Construction spending slipped in November by 0.4 percent, the first drop in 10 months, as private builders slashed spending on residential and commercial projects, a government report showed on Monday.

Construction put in place in November decreased to a $1.013 trillion annual rate, compared with an upwardly revised $1.017 trillion in October, the Commerce Department said. November’s decline was the largest one-month drop since February 2003.

The latest snapshot of construction activity surprised some economists who were forecasting a 0.5 percent increase in spending on building projects.