The seasonally adjusted monthly services index decreased by 0.1 per cent between October and November 2012, according to new figures released today.

Published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the Monthly Services Index monitors trends in output in the non-financial traded services sector.

Monthly output in administrative and support services dropped by 1.8 per cent in November 2012, when compared to October, while professional, scientific and technical activities fell by 1.3 per cent. The wholesale and retail, 0.8 per cent, and the transportation and storage sectors, 0.7 per cent, also experienced declines over the period.

Accommodation and food service, information and communication, and 'other' services were sectors that showed monthly increases in November 2012 when compared with the previous month. They rose by 2.2 per cent, 1.4 per cent and 0.2 per cent respectively.

The index did show an annual increase of 1.3 per cent for the year. The largest increase was in administrative and support services, which climbed by 12.6 per cent for the twelve months to November 2012. Output also rose by 9.1 per cent in transportation and storage, 4.5 per cent in information and communication and 3.8 per cent in the accommodation and food service sector.

'Other' services declined by 4.7 per cent, while wholesale and retail fell 1.4 per cent in November 2012. This is compared with the same period in 2011.