Irish Services Growth Hits 9-Month High

2026-09-03 00:09 By Chusnul Chotimah 1 min. read

The AIB Ireland Services PMI inched up to 55.4 in August 2026 from July’s 55.2, marking the highest reading since November 2025.

The acceleration in services activity was buoyed by a solid increase in new business, boosted by overseas demand, albeit at a more modest pace than in July.

New business accelerated in August, almost matching June’s seven-month high.

Financial services led the sector, followed by technology, media & telecoms.

Employment was unchanged, following the fastest rate of job creation in six months in July.

On the price front, input costs rose for the first time in four months, with input price inflation moving further above the long-run survey trend, but remaining the second-weakest in six months.

Meanwhile, output cost inflation accelerated for the first time in four months.

Looking ahead, business sentiment improved to its highest level since February 2025, amid optimism over new business, investment, marketing, planned expansions, and new projects.



News Stream
Irish Services Growth Hits 9-Month High
The AIB Ireland Services PMI inched up to 55.4 in August 2026 from July’s 55.2, marking the highest reading since November 2025. The acceleration in services activity was buoyed by a solid increase in new business, boosted by overseas demand, albeit at a more modest pace than in July. New business accelerated in August, almost matching June’s seven-month high. Financial services led the sector, followed by technology, media & telecoms. Employment was unchanged, following the fastest rate of job creation in six months in July. On the price front, input costs rose for the first time in four months, with input price inflation moving further above the long-run survey trend, but remaining the second-weakest in six months. Meanwhile, output cost inflation accelerated for the first time in four months. Looking ahead, business sentiment improved to its highest level since February 2025, amid optimism over new business, investment, marketing, planned expansions, and new projects.
2026-09-03
Irish Services Sector Growth Hits 8-Month High
The AIB Ireland Services PMI climbed to 55.2 in July 2026 from June's 54.2, marking the highest reading since November 2025. The acceleration in services activity was supported by a solid increase in new business, boosted by overseas demand, with the fastest expansion since December 2024. Technology, media & telecoms remained the fastest-growing sector, recording its strongest expansion in nearly three years. New business inflows rose solidly, albeit at a slightly softer pace than in June. Employment increased, with job creation picking up. On the price front, input cost inflation slowed for the third consecutive month from April's 40-month high to a level broadly in line with the long-run survey trend. As a result, output cost inflation also eased for the third consecutive month to a five-month low but remained above the long-run trend. Finally, business sentiment improved to an eight-month high, amid optimism over stronger economic growth.
2026-08-06
Irish Services Growth Hits 5-Month High
The AIB Ireland Services PMI increased to 54.2 in June 2026 from 50.8 in May, marking the highest reading since January. The acceleration in services activity was supported by the strongest expansion in new business in seven months, driven by recovering demand. Technology, media & telecoms remained the fastest-growing sector, recording its strongest expansion since last November. Overseas demand improved, rising at the strongest pace in seven months. However, higher levels of outstanding business partly reflected a relatively modest increase in employment, which grew at the slowest pace in three months. On the price front, input costs rose due to higher fuel, salary, freight, and supplier costs. However, input cost inflation eased to a four-month low. Looking ahead, business sentiment improved to a four-month high, supported by optimism over recovering demand, new business opportunities, marketing initiatives, and growth in product lines.
2026-07-03