British business activity contracted in November amid a new wave of anti-Coronavirus restrictions in the mega services sector.
According to Arabianet, an initial reading of the IHS Markit / CIBS Index of Purchasing Managers, a measure of private sector growth, fell to a five-month low of 47.4 in November from 52.1 in October.
This is the first time that the index has fallen below the growth threshold level of 50.0 since June.
A Reuters poll of economists' opinions indicated an even bigger decline, at 42.5.
It is widely expected that the British economy will contract in the fourth quarter, albeit to a lesser extent compared to the contraction it experienced during the first lockdown measures, after Prime Minister Boris ordered Johnson imposes isolation measures for four weeks in England.
and other regions in the United Kingdom imposed restrictions on companies, including those operating in the hospitality sector and activities that need direct interaction with the public
These shutdowns contributed to the services sector PMI falling to 45.8 from 51.4 in October.
But manufacturing industries, which were not affected much by the latest isolation measures, accelerated and their index rose to 55.2, the highest since 2018.
