Construction spending increased 2% in January.

The Commerce Department said the gain, fueled by increased building activity for offices and shopping centers, was the biggest increase in eight months. The department said the gain left spending at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $324.9 billion in January. Private construction rose 2.2% to an annual rate of $267.9 billion, while government construction was up a smaller 1.4% to an annual rate of $57 billion. In the private sector, non-residential construction showed the biggest increase, a 3.3% jump.