TAIPEI, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector dropped by 0.1 points from August to 58.7 in September, a Taipei-based think tank said Monday.
Despite the drop, the PMI for the manufacturing sector has expanded for 19 consecutive months, according to the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER).
A PMI above 50 indicates expansion, while below reflects contraction.
Three of the five major sub-index saw drops compared with the previous month. The sub-index for new orders fell 2.8 points to 60.4 and that for production was down 0.2 points to 60.7. Supplier deliveries also dipped slightly, while the sub-index for employment and inventories gained.
Meanwhile, the non-manufacturing index, an indicator for the service sector, fell 1.6 points to 53.6 in September.
The CIER expected Taiwan economy to expand 1.75 percent in the fourth quarter of this year and grow 2.14 percent in 2017.
