JAPAN HOUSING STARTS JUMP IN DEC
Housing starts rose 2.9% on the month and 10.6% on the year,according to reports. They rose 2.0% in Q4 on the quarter, the firstquarterly rise since Q1 2000. New appartment and housingconstruction outweighed the dip in private home building. Housingstarts rose 1.3% in 2000.