MW: U.S. Dec. ISM services index rebounds to 50.1%
By Greg Robb
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The service sectors of the U.S. economy rebounded in December, the Institute for Supply Management reported Wednesday. The ISM non-manufacturing index rose to 50.1% from 48.7% in November. Despite the improvement, the increase was below expectations. Economists were looking the index to rise to 51.0%. The index had been above 50 for three months in the summer and fall but then slipped under the threshold in November. The closely-watched employment index rose to 44.0% in December from 41.6 in November. The employment index has been below 50 since May 2008. It hit a low of 31.1 in November 2008.
