US service firms grew slightly faster in July

[August 04, 2012]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. service companies, which employ 90 percent of Americans, grew at a slightly faster pace in July.

The Institute for Supply Management reported Friday that its index of non-manufacturing activity picked up slightly last month with a reading of 52.6. That was up from June's reading of 52.1, which had been the lowest since January 2010.

Any reading above 50 indicates expansion. The service sector has now grown for 31 straight months. But even with the July gain, the services index remains far below its recent high of 57.3 hit in February.

Part of the strength in the service sector in July came from a rise in the index component which tracks new orders. Service companies include retail, construction, financial services, health care and hotels, among other industries.

Economists said the July reading was encouraging because it at least showed a small rebound after a decline in activity in June.

Paul Dales, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics, said an index reading at this level was consistent with growth in the overall economy at a sluggish pace of 1 percent to 1.5 percent in the current July-September quarter.

"Although it is encouraging to see the survey strengthen, it still appears as though the economy started the third quarter on a fairly weak note," Dales said.

Overall economic growth, as measured by the gross domestic product, slowed to an annual rate of 1.5 percent in the April-June quarter, down from an already lackluster pace of 2 percent in the January-March period.

The Labor Department said Friday that employers added 163,000 jobs in July, an encouraging sign after three months of sluggish hiring. The July gain was the strongest since February.

Consumer spending, which drives 70 percent of economic activity, has been weak in recent months. Consumers spent no more in June than they did in May, a month when spending actually fell. However, there was a glimmer of hope that things might be looking up for retailers.

Many major retailers reported better-than-expected results in July, saying that sales had been helped by hot weather and summer clearance sales. A tally by the International Council of Shopping Centers of 20 major retailers found revenue in stores open at least a year rose 4.6 percent in July, compared to activity in July 2011.

A separate ISM report this week showed that manufacturing shrank for the second straight month in July. The ISM said its manufacturing index stood at 49.8, little changed from a June reading of 49.7, which had been the first time the survey showed manufacturing contracted in three years.

In recent months, factory activity has weakened along with the broader economy. Manufacturers have been hurt not only by a slowdown in consumer spending in the United States but by Europe's economic problems and slower growth in China and other emerging markets which has dampened demand for U.S. exports.

The Federal Reserve at a meeting this week decided to hold off providing further support to the economy but signaled that more help could be on the way if economic growth does not revive. Many private economists believe the central bank will decide to launch another round of bond buying at the Fed's next meeting in September.

[Associated Press; By MARTIN CRUTSINGER]

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