US labour productivity rebounds in the second quarter

U.S. labor productivity rebounded slightly in the second quarter of this year after falling over the previous six months.

The Labor Department said Tuesday nonfarm business sector labor productivity increased at a 1.3 percent annual rate during April- June, following a decline of 1.1 percent in the first quarter. On a year-on-year basis, the productivity increased 0.3 percent, reflecting moderate economic growth in the quarter.

The increase in productivity reflected an increase of 2.8 percent in output and an increase of 1.5 percent in hours worked in that period, the department said in a report.

The latest data from the U.S. Commerce Department showed U.S. economy expanded at an annual rate of 2.3 percent in the second quarter, a moderate bounce from the revised 0.6 percent increase in the first quarter.