Euro zone economic recovery stumbled in Dec as Omicron spread -PMI

People queue for COVID-19 tests in front of a laboratory in Paris amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in France, January 4, 2022. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

LONDON, Jan 5 (Reuters) – The euro zone’s economic recovery stuttered in December as a renewed wave of COVID-19 infections curtailed growth in the bloc’s dominant service industry, a survey showed on Wednesday, and could weaken further if tighter restrictions are imposed.

As the Omicron coronavirus variant spread rapidly at the end of last year governments reimposed measures to contain infection rates, particularly in Germany, Europe’s largest economy.

That meant IHS Markit’s Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), a good gauge of overall economic health, sank to 53.3 in December from 55.4 in November, its lowest since March.

While…