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

Survey information from providers corporations, often called the buying managers’ index (PMI), hit 55.2 in Might, down a bit of from April’s 12-month peak of 55.9 however up barely from an preliminary estimate of 55.1 and properly above the 50 mark that signifies progress within the sector.

Britain’s providers business, which accounts for nearly three quarters of the financial system, has motored alongside regardless of fears of a broad financial slowdown attributable to excessive inflation and rising borrowing prices. The UK financial system will not be 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 totally different elements of the financial system this yr, with manufacturing affected by a chronic 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 corporations have been going through 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 return down consistent with expectations this yr, partly on account of corporations’ pricing energy and nonetheless sturdy wage progress for employees, who need compensation for prime inflation. The survey additionally discovered that some shoppers have 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, mentioned: “Greater 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 sturdy labour market could also be slowing down, the speed of recent jobs within the providers business 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 time 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 wrong 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 powerful yr forward, conserving positivity near April’s current peak,” Glen mentioned.

Equal PMI information from the eurozone fell to a three-month low in Might, 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 financial system, the service sector had its greatest 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 shoppers are switching their spending from items to providers, serving to to spice up providers whilst 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.