The pace of eurozone economic growth remained subdued in May amid stagnant demand. Jobs growth slipped to the joint-lowest since 2016 as firms scaled back expansion plans in the light of weak sales. Optimism about the future meanwhile slumped to a four-and-a-half year low and inflationary pressures moderated as competition limited sellers’ pricing power. The IHS Markit Eurozone Composite PMI® recorded 51.6 in May, according to the preliminary ‘flash’ estimate, up only fractionally from 51.5 in April. The weak reading puts growth in the second quarter so far on a par with the lacklustre gain seen in the first quarter ... (full story)