Japan's Service Sector Expands for Third Month, but Confidence Dips, PMI Shows

JAPAN - TOKYO. Japan's service sector activity expanded for the third straight month in September, but the pace slowed slightly and confidence dipped in a sign of the broader economic strains amid weakness in manufacturing, a private survey showed on Thursday.

The final au Jibun Bank Service purchasing managers' index (PMI) declined to 53.1 in September from 53.7 in August, according to index publisher S&P Global Intelligence.