2009 First Quarter (Preliminary) Productivity and Costs — 2009-05-07

The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor today reported preliminary productivity data--as measured by output per hour of all persons--for the first quarter of 2009. The seasonally adjusted annual rates of productivity growth in the first quarter were: 1.1 percent in the business sector and 0.8 percent in the nonfarm business sector. Productivity gains in both sectors were due to hours declining faster than output. First quarter measures are summarized in table A and appear in detail in tables 1 through 5. -3.4 percent in manufacturing, -10.0 percent in durable goods manufacturing, and -0.1 percent in nondurable goods manufacturing. Manufacturing sector productivity fell for the fourth consecutive quarter. First quarter declines in output and hours in total manufacturing were the largest in these series, which begin with data for the second quarter of 1987; output dropped 22.4 percent and hours fell 19.7 percent (seasonally adjusted annual rates).