- Output and new orders increase slightly.
- Employment growth quickens amid improved outlook.
- Inflationary pressures remain at historic highs.
Business conditions in Kenya improved for the first time since January, the latest Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) indicates. August Stanbic Bank Kenya PMI pointed to a slight improvement in the health of the private sector for the first time in seven months, as output and new orders returned to expansion territory amid greater political stability.
Job creation accelerated and purchasing activity picked up, whilst firms grew more confident about their output prospects. That said, the improvement in business conditions was only mild, and continued to be weighed down by elevated price pressures.
Indeed, input prices continued to rise at an historically strong pace, leading to the fastest increase in selling charges since June 2022.
PMI readings above 50.0 signal an improvement in business conditions on the previous month, while readings below 50.0 …
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