British construction output unexpectedly fell in January at the sharpest monthly rate since late 2013, dragged down by a worsening decline in housebuilding, official data showed on Friday. Construction output shrank by 2.6 percent in January -- confounding economists' expectations for a rise of 1.2 percent -- after rising by 0.6 percent in December, the Office for National Statistics said. Total new housebuilding dropped by 5.0 percent on the month, the steepest fall since February last year. While most signs points to a strong start to the year for Britain's economy, construction output has disappointed. The ONS ... (full story)