Haver Analytics
Haver Analytics
USA
| May 05 2022

U.S. Productivity Declines and Drives Labor Costs Higher in Q1

Summary
  • Productivity drop is greater-than-expected.
  • Compensation gain weakens.
  • Unit labor costs surge.

Nonfarm business sector labor productivity declined 7.5% (-0.6% y/y) in Q1'22 following a 6.3% gain in Q4'21, revised from 6.6%. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected a 4.5% decline.

Output fell 2.4% (+4.2% y/y) last quarter following a 9.0% increase while hours rose 5.5% (4.8% y/y) after gaining 2.5% in Q4.

Compensation rose 3.2% (6.5%) last quarter after a 7.4% Q4 rise, revised from 7.5%. The combination of falling productivity and higher compensation propelled the rise in Q1 unit labor costs to 11.6% (7.2% y/y) following a 1.0% Q4 rise. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected an 8.4% rise.

In the manufacturing sector, Q1 productivity rose 0.7% (1.7% y/y) after a 0.6% easing in Q4, revised from -0.1%. Output rose 5.7% (5.2% y/y) and hours-worked rose 5.1% (3.5% y/y).

Manufacturing compensation rose 2.8% (3.5% y/y) after a 1.1% rise. Unit labor costs rose 2.1% (1.8% y/y) after increasing 1.7% in Q4'21.

Compensation and labor costs figures are available in Haver's USECON database. The expectations figure is in the AS1REPNA database.

  • 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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