Japan Dec housing starts -7.3 pct yr/yr -govt

TOKYO, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Housing starts in Japan fell
7.3 percent in December from a year earlier, down for the fourth
straight month, data by the land ministry showed on Tuesday, as
uncertainty about a slowing global economy weighed on housing
investment.
The fall compared with a median estimate for a 1.5 percent
annual decline and followed a 0.3 percent fall in the year to
November.
Orders received by 50 major construction companies in
December rose 1.5 percent from a year earlier.
To view the full tables, go to the official website of the
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport: