U.S. business activity continued growing in September, though the rate of growth slowed for the second consecutive month, S&P Global said Tuesday (Sept. 23). Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said in the release that growth remained “robust” in September but that it slowed from the recent peak seen in July. Sentiment in the service sector reached the highest level since May, while that in the manufacturing sector was the highest in three months, according to the report. The National Federation of Independent Businesses reported Sept. 9 that small business sentiment rose in August, with its Small Business Optimism Index gaining 0.5 points to reach 100.8. The number of business owners anticipating higher sales climbed 6 points to 12%, though their worries about labor shortages persisted.