Mumbai, Jan. 6 -- Business activity continued rising at a healthy rate across Germany's service sector during December, albeit with the pace of expansion easing further from October's recent high, the latest HCOB PMI survey results showed.

The loss of momentum largely reflected a slower increase in new business. Employment rose modestly and for the third straight month, but business expectations dropped to their lowest since April last year.

On the price front, December's survey data indicated faster increases in both input costs and output charges, with the former rising at the quickest rate for ten months.

The headline HCOB Germany Services PMI Business Activity Index is based on a single question asking how the level of business activ...