"Although volumes of business activity continued to worsen across the UK services sector in the past quarter compared with the previous quarter, there are some tentative signs that conditions may be levelling out, " said Ian McCafferty, CBI chief economic adviser.

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They will watch the reports in coming weeks to get a more steady reading on jobless claims, while unemployment is still being reflected in the still subdued consumer spending activity and slow hiring in construction and professional business services.

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The expansion looks set to continue, according to this week's purchasing managers' services index, which recorded a sharp increase in business activity in January.

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"Sophisticated entrepreneurial activity is going on in remote areas, and it needs business-to-business telecommunications services, " Storey says.

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Given the dearth of attention to conditioning the security-relevant activities of companies that receive federal contracts (by way of the General Services Administration's application process), such business operations will likely increase as economic activity recovers in emerging markets.

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Indirect spending reflects increased business-to-business activity that stems from increased visitor activity (e.g. if local hotels outsource their laundering and catering services, then those ancillary businesses see money dollars when the hotels get busier).

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And the big private services sector is also in dire straits: purchasing managers reported a record contraction in activity, new business and employment in November.

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