BEIJING -- China's manufacturing growth continued to rise in April, fresh evidence of better performance in the manufacturing sector, official data showed on Thursday.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector rose to 50.4 last month, up from 50.3 in March, according to a statement jointly released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.

This is the second consecutive monthly uptick of the widely watched data. The index began to climb in March after three months of declines.

A reading below 50 indicates contraction, while above 50 signals expansion.

The sub-index for new orders gained 0.6 in April from the previous month to 51.2, the statement said.

The sub-index for production dipped 0.2 in April from the prior month to 52.5. The sub-index for employment remained flat at 48.3, noted the statement.

The latest index shows that China's market demand is improving, but the momentum of the recovery is not strong, said Zhao Qinghe, a senior analyst with the NBS.

Feb manufacturing PMI drops to 50.2	China's manufacturing PMI rises to 50.3% in March