WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. companies got more output from their workers this spring than initially thought. Productivity rose at a modest 2.2 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter, largely because employers cut back sharply on hiring.

Most economists expect productivity will slow later this year, a trend that could boost hiring.

The Labor Department said Wednesday that productivity in the second quarter was better than its initial estimate of a 1.6 percent gain.

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