The UK’s dominant providers sector continued its progress streak final month as shoppers stored spending on leisure and expertise.

Survey knowledge from providers firms, often known as the buying managers’ index (PMI), hit 55.2 in Could, down a bit 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 progress within the sector.

Britain’s providers trade, which accounts for nearly three quarters of the economic system, has motored alongside regardless of fears of a broad financial slowdown attributable to excessive inflation and rising borrowing prices. The UK economic system just isn’t anticipated to fall into recession this yr however will publish solely modest charges of progress till 2024.

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

The survey of buying managers discovered that inflation within the sector rose to the very best since February as firms have been dealing with greater working prices on account 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 come back down in keeping with expectations this yr, partly on account of firms’ pricing energy and nonetheless sturdy wage progress for staff, who need compensation for top inflation. The survey additionally discovered that some shoppers have been pushing again in opposition to rising costs by taking their enterprise elsewhere.

Tim Moore, economics director at S&P International Market Intelligence, which helps to compile the PMI survey, mentioned: “Increased 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 Could.”

In indicators that the sturdy labour market could also be slowing down, the speed of latest 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 sturdy 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 mentioned they anticipated their exercise to develop over the approaching yr.

John Glen, chief economist on the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Provide, mentioned that rising client spending “appeared to be at odds with the persevering with price 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 sturdy rise in new orders together with work from abroad and rising vacationer numbers. Optimism was excessive, with half of all respondents predicting a robust yr forward, holding positivity near April’s latest peak,” Glen mentioned.

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

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

Mirroring the sample seen in different nations, Chinese language shoppers 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.