The U.S. services sector picked up in August, with firms reporting stronger demand and busier activity even as hiring cooled and tariff worries lingered, according to two business activity surveys released on Sept. 4.
The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said its services gauge rose to 52 in August from 50.1 in July, marking a third straight month of growth. A separate S&P Global survey painted a similar picture, with its services index coming in at 54.5, still solid expansion, though a touch softer than July.
Together, the reports suggest the services economy is doing much of the heavy lifting for overall growth heading into fall. America’s manufacturing sector, while showing signs of improvement, has lagged….