BEIJING, March 1 -- The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector came in at 49.1 in February, down from 49.2 last month, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Friday.

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

NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe largely attributed the drop to the Spring Festival holiday, which lasted from Feb. 10 to Feb. 17. During this period, employees typically return home, resulting in a traditional manufacturing off-season.

The sub-index for large enterprises was 50.4, flat with the previous month, but remained in the expansion range. Meanwhile, the sub-index for production was 49.8, a 1.5 decrease from the previous month, indicating less active production.

The sub-index for new orders was 49, flat with the previous month, but remained in the contraction range. This indicated slumping demand in the manufacturing market in February compared to the previous month.

Manufacturing companies remained optimistic in regards to consistent market expansion, with the sub-index for production and business forecasts standing at 54.2, up 0.2 from the previous month.

The PMI for China's non-manufacturing sector came in at 51.4 in February, up from 50.7 in January.