Dive Brief:

• Spending on new home construction inched upward in September after four months of declines, the Commerce Department said Monday.

• Still, construction spending in all sectors combined fell 0.4%, largely because of declines in nonresidential and government building. The September dip followed a 0.5% decline in August.

• Spending on single-family homes increased by 1.1% during the month, while multifamily dropped by 1%.

Dive Insight:

Economists responded with optimism, saying construction spending will grow by the end of the year, which will contribute to a predicted 3% increase in overall economic activity. If that prediction holds, it could mean 2015 will be the strongest economic year since 2005.