(Yicai Global) Sept. 3 -- Activity in China’s manufacturing and services sectors last month pushed back toward the highest level in a decade.

The Caixin China Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index rose 0.6 point to 55.1 in August from the month before,according to data financial media outlet Caixin published today. That wasthe second-highest point since January 2011 and was just shy of a decade-high of 55.7 reached in June.

Growth in factory activity made up for a modest fall-off in the services sector, which remained in expansion territory for a fourth straight month. The Caixin China Manufacturing PMI rose 0.3 point to 53.1, while the Caixin General Services PMI fell 0.1 point to 54.A reading above 50 signals expansion.

The readings were in line with official figures for August from the National Bureau of Statistics, which gave a composite PMI of 54.5 and 54.3 for general services.

Employment in the manufacturing and services sectors increased on a year earlier, ending a six-month shrinkage in the services sector, as businesses started hiring to meet increasing orders. But factories remained wary of adding workers, with the new employee figure dipping for an eighth month in a row.

Better post-epidemic job figures require long-term market recovery along with economic policy support, said Wang Zhe, a senior economist at Caixin Insight Group, adding there is still uncertainty about the pandemic’s course overseas.

Business optimism in the services sector fell to its lowest level in three months, but was still above 50. While businesses expect market conditions to continue to improve and demand to grow, they still believe that the fallout from pandemic will continue to affect operations and sales in the coming months.

Editor: Kim Taylor