The services sector in Ireland saw a slowdown in growth during December with business activity rising at the softest rate in three months and employment increasing only modestly, the latest AIB Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) shows. The rate of growth in the Irish services sector continues to outperform the eurozone, UK, and US flash PMIs of 52.6, 52.1 and 52.9, respectively. The services sector is divided up into four sub-sectors of which three expanded during the month. Financial services recorded a reading of 63.7 — the sharpest increase of the four sub-sectors — while technology, media, and telecoms had a reading of 54.2, and business services had a reading of 52.2. "Overall, services employment rose modestly in December but eased from the exceptional pace in November.

Source: Irish Examiner January 06, 2026 01:33 UTC