TAIPEI, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector dropped by one point from September to 57.7 in October, a Taipei-based think tank said Wednesday.
Despite the drop, the manufacturing sector has expanded for 20 consecutive months, according to the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER).
A PMI above 50 indicates expansion, while below reflects contraction.
Four of the five major sub-indices saw drops compared with the previous month. The sub-index for new orders fell 1.8 points to 58.6 and that for production was down 2.8 points to 57.9. Supplier deliveries and employment also dipped, while the sub-index for inventories gained 0.6 point.
Meanwhile, the non-manufacturing index, an indicator for the service sector, continued to fall by 0.6 point to 53 in October.
The CIER expected Taiwan economy to expand 1.75 percent in the fourth quarter of this year and grow 2.14 percent in 2017.
