Worker productivity up at 2.2 percent rate in first quarter

[spinbaby]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON - Worker productivity rose by a better-than-expected amount in the first three months of the year while labor cost pressures eased.

The Labor Department reported Wednesday that productivity, the amount of output per hour of work, increased at an annual rate of 2.2 percent in the first quarter. That was slightly higher than the 1.5 percent increase which had been expected.

In a sign that inflation could be easing, labor cost pressures slowed a bit. Unit labor costs rose at an annual rate of 2.2 percent, down from a 2.8 percent rise in the final three months of last year.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080507/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/economy

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Good news! We're all working harder for less money!

[fasttense]

1. So since we are working harder, when are we going to get our 2.2% raise?????

I wont hold my breath, All our hardwork will go to reward the uber wealthy and the idle rich.

[Ian David]

2. That figure includes the lower cost of outsourcing overseas. n/t

[Fovea]

3. Great news for the ownership society.

Be sure to congratulate your owner.

[struggle4progress]

10. !

[madrchsod]

4. we are the best workers in the world in every category but one

the irish out performs us in unit cost per hour...because they work 40hrs while in the states our overtime dilutes that figure..as for our friends in china, they are not even close to the to the america worker.

[lib2DaBone]

5. Less Workers equals More

Productivity per worker. OF COURSE productivity is going up. As they fire and lay off workers, the remaining workers have to pick up the slack. (Of course the savings are NEVER passed on to the consumers in the form of lower prices) Company owners then work the remaining employees until they drop dead from high blood pressure and extreme fatigue, at which time the company will suspend all health care and tell the employees that they are no longer "entitled" to benefits. Then, the Republican owners will pull up stakes and move production to China, while they set up a mailbox-drop in the Caymans so they don't have to pay income taxes. Voila! All this is done by your CONgressmen and Senators using YOUR TAX DOLLARS. See how Republican 'free markets' and their 'level playing fields' operate?

[Megahurtz]

8. And THAT too!

:mad:

[KillCapitalism]

11. And that really sucks.

I bet if we went to a mandated 30-hour workweek in this country that there would be enough work to go around that the unemployment rate would drop to about 1%.

Working people to death with 80+ hour workweeks is awful!

[nwliberalkiwi]

6. Outsource

Send their jobs overseas. Send their kids overseas, and give them US flags made in China to wave our heros bringing Democracy to the world. Give the CEO an obscene bonus. Let the Democratic Congress back all this while they keep their powder dry. Constitution---that God Damn piece of paper---who stood up to defend that!!!!!!

BORN IN THE USA BUT LIVING ABROAD BY CHOICE

[Megahurtz]

7. Everybody WORKING HARDER

and longer and more and hours just to make ends meet and even then we come up short WOO HOO! :sarcasm:

[rcsl1998]

9. K&R