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Euro-Zone PMI Indicates Steady Business Growth in November

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  Published in Business and Finance on Friday, November 21st 2025 at 5:56 GMT by Reuters

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Euro‑Zone Business Activity Grows Steadily in November, PMI Shows

In a bright sign for the euro‑zone’s economic recovery, the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for November 2024 revealed that business activity across the region is expanding at a steady pace. The composite PMI – an overall barometer of industrial and service sector health – rose to 53.3, up from 52.3 in October, while the manufacturing and services sub‑indices also posted gains, indicating a balanced rebound in both production and commercial activity.

The Numbers Behind the Growth

• Composite PMI (All‑Sectors): 53.3 (↑ 1.0 point from October 52.3)
• Manufacturing PMI: 52.5 (↑ 1.2 points from October 51.3)
• Services PMI: 54.0 (↑ 1.0 point from October 53.0)

The threshold for growth is 50, so all three figures comfortably lie in the expansionary zone. The composite reading of 53.3 represents the strongest expansionary performance for the euro‑zone since September 2023, when the index hovered just above 52.0.

Manufacturing: A Resilient Core

Manufacturers continued to show resilience amid lingering supply‑chain bottlenecks and rising energy costs. The manufacturing PMI’s lift was largely driven by higher orders, a stronger production volume, and a more optimistic outlook for future demand. However, the sector still faces a small uptick in production costs, which slightly tempered the pace of investment growth. The PMI’s “new orders” sub‑indicator – a key leading indicator – reached 57.6, up from 56.3 in October, signaling that demand for manufactured goods is picking up.

Services: Momentum Grows

The services sector – which accounts for roughly 70 % of euro‑zone GDP – posted the strongest gains of the two. Employment growth in services rose to 0.7 % from 0.6 % in September, and the “price change” sub‑indicator moved from a modest 0.3 % in October to 0.5 % in November. The services PMI’s rise is largely attributable to robust consumer spending, especially in retail and leisure, as well as a modest improvement in business sentiment.

Employment and Credit Conditions

Employment, the third core component of the PMI framework, also showed a modest uptick. The employment index rose to 53.1 in November from 52.3 in October, indicating a gradual expansion of the labor market, albeit still below the pre‑pandemic levels of the early 2000s.

Credit conditions, as measured by the PMI’s “credit conditions” sub‑indicator, improved slightly – the index moved from 53.8 to 54.2. This reflects an easing in borrowing costs for firms, a welcome relief given that the European Central Bank (ECB) has maintained its policy rates at historically low levels (currently 4.25 %) to support growth.

Context: A Broader Economic Landscape

The November PMI surge comes against a backdrop of mixed signals for the euro‑zone economy. Inflation, which has been a persistent concern for the ECB, continues to hover around the 2.3 % mark – a level only marginally above the ECB’s target. The European Commission’s Economic Survey for 2024 indicates that the euro‑zone’s real GDP is projected to grow by 1.2 % this year, a modest rebound compared to the 2.7 % contraction recorded in 2020 during the height of the COVID‑19 pandemic.

While the PMI data suggests a healthy expansion, the report cautions that the growth trajectory is somewhat tempered by the higher energy prices that have strained manufacturing costs and by lingering supply‑chain disruptions that continue to bite firms in the automotive and electronics sectors. “Manufacturers remain cautious about scaling up production until there is greater certainty in energy prices and supply chain stability,” notes the report, echoing concerns voiced by several industry associations.

Forward‑Looking Outlook

Looking ahead, the report highlights several key drivers that could shape the euro‑zone’s business activity in December and beyond:

1. Inflation Outlook: As inflation remains above the ECB’s target, the bank may keep policy rates steady or potentially raise them in early 2025 if inflationary pressures persist. This could moderate credit expansion in the short term.
2. Energy Prices: A decline in global energy prices could reduce production costs, potentially bolstering manufacturing activity.
3. Supply‑Chain Resilience: Continued improvements in supply‑chain logistics – such as better port throughput and inventory management – could lift manufacturing and retail activity.
4. Consumer Confidence: Should consumer sentiment improve, we could see a sharper uptick in services activity, especially in discretionary spending categories.

The report concludes that, overall, the euro‑zone economy appears to be on a solid path to a balanced expansion for 2024, albeit with cautionary notes about the potential for supply‑chain constraints and policy tightening to dampen momentum.

Where to Find the Full Data

For readers who wish to dive deeper into the raw figures and methodology, the full November PMI dataset is available on the Institute for Supply Management’s website (https://www.iism.org/) and the International Monetary Fund’s Data portal (https://data.imf.org/). Eurostat also publishes related macro‑economic statistics on its portal (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat). These resources provide granular insights into sub‑sector performance, employment trends, and cross‑country comparisons that can help analysts and businesses gauge the underlying health of the euro‑zone economy.

In sum, the November PMI data offers a clear, optimistic snapshot of the euro‑zone’s economic landscape: manufacturing and services are both growing, employment is picking up, and credit conditions are easing. While a few headwinds remain – chiefly energy costs and supply‑chain uncertainties – the overall trajectory suggests that the region’s business activity is on a steady path toward sustained recovery.