BEIJING — The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's nonmanufacturing sector came in at 54.4 in November, up from 52.8 in October, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Nov 30.

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

A breakdown showed service sector activities accelerated, with the sub-index for the sector up to 53.5 from 51.4 in the previous month.

Rapid expansion was seen in industries such as postal services, hotel, telecommunications as well as monetary and financial services, with their sub-readings staying above 58.

The reading of service-sector business expectations edged up to 60.6, revealing service enterprises' buoyed confidence about future market development, said NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe.

The sub-index for the construction sector fell to 59.6 in November from 60.4 in October but remained at a relatively high level, according to the NBS.

The data also showed that China's manufacturing PMI firmed up to 50.2 in November from 49.3 in October.