The UK service sector maintained its recent run of strong growth during November as incoming new business continued to rise at a rapid pace. Capacity remained under pressure and companies took on extra staff to help service rising workloads. There were also signs of price pressures beginning to build. Input cost inflation hit a nine-month high, while output charges rose to the most marked degree since May 2011. After accounting for seasonal factors, the Business Activity Index recorded a level of 60.0 in November. Although a five-month low, and down from October’s multi-year high of 62.5, the index again signalled a ... (full story)