To these, the spoils

摘要

Not only has America's productivity wonder survived its first recession; it has positively thrived. Output per man-hour in the non-farm business sector rose at an annual rate of 8.6% in the first quarter of this year, its fastest growth in 19 years. Quarterly figures are volatile, yet the year-on-year growth in productivity was also impressive, at 4.2%. This bodes well for America's future economic growth-but not necessarily for company profits, or for share prices. Commentators cheered the latest evidence of rapid productivity gains, hoping that it might promise fatter profits ahead. That America's productivity continued to rise last year, in contrast to previous recessions, seems to confirm that an increase has taken place in trend productivity growth. Still, the latest numbers overstate the underlying trend.