Washington, DC, August 1--Spending fell 0.3% in June to an annual rate of $1.1 trillion, according to the Commerce Department.
Economists had forecast an increase of 0.8% in spending during the month. June's decline was the fourth consecutive monthly drop.
Construction spending has fallen 3.1 percent from the all-time high hit in February.
In June, private construction spending slipped 0.2 percent to an $843.82 billion annual rate. Private residential construction dropped 0.4 percent, the fourth straight decline, while private nonresidential construction, often seen as a sign of business confidence, edged up 0.2 percent.
Total public construction fell 0.5 percent in June. Public residential outlays rose 1 percent, while public spending on nonresidential building decreased 0.5 percent.
