ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø

April 5, 2006 10:15 AM, EDT

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

he economy’s service sector growth continued to increase, showing a gain last month, the Institute for Supply Management said Friday.

ISM’s services index, which measures non-manufacturing components of the economy, rose to 60.5 in March, from 60.1 in February.

igures of more than 50 indicate expansion. The March level was greater than analysts’ forecasts of a decline to a 59 reading, Bloomberg reported.

The services sector, which includes transportation, retail sales and financial services, accounts for nearly two-thirds of the U.S. gross domestic product.