BEIJING — China’s non-manufacturing sector held steady in October, official data showed on Oct 31.

The purchasing managers’ index for the sector came in at 53.9 in October, down from 54.9 in September, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below reflects contraction.

“Data showed that the non-manufacturing sector maintained its growth though at a slower pace,” said the NBS in a statement.

Sub-index for new orders dropped 0.9 points from the previous month to 50.1, while that for sales prices edged down 0.3 points to 51.2.

The data also showed steady growth of demand in the construction industry. Sub-indexes for new orders and business activities in the sector rose 0.5 points and 0.9 points from the previous month to 56.2 and 66, respectively, according to the NBS.

The NBS also said that the manufacturing sector PMI came in at 50.2 this month, down from 50.8 in September.