PANews reported on April 6th that, according to Jinshi, the US service sector economy slowed its expansion in March, with employment declining by the largest margin since 2023 and input prices rising sharply. Data released Monday showed that the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) services price index rose to 70.7, the highest since October 2022, up 7.7 percentage points from the previous month, the largest increase in nearly 14 years. The ISM services index fell 2.1 percentage points to 54, mainly due to weak employment and slower business activity growth. Businesses were under pressure due to the significant increase in energy and other input costs caused by the war in Iran. The services employment index fell 6.6 percentage points to 45.2, one of the largest monthly declines since the COVID-19 pandemic. The business activity index fell 6 percentage points to 53.9, the largest decline since mid-2024. The supplier delivery index rose to its highest level since October 2024. New orders for service providers saw their strongest growth in more than three years.