A third wave of COVID-19 inflections disrupted the recovery in Germany's service sector, with April PMI® data showing overall business activity being constrained by tighter lockdown measures. Expectations towards future activity also softened, though the degree of optimism was still strong by historical standards, thereby helping to support a continued recovery in employment. Meanwhile, April saw a further increase in cost pressures across the service sector, leading more firms to raise charges. After registering 51.5 and signalling a return to growth for the first time in six months in March, the headline seasonally ... (full story)