US Services Growth Accelerates

The ISM Services PMI rose to 55.4 in August 2026 from 54.1 in July, beating forecasts of 54.3. The reading pointed to the strongest gain in the services sector in six months, with business activity (61.7 vs 59.1), new orders (60.9 vs 57.2), inventories (56.7 vs 51.4) all rising at a faster pace. Backlog of orders also went up (55.6 vs 50.9), with some respondents attributing it to low staffing levels at their companies. On the other hand, employment contracted for a second month (47.8 vs 47.4) and price pressures intensified to a four-year high (72.6 vs 70.3), with petroleum-related products, diesel, and gasoline reported as up in price in August. Meanwhile, the supplier deliveries index continued to indicate slower performance (51.3 vs 52.8). “Tariffs and the Middle East conflict returned as the most cited issues impacting respondents’ supply chains", according to Steve Miller, Chair of the ISM Services Business Survey Committee.

The ISM Services PMI in the US edged up to 54.1 in July 2026 from 54 in June, slightly below forecasts of 54.5, while continuing to point to expansion in the services sector. Business activity (59.1 vs 55.4), new orders (57.2 vs 55.1) and inventories (51.4 vs 51.2) increased faster but employment returned to contraction territory after only one month in expansion (47.4 vs 51.2). In addition, price pressures increased (70.3 vs 67.7), with petroleum-related products and plastics again reported as commodities up in price, although the number of commodities reported as down in price increased to six, up from three the previous month. Backlog of orders (50.9 vs 54.9) and supplier deliveries (52.8 vs 54.4) slowed. “Tariff impacts and the Middle East conflict continued to be mentioned by respondents, but much less frequently than in prior reports. The World Cup was again cited in the comments regarding increased business activity and new orders”, according to Steve Miller, Chair of the ISM.

The ISM Services PMI in the US fell to 54.0 in June 2026, down from 54.5 in May, matching market expectations. The reading still indicates solid expansion in US services activity, though at a softer pace, driven by a slowdown in business activity growth (55.4 vs. 57.7 in May) and new orders (55.1 vs. 57.3). Meanwhile, the employment index saw its largest increase since 2024, rising to 51.2 from 47.9, marking the first expansion in headcount since February. Price inflation also eased to a four-month low of 67.7, down from 71.3. Despite ongoing concerns about persistent inflation tied to the Middle East conflict, survey respondents noted that business conditions remain robust.