Some things just cannot be wished away. Like tattoos and bitter family feuds, the US housing market is still there, stubbornly refusing to improve. The Commerce Department yesterday released figures on the state of US residential construction. Based on survey data, new housing starts in April appear to have dropped to an annual rate of 458,000 – the lowest level since records began in 1959. Construction activity is now four-fifths below the peak of the building frenzy in early 2006. The trend has defeated every previous effort to call a bottom in the market.
有些东西不是凭主观愿望就能摆脱的。就像纹身和严酷的家族斗争一样，美国房地产市场岿然不动，固执地拒绝好转。美国商务部(Commerce Department)昨日发布了有关美国住宅建设状况的数据。调查数据显示，4月份折合成年率的新屋开工数已降至45.8万套——1959年有记录以来的最低水平。建筑活动如今比2006年初建筑热潮时期的峰值水平减少了五分之四。之前所有希望宣布楼市已经见底的努力都遭到挫败。