UPDATE 1-Brazil's services activity unexpectedly down in February

(Recasts with details, context throughout)

SAO PAULO, April 12 (Reuters) - Activity in Brazil's services sector fell 0.9% in February from the previous month, statistics agency IBGE said on Friday, missing analyst forecasts in posting its worst monthly performance since August.

Brazil's service industry had earlier enjoyed a run of three positive months when it grew by a total of 1.5%, boosted by a strong job market and improving inflation scenario.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected a 0.2% increase from January.

Four of the five groups of services tracked by IBGE declined in February, with administrative and communication services falling the most.

IBGE analyst Luiz Almeida, who is responsible for the data, attributed the decline to a "balance movement" after the recent expansion in Latin America's largest economy.

Brazil's services activity and inflation in the sector have been a focus of the central bank during its current rate-cutting cycle, with prices of services and the strength of the job market becoming subjects of attention for the bank.

The monthly decline in February was the deepest since August 2023, when services dropped 1.3%.

Services rose 2.5% when compared to the same month last year, according to IBGE, though also below forecasts of a 4.5% jump and after a 4% rise in January.

Alberto Ramos, Goldman Sachs head of Latin America economic research, said the services figures came in "weak" despite an increase in services to households, the only major group to present a positive performance in February. (Reporting by Andre Romani and Camila Moreira; editing by Gabriel Araujo, Mark Heinrich and Angus MacSwan)