The fragile recovery in the euro zone private sector weakened unexpectedly this month despite resurgent growth in Germany, as French business activity took a tumble, surveys showed on Thursday.
Markit's Eurozone Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), which gauges business activity across thousands of service sector companies large and small, fell to 50.9 in November from 51.6 last month.
It was the weakest reading in three months and undercut even the lowest forecast from 32 economists polled by Reuters, although the index held above the 50 line dividing growth in activity from contractions.
Overall, the survey underlined how lopsided the euro zone's recovery from recession is towards growth ing, with the rest of the bloc struggling to sustain momentum.
France in particular, where business activity unexpectedly shrank, was the weakest link in the euro zone this month.
Williamson added the survey was consistent with euro zone economic growth of around 0.2 percent in the current quarter, in line with the latest Reuters poll of analysts on Wednesday.
Source: Reuters
