WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. worker productivity grew at the same modest rate this summer as in spring, a sign that companies may be nearing the limits on how much output they can get from their employees.
The Labor Department said today that worker productivity increased at a modest 1.9 percent annual rate from July through September, matching the April-June quarter rate. Labor costs fell at a 0.1 percent rate after having risen at a 1.7 percent rate in the second quarter.
Productivity is the amount of output per hour of work. Weaker productivity can be a hopeful sign for job creation. It often means companies can’t squeeze much more output from their staffs and must hire to meet demand.
The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less