Washington ? Housing construction lost momentum in October, plunging by 11.4 percent, the biggest drop since 1994.

But even with the sharp decline ” which came after the level of housing construction shot up to a 16-year high in September ” the number of housing units for which builders broke ground in October was still considered to be in the healthy zone.

Builders began work on 1.60 million housing units, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, representing a 11.4 percent decline in October from the previous month, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

While October’s housing activity level was weaker than analysts were expecting, economists predicted September’s red-hot pace could not be sustained. Housing construction jumped by 11 percent in September to a rate of 1.81 million units, the highest level since December 1986.

The 11.4 percent drop in housing construction in October marked the biggest decline since January 1994.