US Service-Sector Activity Accelerates to 12-Month High in December: ISM

People shop at a mall on Black Friday in Bethesda, Md., on Nov. 28, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch TimesU.S. service-sector activity strengthened in December, capping 2025 on a firmer footing as new orders and employment rebounded and business activity reached its strongest level of the year, according to a Jan. 7 report from the Institute of Supply Management (ISM).The ISM Services PMI rose to 54.4 percent in December from 52.6 percent in November, marking its highest reading of 2025 and a third consecutive month of expansion. Readings above 50 indicate growth in the sector, which accounts for roughly two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.