Eurozone PMI hits 52.1 in August as manufacturing recovers
The eurozone just had its busiest month in nine months, with economic activity rising in August 2026.
This boost came mostly from a manufacturing comeback and more new orders, pushing the main PMI score to 52.1, higher than expected and a clear sign things are picking up after slow growth earlier this year.
Eurozone new orders hit 40-month high
Manufacturing led the charge with its best performance in over four years and new orders hit their fastest pace in 40 months.
Export orders also returned to growth for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
On top of that, companies started hiring again, especially manufacturers who hadn't added jobs after more than three years, and service sector jobs grew at their quickest pace in eight months.
Price pressures eased a bit too, though inflation is still higher than usual for the region.