August 08, 2003 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Productivity advances in second quarter

Nonfarm business sector productivity—as measured by output per hour—was up at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.7 percent in the second quarter of 2003.

Growth in output per hour of all persons, nonfarm business, seasonally adjusted, 2001 III - 2003 II (percent change from previous quarter at annual rate)
[Chart data—TXT]

Output rose 3.4 percent and hours of all persons declined 2.2 percent in the second quarter. Output per hour grew at a 2.1 percent annual rate in the first quarter of 2003, as output increased 1.4 percent and hours decreased 0.7 percent.

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 2003" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 03-411.