Global| May 04 2017U.S. Productivity Declines; Unit Labor Costs Accelerate
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
Growth in nonfarm output per hour during Q1'17 eased at a 0.6% annual rate (+1.1% y/y) following a 1.8% Q4 increase. No change in productivity had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Output grew 1.0% (2.4% y/y) and [...]
Growth in nonfarm output per hour during Q1'17 eased at a 0.6% annual rate (+1.1% y/y) following a 1.8% Q4 increase. No change in productivity had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Output grew 1.0% (2.4% y/y) and hours worked advanced 1.6% (1.3% y/y). Compensation improved 2.4% (3.9% y/y) after a 3.1% rise. As a result, unit labor costs jumped 3.0% (2.8% y/y), the quickest increase in three quarters. A 2.5% increase had been expected.
Factory sector productivity improved 0.4% (0.3% y/y) after a 2.0% rise. Output increased 2.8% (0.9% y/y) while hours worked rose 2.4% (0.7% y/y). Compensation increased 2.5% (4.6% y/y), the weakest rise in a year. Unit labor costs gained 2.1% (4.3% y/y), also the weakest gain in four quarters.
The productivity & cost figures are available in Haver's USECON database. The expectations figures are from the Action Economics Forecast Survey and are found in the AS1REPNA database.
| Productivity & Costs (SAAR, %) | Q1'17 | Q4'16 | Q3'16 | Q1'17 Y/Y | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonfarm Business Sector | |||||||
| Output per Hour (Productivity) | -0.6 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Compensation per Hour | 2.4 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.8 |
| Unit Labor Costs | 3.0 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Manufacturing Sector | |||||||
| Output per Hour (Productivity) | 0.4 | 2.0 | -0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | -0.6 | 0.1 |
| Compensation per Hour | 2.5 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.8 |
| Unit Labor Costs | 2.1 | 2.2 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.7 |
Tom Moeller
AuthorMore in Author Profile »Prior to joining Haver Analytics in 2000, Mr. Moeller worked as the Economist at Chancellor Capital Management from 1985 to 1999. There, he developed comprehensive economic forecasts and interpreted economic data for equity and fixed income portfolio managers. Also at Chancellor, Mr. Moeller worked as an equity analyst and was responsible for researching and rating companies in the economically sensitive automobile and housing industries for investment in Chancellor’s equity portfolio. Prior to joining Chancellor, Mr. Moeller was an Economist at Citibank from 1979 to 1984. He also analyzed pricing behavior in the metals industry for the Council on Wage and Price Stability in Washington, D.C. In 1999, Mr. Moeller received the award for most accurate forecast from the Forecasters' Club of New York. From 1990 to 1992 he was President of the New York Association for Business Economists. Mr. Moeller earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University, where he graduated in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from George Washington University.
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