U.S. worker productivity fell from January through March by the most in a year. Stronger hiring at the start of the year was partly responsible for the drop.
The Federal Reserve has boosted its outlook for U.S. economic growth this year and is slightly more optimistic about the unemployment rate, reflecting improvements in recent months.
The Federal Reserve sketched a mildly brighter view of the economy Tuesday after a burst of hiring since its last meeting in January. It took no further steps to aid the recovery and repeated its plan to keep short-term interest rates near zero through 2014.
U.S. companies will have to keep hiring steadily to meet their customers' rising demand. That's the message that emerged Wednesday from a report that employers are finding it harder to squeeze more output from their existing staff.
Growth in U.S. worker productivity slowed at the end of last year, while labor costs rose. Fewer gains in worker output suggests employers must add workers if they want to meet higher demand.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke reiterated his concern Thursday that chronic long-term unemployment threatens to reduce the nation's supply of skilled workers.
President Barack Obama on Monday sent Congress a new budget that seeks to achieve $4 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade while at the same time showering billions of dollars of increased spending on areas aimed at giving the economy a quick boost.
Americans' income rose in December by the most in nine months, a hopeful sign for the economy after a year of weak wage gains. But consumers didn't spend any more than they had in November.
Businesses are growing more confident in the economy, investing in more equipment and laying off fewer workers.
DebugScreen: mobile
{
"author": {
"name": "Martin Crustsinger",
"webUrl": "/author/profile/martin-crustsinger/",
"description": "",
"imageLarge": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f16d6fc2845f417ea0e93a3f2b6cd37d?s=136&d=mm&r=g",
"estimate": 82,
"social": [],
"articles": [
{
"uri": "/2012/05/03/us-worker-output-fell-in-first-quarter/",
"title": "US worker output fell in first quarter",
"byline": "Martin Crustsinger",
"kicker": "",
"prettyDate": "May 03, 2012",
"timeToRead": "3 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "",
"width": "",
"height": ""
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/martin-crustsinger/",
"name": "Martin Crustsinger"
}
],
"kickerNode": [],
"summary": "U.S. worker productivity fell from January through March by the most in a year. Stronger hiring at the start of the year was partly responsible for the drop.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2012/04/30/spending-fell-incomes-rose-in-march/",
"title": "Spending fell, incomes rose in March",
"byline": "Martin Crustsinger",
"kicker": "",
"prettyDate": "April 30, 2012",
"timeToRead": "3 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "",
"width": "",
"height": ""
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/martin-crustsinger/",
"name": "Martin Crustsinger"
}
],
"kickerNode": [],
"summary": "Americans increased their spending more slowly in March, suggesting some are worried that their paychecks aren't growing fast enough.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2012/04/25/fed-forecasts-growth-lower-unemployment/",
"title": "Fed forecasts growth, lower unemployment",
"byline": "Martin Crustsinger",
"kicker": "",
"prettyDate": "April 25, 2012",
"timeToRead": "2 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "",
"width": "",
"height": ""
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/martin-crustsinger/",
"name": "Martin Crustsinger"
}
],
"kickerNode": [],
"summary": "The Federal Reserve has boosted its outlook for U.S. economic growth this year and is slightly more optimistic about the unemployment rate, reflecting improvements in recent months.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2012/03/13/fed-notes-better-economy-takes-no-policy-action/",
"title": "Fed notes better economy, takes no policy action",
"byline": "Martin Crustsinger",
"kicker": "",
"prettyDate": "March 13, 2012",
"timeToRead": "4 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "",
"width": "",
"height": ""
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/martin-crustsinger/",
"name": "Martin Crustsinger"
}
],
"kickerNode": [],
"summary": "The Federal Reserve sketched a mildly brighter view of the economy Tuesday after a burst of hiring since its last meeting in January. It took no further steps to aid the recovery and repeated its plan to keep short-term interest rates near zero through 2014.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2012/03/07/slower-gains-in-worker-output-could-lead-to-hiring/",
"title": "Slower gains in worker output could lead to hiring",
"byline": "Martin Crustsinger",
"kicker": "",
"prettyDate": "March 07, 2012",
"timeToRead": "4 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "",
"width": "",
"height": ""
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/martin-crustsinger/",
"name": "Martin Crustsinger"
}
],
"kickerNode": [],
"summary": "U.S. companies will have to keep hiring steadily to meet their customers' rising demand. That's the message that emerged Wednesday from a report that employers are finding it harder to squeeze more output from their existing staff.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2012/03/07/worker-productivity-growth-slowed-late-last-year/",
"title": "Worker productivity growth slowed late last year",
"byline": "Martin Crustsinger",
"kicker": "",
"prettyDate": "March 07, 2012",
"timeToRead": "4 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "",
"width": "",
"height": ""
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/martin-crustsinger/",
"name": "Martin Crustsinger"
}
],
"kickerNode": [],
"summary": "Growth in U.S. worker productivity slowed at the end of last year, while labor costs rose. Fewer gains in worker output suggests employers must add workers if they want to meet higher demand.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2012/03/01/bernanke-cites-harm-from-long-term-unemployment/",
"title": "Bernanke cites harm from long-term unemployment",
"byline": "Martin Crustsinger",
"kicker": "",
"prettyDate": "March 01, 2012",
"timeToRead": "3 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "",
"width": "",
"height": ""
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/martin-crustsinger/",
"name": "Martin Crustsinger"
}
],
"kickerNode": [],
"summary": "Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke reiterated his concern Thursday that chronic long-term unemployment threatens to reduce the nation's supply of skilled workers.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2012/02/13/obama-ships-budget-to-congress/",
"title": "Obama ships budget to Congress",
"byline": "Martin Crustsinger",
"kicker": "",
"prettyDate": "February 13, 2012",
"timeToRead": "5 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "",
"width": "",
"height": ""
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/martin-crustsinger/",
"name": "Martin Crustsinger"
}
],
"kickerNode": [],
"summary": "President Barack Obama on Monday sent Congress a new budget that seeks to achieve $4 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade while at the same time showering billions of dollars of increased spending on areas aimed at giving the economy a quick boost.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2012/01/30/incomes-up-strong-0-5-percent-spending-flat/",
"title": "Incomes up strong 0.5 percent, spending flat",
"byline": " Martin Crustsinger ",
"kicker": "",
"prettyDate": "January 30, 2012",
"timeToRead": "4 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "",
"width": "",
"height": ""
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/martin-crustsinger/",
"name": "Martin Crustsinger"
}
],
"kickerNode": [],
"summary": "Americans' income rose in December by the most in nine months, a hopeful sign for the economy after a year of weak wage gains. But consumers didn't spend any more than they had in November.",
"body": null
},
{
"uri": "/2012/01/26/economy-gains-as-businesses-spend-more-fire-less/",
"title": "Economy gains as businesses spend more, fire less",
"byline": "Christopher S. Rugaber, Martin Crustsinger",
"kicker": "",
"prettyDate": "January 26, 2012",
"timeToRead": "5 minute",
"image": {
"uri": "",
"width": "",
"height": ""
},
"authors": [
{
"webUrl": "/author/profile/christopher-s-rugaber-martin-crustsinger/",
"name": "Christopher S. Rugaber, Martin Crustsinger"
}
],
"kickerNode": [],
"summary": "Businesses are growing more confident in the economy, investing in more equipment and laying off fewer workers.",
"body": null
}
]
}
}
