| DEC. 2011 | NOV. 2011 | CHANGE | DEC. 2010 | CHANGE | |
| Housing starts* | 657,000 | 685,000 | down 4.1% | 526,000 | up 24.9% |
| Housing completions* | 605,000 | 554,000 | up 9.2% | 565,000 | up 7.1% |
| Building permits* | 679,000 | 680,000 | down 0.1% | 630,000 | up 7.8% |
| Total spending* | $816.4 billion | $804 billion | up 1.5% | $782.9 billion | up 4.3% |
| Unemployment rate | 16% | 13.10% | up 2.9 points | 20.70% | down 4.7 points |
| Architecture Billings Index | 52 | 52 | no change | 54.2 | down 2.2 points |
*annualized rate
Sources: US Census Bureau, Associated General Contractors of America, American Institute of Architects