March 08, 2006 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Revision of fourth-quarter productivity growth

In the nonfarm business sector, productivity—as measured by output per hour—fell at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2005. This was slightly less than the 0.6-percent decline reported previously.

Previous and revised productivity and related measures, nonfarm business, fourth quarter 2005 (quarterly percent change at seasonally adjusted annual rates)
[Chart data—TXT]

Nonfarm business productivity last declined during the first quarter of 2001, when it fell 0.6 percent.

Output in the nonfarm business sector grew at an annual rate of 1.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2005; the preliminary estimate was 0.9 percent.

Hours of all persons were up 2.0 percent, following an initially reported estimate of 1.5 percent.

These data are from the BLS Productivity and Costs program. Data in this report are seasonally adjusted annual rates. These estimates are subject to revision. Additional information is available in "Productivity and Costs, Fourth Quarter and Annual Averages, 2005 Revised" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 06-394.