LONDON (Reuters) – The economic recovery in the euro zone gained momentum in April as the important services sector benefited from even stronger demand, helping to offset the continued contraction in manufacturing activity, show PMI surveys released on Friday.
The composite “flash” PMI index rose to 54.4, its highest level in 11 months, after 53.7 in March, show the first results of the monthly survey of S&P Global purchasing managers.
To meet growing demand, businesses have increased their workforces at the fastest rate since May. The employment sub-index rose to 54.7 from 53.3.
“The indices show a very positive overall picture of an economy that continues to recover,” said Cyrus de la Rubia, chief economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank.
“However, a closer reading reveals that growth is very unevenly distributed. For example, the gap between the partly thriving services sector on the one hand and the declining manufacturing sector on the other part, has widened further.”
The “flash” PMI for services came in at 56.6 after 55.0 last month, but that for manufacturing activity fell to 45.5, the lowest in nearly three years, after 47.3. The consensus gave them 54.5 and 48.0 respectively.
The sub-index measuring manufacturing production, which is part of the composite PMI index, fell to 48.5 from 50.4 previously.
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(Jonathan Cable, Laetitia Volga, edited by Bertrand Boucey)
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