BEIJING - The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector stood at 49.2 in November, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, official data showed Sunday.

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

Both production and demand sides saw improvement. The sub-index for production stood at 50.0, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous month -- reaching the critical threshold. On the demand side, the sub-index for new orders came in at 49.2, up 0.4 percentage points, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Regarding specific industries, the production and new order indices for sectors such as agricultural food processing and non-ferrous metal smelting were located in the expansionary zone, indicating active production and demand.

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The PMI for small enterprises saw a significant rebound, standing at 49.1 -- up 2 percentage points from the previous month to reach a six-month high. The PMI for large enterprises came in at 49.3, a drop of 0.6 percentage points, while the reading for medium-sized enterprises stood at 48.9, up 0.2 percentage points.

High-tech manufacturing continued to expand, with its PMI standing at 50.1 -- remaining above the critical point for 10 consecutive months, according to the NBS.

Market expectations remained stable with a slight upward trend. The sub-index for production and operation activity expectation stood at 53.1, up 0.3 percentage points from October, indicating that manufacturing enterprises have grown more confident in recent market developments.

Non-manufacturing PMI

NBS data showed Sunday that the PMI for China's non-manufacturing sector came in at 49.5 in November, down 0.6 percentage points from the previous month.

The service sector, influenced by the fading effect of the holiday season, saw its business activity index fall to 49.5, a decrease of 0.7 percentage points from October, according to the NBS.

READ MORE: China's manufacturing PMI at 49.8 in September

Railway transportation, telecommunications and broadcasting, and monetary and financial services maintained strong growth, with their activity indices staying above 55.

The business expectation index for the service sector, although dipping slightly by 0.2 percentage points, stayed at a relatively high level of 55.9, indicating sustained optimism among service firms about future market prospects, according to the NBS.

In a positive shift, construction activity showed signs of recovery. The business activity index for the construction sector rose to 49.6 in November, up by 0.5 percentage points from the previous month.

NBS data showed Sunday that the PMI for China's manufacturing sector stood at 49.2 in November, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month.