THE region's service sector companies continued to grow last month but the rate of expansion slowed, a survey said today.
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply's (CIPS) survey of the UK service sector showed firms reporting further growth of demand in June but showed a drop from May and the rate of expansion had eased to a five-month low.
The slower growth was blamed mainly on higher interest rates and the weakness of the manufacturing sector.
These concerns fed through to companies' confidence -- the survey showed service sector companies were less confident in June about their business prospects for the coming year.
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