China's service sector reports accelerated recovery in Jan-Feb

BEIJING -- China's service sector witnessed an accelerated recovery momentum in the first two months of 2023, official data showed Wednesday.

The index gauging the country's service industry output rose 5.5 percent year-on-year in the Jan-Feb period, rebounding from the 0.8-percent decrease in December 2022, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics.

The sub-index tracking the output of the information transmission, software, and IT services climbed 9.3 percent year-on-year, while that for accommodation and catering expanded 11.6 percent.

NBS data showed that the country's railway and air transportation, postal services, accommodation, and leasing industry have rebounded to a rather active level.

The recovery of the service sector will contribute to stabilizing and expanding employment, according to the NBS.