Australia AiG Performance of Services Index dropped -3.8 pts to 56.2 in March. Sales dropped sharply by -14.9 to 53.7. Employment dropped -0.3 to 54.4. But new orders rose 2.4 to 63.5. Input prices jumped 11.5 to 77.5. Selling prices also rose 4.2 to 64.5. Average wages surged 11.8 to 67.7.
Innes Willox, Chief Executive of the national employer association Ai Group, said: “Australia’s services sector continued its positive run in March although the pace of growth slowed in the face of intensifying input price pressures, difficulties in finding staff and further wage pressures.”