The services sector in Japan contracted in August, albeit barely, the latest survey from Markit Economics revealed on Wednesday with a purchasing managers' index score of 49.9.
That was down from 50.4 in July, and it slipped below the boom-or-bust score of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.
Among the individual components of the survey, new business growth and payroll numbers remained in expansionary territory.
Markit's composite PMI climbed to 50.8 from 50.2 in the previous month.
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May 22, 2026 14:46 ET Minutes of the latest Fed policy session was the highlight of the week along with survey data on the U.S. housing market. In Europe, survey data signaled the trends in the euro area private sector. Further, consumer price inflation data from the U.K. was in focus. In Asia, various economic indicators from China drew attention to the health of the economy.