Material Is Embargoed Until 8:30 A.M. Est, — 2000-03-07

The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor today reported revised fourth-quarter seasonally-adjusted annual rates of productivity change--as measured by output per hour of all persons-- and revised annual changes for the full year 1999. Percent changes in business and nonfarm business productivity were: In both sectors, the fourth-quarter productivity increases were the largest since the fourth quarter of 1992. Fourth-quarter productivity and related measures are summarized in table A and appear in detail in tables 1 through 5; the preliminary and revised fourth-quarter and annual data appear in table C. In the manufacturing sector, increases in productivity were: Fourth Annual averages quarter 1998-1999 Manufacturing productivity rose at a 10.3 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter. This was the largest increase since the second quarter of 1982, when output per hour of all persons rose 12.3 percent.