Productivity Rebounds as U.S. Employers Curb Costs: Economy

The productivity of U.S. workers rebounded in the second quarter as employers sought to protect earnings by squeezing more out of existing staff.

The measure of worker output per hour increased at a 1.6 percent annual rate following a revised 0.5 percent drop in the prior three months, figures from the Labor Department showed today in Washington. Expenses per employee climbed at a 1.7 percent rate after surging a revised 5.6 percent.