Services sector activity rebounds resolutely in September

It is the sector's fastest growth since May

Three of the four services sub-sectors recorded growth last month with transport, tourism and leisure the only one to see a contraction. 

The Irish services sector recorded a strong “rebound in growth of activity” with output and new business increasing at the fastest rates in four months, the latest AIB Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the sector shows.

For September, the services sector had a PMI reading of 53.5 — up from the 50.6 recorded in August signalling a robust rate of expansion and the fastest since May. The PMI is based on a survey of firms with any reading of 50 or above denoting growth in the sector over the previous month.