Puerto Rico's economic activity index fell in July and bounced back up in August.
The index value slipped to 126.5 in July from 127.1 in June, then returned to 127.1 in August, the Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico said Thursday.
The July reading was a 0.7% decline on a year-over-year basis. Total non-farm payroll employment was up 0.6% from a year earlier but the other three measurements constituting the index were down. The decline of cement sales by 3.8% from a year earlier was the biggest decline.
The August value was even with the August 2014 value. Compared with a year earlier, payroll employment and gasoline consumption were up but electricity generation and cement sales were down.
August's 0% year-over-year change was the first time the year-over-year change had a neutral or positive value since December 2012.
The GDB, which compiles the index, delayed the release for a month because accurate gasoline consumption data was unavailable.
