April saw another marked increase in UK service sector activity, with growth again supported by a sharp increase in volumes of incoming new work. Companies kept on top of workloads by adding to their payroll numbers, reflective in part of sustained confidence in the economic outlook. Meanwhile, cost pressures remained relatively subdued, with input prices rising to the weakest degree for 11 months. Output charges continued to increase at a modest pace. After accounting for seasonal factors, the headline Business Activity Index recorded 58.7 in April. That was up from March’s 57.6 and marked the sharpest increase in ... (full story)