Service sector still signaling sluggish growth: survey

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/10/08
By: Huang Chiao-Wen and Frances Huang

Taipei, Oct. 8 (CNA) Taiwan’s service sector flashed another “yellow-blue” light in August, signaling sluggish growth, but it moved a step closer to pulling out of a long slump, according to a survey by the Commerce Development Research Institute (CDRI,商業發展研究院).

The CDRI said the index of service industry (ISI) stood at 99 points in August, which was at the high end of the “yellow-blue” range from 93 to 99, and was up two points from a month earlier.

The CDRI uses a five-color coded system in conjunction with the ISI to describe the climate of Taiwan’s service sector, focusing on three major segments — securities trading, business operations, and the labor market and wages.

Red signals overheating, yellow-red indicates slight overheating, green represents steady growth, yellow-blue signals sluggishness and blue indicates recession.    [FULL  STORY]