China’s manufacturing activity expanded for the second consecutive month in April but at a slower pace than seen in March, said on Sunday the National Bureau of Statistics of China.

The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) was 50.1 in April, down from 50.2 in the previous month. A reading above 50 indicates an expansion in activity while a reading below 50 represents contraction.

Zhao Qinghe, a senior statistician at the bureau, said – as quoted by Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua – the manufacturing activity showed steady growth last month, partly due to the recovery in the housing market and the faster pace of infrastructure construction.

But he warned China’s economy still faced downward pressure, as global headwinds might slow the growth of China’s exports; while pressure on employment was also mounting.

The statistics bureau additionally announced on Sunday that China’s non-manufacturing PMI was 53.5 in April, down from 53.8 in March.