LONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - The decline in euro zone business activity accelerated faster than initially thought last month as the bloc's dominant services industry fell into contraction, according to a survey which suggests the bloc could drop into recession.
REUTERS/Jon Nazca Acquire Licensing RightsThe headline services PMI sank to 47.9 from 50.9, below the flash 48.3 estimate, as indebted consumers feeling the pinch from increased borrowing fees and high living costs reined in spending.
The new business index, a gauge of demand, dropped further below breakeven to 46.7 from 48.2, a low not seen since early 2021.
Still, the downturn in manufacturing eased last month, suggesting the worst may be over for the bloc's beleaguered factories, a sister survey showed on Friday.
The composite employment index dropped to 50.2 from 51.4.
Persons:
Cyrus de la Rubia, Jon Nazca, Employers weren't, Jonathan Cable, Hugh Lawson
Organizations:
P Global, Hamburg Commercial Bank, REUTERS, PMI, Employers, Thomson
Locations:
July's, Hamburg, Ronda, Spain