A measure of business activity has indicated that the services sector expanded during August for the first time in four months.
The NCB Services PMI scored 51.7, with any figure over 50 indicating expansion.
New business from both domestic and external sources, with new export orders (54.1) growing for the thirteenth month in a row.
43% of respondents forecast a higher level of business activity in 12 months' time, with 17% of respondents predicting a drop in activity.
Employment dropped slightly in the month according to NCB.
Input costs, driven by fuel costs, increased sharply, while profitability fell as a result.
When examined by sector, financial services were flat (51) transport, travel, tourism and leisure expanded while business services and technology, media and telecoms fell.
