HONG KONG — Manufacturing slowed in China in January for the first time in four months as workers began leaving assembly lines to travel to their hometowns for Lunar New Year holidays.
The National Bureau of Statistics said its purchasing managers index (PMI), based on a survey of factory managers, slipped to 49.1 in January from 50.1 the month before. A PMI reading above 50 indicates expansion. Under 50 signals a contraction in activity.
