TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Japan's service sector continued to expand in March, albeit at a slower pace, the latest survey from Nikkei revealed on Wednesday with a services PMI score of 50.9.
That's down from 51.7 in February, although it remains above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.
Individually, there were weaker rises in both activity and new orders.
Firms hired staff at a faster rate amid rising backlogs of work, while output price inflation remained relatively marked.
The report also showed that the composite index sank to 51.3 in March from 52.2 in February.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX