IANS | 02 May, 2016
Business activity in China's non-manufacturing sector
expanded at slower pace in April, official data showed on Sunday.
The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the non-manufacturing sector stood at
53.5 in April, down from 53.8 in March and well above the 50 mark that
separates expansion and contraction, according to data released jointly by the
National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the China Federation of Logistics and
Purchasing.
The non-manufacturing PMI tracks business activities of both the service sector
and the construction industry, Xinhua news agency reported.
The service sector sub-index was 52.5 in April, down 0.6 points from March,
said the report.
Businesses related to storage, tourism, accommodation, and telecommunications
posted sound growth in April. However, wholesale, catering, insurance and
repairing industries reported a drop in business volumes.
The sub-index for service new orders declined 2.4 points from one month earlier
to 48.4 in April, suggesting slower demand in the non-manufacturing sector.
The sub-index for construction activity rose 1.4 points to 59.4 in April, while
that for new orders was down 0.5 point to 50.