresidential buildings, 0.8% and 5.6%; multi-unit residential, 0.7% and
3.9%; and single-unit, 0.6% and 2.6%. The gains, especially for
diesel-intensive highway construction, were propelled by the PPI for diesel
fuel, 3.2% and 55%. Other commodities whose PPI increased included steel mill
products, 1.3% and 4.2%; copper and brass mill shapes, 2.1% and 4.1%; asphalt
paving mixtures and blocks, 1.9% and 3.6%; and concrete products, 0.6% and
3.6%. Holding down the gain in building costs were decreases for gypsum
products, -0.3% and -22%; lumber and plywood, -1.8% and -5.4%; aluminum mill
shapes, -0.6% and -4.0%; insulation materials, -0.4% and -3.6%; and brick and
structural clay tile, -0.3% and -0.7%. BLS introduced a PPI for new industrial building construction, based on quarterly estimates of materials,
labor and equipment costs plus monthly estimates from contractors as to costs
for overhead and profit.