(Yicai Global) Aug. 5 -- China’s service sector grew slower last month than a month earlier, going against market expectations as the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic still linger in the tertiary sector.

The Caixin purchasing managers’ index for services slid to 54.1 in July from 58.4 in June, which had been the highest in a decade. Analysts had predicted last month's reading to be 58. A figure above 50 denotes expansion.

The general Caixin PMI was 54.5, down 1.2 points. The benchmark mostly includes privately owned and small firms whereas the official PMI mainly involves big state-owned companies.

The Caixin manufacturing PMI rose to 52.8 in July, the highest level since February 2011, according to data released earlier this week. It had been at 51.2 in June.

Editor: Emmi Laine