FX.co ★ US Building Permits Fall More than Expected

In May 2026, US building permits slipped 0.7% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.413 million, coming in just below market expectations of 1.42 million, according to preliminary data. Permits for multifamily buildings with five or more units declined 3.5% to 474,000, while single-family permits edged up 0.6% to 886,000. Regionally, permits fell sharply in the Midwest, down 18.1% to 195,000, but increased in the Northeast (up 3.1% to 134,000), the South (up 1.6% to 760,000), and the West (up 5.5% to 324,000).