BEIJING, July 3 -- China's logistics sector expanded at a faster pace in June as market demand and business operations improved, industry data showed Monday.

The index tracking the country's logistics market performance stood at 51.7 percent last month, up 0.2 percentage points from May, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.

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

Most sub-indexes edged up in June. The sub-index for new orders came in at 50.4 percent, up 0.7 percentage points from the previous month, data from the federation showed.

The sub-index for employees increased 2.3 percentage points to 51.2 percent, indicating a growing demand for labor.

In June, the sub-index for business expectations stayed at a high level of 55 percent, indicating that the logistics market confidence remained stable, the federation said.