US Labor Costs Rise More Than Expected in Fresh Inflation Risk

  • Revisions points to much stronger compensation gains in 2024
  • Productivity rose at a 2.2% annual pace in the third quarter
US Initial Jobless Claims Rise Slightly to 221,000
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

US labor costs grew at a surprisingly strong pace in the third quarter, and was much stronger than previously thought earlier this year, which risks fanning inflationary pressures.

Unit labor costs, or what a business pays employees to produce one unit of output, increased at a 1.9% annualized rate, following significant upward revisions to prior quarters, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Thursday.