March 8, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Productivity rise in fourth quarter largest since 1992

In the fourth quarter of 1999, productivity in the nonfarm business sector —as measured by output per hour of all persons—rose at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 6.4 percent. The fourth-quarter productivity increase was the largest since the fourth quarter of 1992.

[Chart data—TXT]

Output grew 8.0 percent and hours of all persons—employees, proprietors, and unpaid family workers—grew 1.6 percent in nonfarm business in the fourth quarter. During the third quarter, productivity had increased 5.0 percent, as output grew 6.8 percent and hours rose 1.7 percent (seasonally adjusted annual rates).

For the full year 1999, productivity increased 3.0 percent in the nonfarm business sector, as output rose 4.7 percent and hours of all persons increased 1.7 percent. In 1998, productivity rose 2.8 percent, output rose 5.2 percent, and hours of all persons grew 2.4 percent.

These data are a product of the BLS Quarterly Labor Productivity program. Data in this article are revised from the figures originally released on February 8, 2000, and are subject to further revision. Additional information is available in "Productivity and Costs, Fourth Quarter and Annual Averages, 1999," news release USDL 00-64.