Official figures show that sales of new one-family homes in the US jumped in June after plunging to a record low the previous month.
The Commerce Department said sales increased 23.6% to 330,000 units from the May rate of 267,000, which was revised lower from the previous rate of 300,000. Most economists had expected June sales to hit 310,000.
The housing sector, which was at the centre of the financial crisis that plunged the US economy into recession in December 2007, remains weak.
The June figure is still 16.7% below the 396,000 chalked up in the same month last year, the department said.
