US labour productivity logged its biggest increase in the second quarter in nearly three years, helping to offset rising labour costs.

Productivity, or nonfarm business employee output per hour, rose at a 3.7 per cent annual rate in the second quarter after registering a decline in the first three months of the year, according to figures out on Thursday (Aug 3) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists had called for a 2.2 per cent rise. 

Unit labour costs, or what a business pays employees to produce one unit of output, rose at a 1.6 per cent rate after surging 3.3 per cent in the prior period.

Higher productivity helps curb the potential inflationary impact of higher wages and other costs, which is why firms often adopt new technologies or invest in software and equipment to improve efficiency. 

Quarterly productivity figures are extremely volatile, but if the latest advance is sustained, it could help reduce inflation.

GET BT IN YOUR INBOX DAILY

Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign UpVIEW ALL

Thursday’s report showed hourly compensation jumped 5.5 per cent. Adjusted for inflation, it rose 2.7 per cent, marking the first increase in almost a year. The rise was boosted by the first drop in hours worked since 2020. Nonfarm business output rose 2.4 per cent.

Other recent reports have suggested some easing in labour-cost pressures. The employment cost index, a broad gauge of wages and benefits, rose in the second quarter at the slowest pace since 2021.

Meanwhile, GDP – a key gauge of economic activity – unexpectedly accelerated in the April-to-June period on the back of resilient consumer spending and a pickup in business investment. BLOOMBERG