China's non-manufacturing PMI at 50.2 in September

BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's non-manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) came in at 50.2 in September, up 1.2 percentage points from August, official data showed Wednesday.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 indicates contraction.

The business activity index for the construction sector rose 3.4 percentage points month on month to 50.3, and the services sector index rose 0.9 percentage points to 50.2, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Among services industries, the indices for telecommunications, broadcasting and satellite transmission services, monetary and financial services, and insurance all stood above 55, well above the boom-bust line. The indices for capital market services and real estate remained below the line.

The new orders index stood at 46.5 in September, up 2.4 percentage points from August, indicating a recovery in market demand. The new orders index for construction rose 3.3 percentage points to 45.7, while services rose 2.2 percentage points to 46.7.

The NBS data also indicated that overall input prices for non-manufacturing business activities continued to rise.

The sales price index rose 1 percentage point from August to 50.3, indicating a recovery in overall sales prices.

The employment index rose 0.5 percentage points month on month to 45.9, pointing to improved hiring conditions.

The business activity expectation index reached 55.5, up 0.5 percentage points from August, indicating stronger confidence among non-manufacturing enterprises in market development. The construction business activity expectation index rose 3.6 percentage points to 55.4, while the services business activity expectation index remained unchanged at 55.5.

Huo Lihui, a chief statistician with the NBS, said the non-manufacturing business activity index rebounded noticeably in September and returned to expansion territory.

Huo noted that the services business activity index moved above the boom-bust line, reflecting a recovery in services market activity, while the construction business activity index climbed to its highest level this year, with construction progress accelerating.

Wednesday's NBS data also showed that China's manufacturing PMI stood at 50.1 in September, up 0.3 percentage points from August and back in the expansion zone.