The seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.032 million housing starts was well above the March figure of 954,000 but 30.6 percent below the revised April 2007 number, the report said.

The jump was largely attributed to a gain in multifamily housing starts, as single family starts increased by a less robust 1.7 percent on the month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 692,000.

Privately owned completions in April jumped 16 percent over March, while single-family completions gained 13 percent, the report said.