Nonresidential construction - education, healthcare, hospitality, etc. - keeps the industry afloat.
Building permits (estimated 1.8 million)
were down 14.9 percent from 2005 (2.2 million), and housing starts (estimated
1.8 million) were 12.9 percent below 2005 starts (2.1 million). However, nearly
2 million homes were completed last year, a 2.4 percent jump from 2005.