The UK’s dominant providers sector continued its development streak final month as customers saved spending on leisure and expertise.

Survey knowledge from providers firms, generally known as the buying managers’ index (PMI), hit 55.2 in Might, down slightly from April’s 12-month peak of 55.9 however up barely from an preliminary estimate of 55.1 and nicely above the 50 mark that signifies development within the sector.

Britain’s providers trade, which accounts for nearly three quarters of the financial system, has motored alongside regardless of fears of a broad financial slowdown brought on by excessive inflation and rising borrowing prices. The UK financial system is just not anticipated to fall into recession this yr however will put up solely modest charges of development till 2024.

Enterprise surveys have proven an growing divergence between totally different components of the financial system this yr, with manufacturing affected by a protracted downturn whereas the service-based industries have benefited from customers spending extra on leisure, journey and tourism after the pandemic.

The survey of buying managers discovered that inflation within the sector rose to the best since February as firms had been dealing with larger working prices because of rising wages for workers. This in flip led to companies growing the price of their providers, a phenomenon which threatens to maintain inflation persistently excessive.

Inflation has already failed to return down in step with expectations this yr, partly because of firms’ pricing energy and nonetheless robust wage development for employees, who need compensation for prime inflation. The survey additionally discovered that some customers had been pushing again towards rising costs by taking their enterprise elsewhere.

Tim Moore, economics director at S&P World Market Intelligence, which helps to compile the PMI survey, stated: “Larger wage funds greater than offset decrease gas prices, which meant that total enter value inflation edged as much as its strongest for 3 months in Might.”

In indicators that the robust labour market could also be slowing down, the speed of recent jobs within the providers trade slowed once more final month, regardless of some companies nonetheless complaining of labour shortages.

The sector was additionally boosted by robust inbound tourism within the UK in the beginning of summer season and exports strengthened on the again of higher financial prospects within the US and Europe. About half of companies stated they anticipated their exercise to develop over the approaching yr.

John Glen, chief economist on the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Provide, stated that rising client spending “appeared to be at odds with the persevering with value of residing disaster”.

“The service sector was working in the other way to the declining manufacturing sector within the UK, powering forward with one other robust rise in new orders together with work from abroad and rising vacationer numbers. Optimism was excessive, with half of all respondents predicting a powerful yr forward, maintaining positivity near April’s current peak,” Glen stated.

Equal PMI knowledge from the eurozone fell to a three-month low in Might, because the continent’s producers dragged down development with the worst efficiency because the finish of final yr. The providers sector intently matched the UK, with output at 55.1 within the single foreign money space, down from 56.2 in April.

In China, the world’s second largest financial system, the service sector had its finest efficiency since November 2020 because the nation advantages from the tip of stringent lockdown measures.

Mirroring the sample seen in different international locations, Chinese language customers are switching their spending from items to providers, serving to to spice up providers at the same time as different industries proceed to falter. China’s Caixin measure of PMI in providers was as much as 57.1 final month, from 56.4 in April.