August 10, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Productivity in second quarter 2005

Productivity in the nonfarm business sector—as measured by output per hour—increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.2 percent during the second quarter of 2005. Output increased 4.4 percent and hours of all persons rose 2.1 percent.

Growth in output per hour of all persons, nonfarm business, seasonally adjusted, 2003 II - 2005 II (percent change from previous quarter at annual rate)
[Chart data—TXT]

Output per hour grew at a 3.2-percent annual rate in the first quarter of 2005, as output increased 4.3 percent and hours increased 1.1 percent.

Hourly compensation in the nonfarm business sector increased 3.5 percent in the second quarter of 2005, less than the 6.9-percent rise one quarter earlier. When the rise in consumer prices is taken into account, real hourly compensation fell 0.6 percent in the second quarter of 2005 after increasing 4.5 percent in the first quarter. 

These data are from the BLS Productivity and Costs program. Data are subject to revision. Additional information is available in "Productivity and Costs, Second Quarter 2005, Preliminary" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 05-1513.

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