China's purchasing managers' index (PMI) for its domestic manufacturing sector was at 50.8 percent in May this year, up 0.2 percentage points compared to April, according to the figures released by China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
In the given month the production index for China's manufacturing sector increased by 0.7 percentage points month on month to 53.3 percent, while the new order index for the sector increased by 0.1 percentage point compared to the previous month to 51.8 percent. The raw material inventory index for China's manufacturing sector was 47.6 percent in May, indicating a month-on-month increase of 0.1 percentage point.
The employment index for China's manufacturing sector in May stood at 48.8 percent, down 0.2 percentage points compared to April, while the supplier delivery time index for the sector in question was at 50.8 percent, unchanged compared to April and remaining above 50 percent for the third consecutive month.
Meanwhile, in May, the raw material index, the new order index and the employment index for the Chinese ferrous metal smelting and processing sector were all below 50 percent.