US Service-Sector Activity Accelerates to 12-Month High in December: ISM

Service-sector momentum improved late in the year as businesses reported stronger demand and renewed hiring, even as cost pressures remained elevated.
US Service-Sector Activity Accelerates to 12-Month High in December: ISM
People shop at a mall on Black Friday in Bethesda, Md., on Nov. 28, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times
Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
|Updated:
0:00
U.S. service-sector activity strengthened in December, capping 2025 on a firmer footing as new orders and employment rebounded and business activity reached its strongest level of the year, according to a Jan. 7 report from the Institute of Supply Management (ISM).

The ISM Services PMI rose to 54.4 percent in December from 52.6 percent in November, marking its highest reading of 2025 and a third consecutive month of expansion. Readings above 50 indicate growth in the sector, which accounts for roughly two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.

Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
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