Productivity

Productivity contracted in the third quarter of this year according to revised data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  Their measure of output per labor hour fell 0.2 percent from July through September 2019 (originally down 0.3 percent).

Our economy is currently in the middle of its longest economic expansion ever.  Sometimes it’s tough to imagine the Great Recession ended over a decade ago or that the first recession of this century started over 18 years ago.  During both downturns, output was in steep decline and firms were hemorrhaging jobs by the hundreds of thousands each week (e.g., in March 2009, the net

Normally around this time in February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases information on our nation’s Productivity and Unit Labor Costs from the fourth quarter of the prior year.   Not this time.  With another government shutdown already looming, economic data continues suffering from the last time portions of the federal budget went unfunded.  In the meanti

Normally around this time in February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases information on our nation’s Productivity and Unit Labor Costs from the fourth quarter of the prior year.   Not this time.  With another government shutdown already looming, economic data continues suffering from the last time portions of the federal budget went unfunded.  In the meanti

Normally around this time in February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases information on our nation’s Productivity and Unit Labor Costs from the fourth quarter of the prior year.   Not this time.  With another government shutdown already looming, economic data continues suffering from the last time portions of the federal budget went unfunded.  In the meanti