Taiwan's manufacturing sector picks up in April

TAIPEI, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's manufacturing sector continued its positive momentum in April as the manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose 0.5 points to 58.0 in April, a Taipei-based think tank said Thursday.

A PMI above 50 indicates expansion, while below reflects contraction. The PMI for the manufacturing sector has expanded for 25 consecutive months, according to the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER).

The sub-index for new orders, production and employment all rose from the previous month, while the suppliers saw slower deliveries, and the customers' inventories index also fell 2.0 points to 48.7.

All the manufacturing industries categories reported growth in April, with the fastest expansion in the electronics and optical sectors.

Meanwhile, the non-manufacturing index, an indicator for the service sector, also grew 1.2 points to 55.6 in April, continuing its growth trend for 14 consecutive months.

Of the eight non-manufacturing industries categories, six expanded, with contractions reported in accommodation and food, as well retail trade. Enditem