Britain's private sector economy slipped into the contraction territory for the first time since April 2025, as a steep downturn in services, the sharpest since January 2021, outweighed a robust acceleration in manufacturing production.
The S&P Global Flash UK PMI Composite Output Index hit a 13-month low of 48.5 in May, compared with 52.6 in the previous month and the consensus of 51.6, flash data from S&P Global showed Thursday.
Meanwhile, the manufacturing PMI held steady at 53.7, against the expected 52.9, according to Investing.com data. On the services side, the PMI came in at a 64-month low of 47.9, against the previous 52.7 and the market forecast of 51.7.