Inzwischen weit unter den erwarteten (erhofften) Raten.
Productivity Falls 0.1 Percent in Quarter
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The productivity of U.S. workers fell for the first time in six
years during the first three months of the year, as unit labor costs grew at the fastest pace in
over three years, the government said on Tuesday.
The Labor Department said
productivity for workers outside the farm sector fell at an annual rate of
0.1 percent in the first quarter, well below the 2 percent advance seen
during the final three months of last year. Productivity, measuring the
amount of goods and services workers produce per hour, is crucial to
rising standards of living. It has fallen steadily since hitting a recent peak of
a 6.3 percent annual gain during the April to June period of last year.
When workers' productivity grows, companies can produce more while
holding down costs. Productivity last declined during the first quarter of
1995 when it contracted at an 0.8 percent annual pace.
Unit labor costs -- a key gauge of inflation pressures -- soared at a 5.2
percent annual pace, the largest gain since a 5.5 percent advance during
the October to December period of 1997.
The latest non-farm productivity and labor-costs data stood in sharp contrast to economists' expectations. Wall Street
economists polled by Reuters had expected a 4.4 percent annual gain in unit labor costs and a 1.2 percent advance in
productivity. The sharp rise in unit labor costs and drop in productivity may weigh heavily on the U.S. Federal Reserve next
week when it mulls whether to cut interest rates further to stoke growth in the flagging American economy.
Sieht nicht gut aus für zukünftige Zinssenkungen
Euer Hans-Udo
Productivity Falls 0.1 Percent in Quarter
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The productivity of U.S. workers fell for the first time in six
years during the first three months of the year, as unit labor costs grew at the fastest pace in
over three years, the government said on Tuesday.
The Labor Department said
productivity for workers outside the farm sector fell at an annual rate of
0.1 percent in the first quarter, well below the 2 percent advance seen
during the final three months of last year. Productivity, measuring the
amount of goods and services workers produce per hour, is crucial to
rising standards of living. It has fallen steadily since hitting a recent peak of
a 6.3 percent annual gain during the April to June period of last year.
When workers' productivity grows, companies can produce more while
holding down costs. Productivity last declined during the first quarter of
1995 when it contracted at an 0.8 percent annual pace.
Unit labor costs -- a key gauge of inflation pressures -- soared at a 5.2
percent annual pace, the largest gain since a 5.5 percent advance during
the October to December period of 1997.
The latest non-farm productivity and labor-costs data stood in sharp contrast to economists' expectations. Wall Street
economists polled by Reuters had expected a 4.4 percent annual gain in unit labor costs and a 1.2 percent advance in
productivity. The sharp rise in unit labor costs and drop in productivity may weigh heavily on the U.S. Federal Reserve next
week when it mulls whether to cut interest rates further to stoke growth in the flagging American economy.
Sieht nicht gut aus für zukünftige Zinssenkungen
Euer Hans-Udo
