MADRID, 18 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The services sector reduced its turnover by 0.5% last August compared to the same month in 2022, thus resuming the declines after in July it presented a year-on-year increase in sales of 1.5%, as reported this Wednesday the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

The decline registered in August was a consequence of the drop in trade turnover by 2.2%, motivated in turn by the decline in sales in wholesale trade (-8.3%). On the other hand, the sale and repair of vehicles and motorcycles invoiced 11.6% more compared to August 2022, and retail trade, 7.8% more.

For their part, other services increased their sales by 2.9% year-on-year in August, driven by administrative activities (8.5%), hospitality (5.6%), professional activities (4.5%) and information and communications (4.1%). On the other hand, transportation and storage sales fell 3.6%.

Within the hospitality industry, accommodation services increased their sales by 8.3%, while food and beverage services invoiced 3.5% more than in August 2022.

In monthly terms (August over July) and in data corrected for seasonality and calendar, the services sector registered a monthly increase in sales of 0.1% in the eighth month of the year, seven tenths below the monthly rebound achieved in July.

For the twenty-ninth consecutive month, employment in the services sector grew last August, and it did so at an interannual rate of 1.8%, a rate one tenth lower than that of July.

The Balearic Islands was the community that increased job creation in the services sector the most last August, with a year-on-year increase of 5.2%, and also the one that increased sales the most, 10.4% year-on-year.