UK private sector activity expanded for the sixth consecutive month in April as a robust recovery in service sector output helped to offset a marginal decline in manufacturing production. Output growth was supported by a solid upturn in new order volumes and a modest acceleration in staff hiring, in each case driven by the service economy. April data indicated a steep increase in average cost burdens across the private sector, with the rate of inflation up sharply from March and the highest since May 2023. Stronger input price inflation was overwhelmingly linked to higher staff wages, particularly in the hospitality ... (full story)