February 07, 2003 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Productivity down in fourth quarter

Nonfarm business sector productivity—as measured by output per hour—fell at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 0.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2002.

Growth in output per hour of all persons, nonfarm business, seasonally adjusted, 2001 I - 2002 IV (percent change from previous quarter at annual rate)
[Chart data—TXT]

Output rose by 0.8 percent and hours of all persons increased 1.0 percent in the fourth quarter. Productivity increased 5.5 percent in the third quarter (as revised), when output rose 5.2 percent and hours dropped 0.2 percent.

For the entire year 2002, productivity was up 4.7 percent in nonfarm business. This was the largest increase since 1950, when productivity rose 6.9 percent.

These data are a product of the BLS Productivity and Costs program. Data are subject to revision. Additional information is available in "Productivity and Costs, Fourth Quarter 2002" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 03-45.