Associated Press (09/05/12)
The U.S. Department of Labor reported today that U.S. workers were more productive in the second quarter than initially thought and inflation remained tame. Productivity of the U.S. nonfarm business sector rose at a 2.2% annual rate in the second quarter, stronger than the 1.6% pace estimated a month ago. Output was revised up to a 2.4% increase from 2.0%. The increase in hours worked was revised down to 0.1% from 0.4%. Unit labor costs—a gauge of potential inflationary pressures—were revised lower to a 1.5% annualized gain from a 1.7% increase.