February 9, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Productivity increase in 1999

Productivity increased 2.9 percent in the nonfarm business sector during 1999, about the same as the 2.8 percent rise in 1998.

[Chart data—TXT]

During 1999, output in nonfarm businesses rose 4.7 percent, and hours of all persons increased 1.7 percent. The increase in labor productivity in 1998 resulted from faster growth in both output and hours, 5.2 and 2.4 percent, respectively.

Unit labor costs in the nonfarm business sector grew 1.8 percent in 1999, slightly less than their 2.4-percent increase in 1998. This reflected, in part, an hourly compensation rise of 4.8 percent in 1999, compared with a 5.2 percent increase in 1998.

These data are a product of the BLS Quarterly Labor Productivity program. Data are subject to revision. Additional information is available in "Productivity and Costs, Fourth Quarter Measures, 1999," news release USDL 00-37.