So, which is it? (U.S. productivity news)

[tomfodw]

From Yahoo! News (2 headlines practically on top of each other on the front page):


Productivity Posts Slowest Rise Since 2002 (AP)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=5&u=/ap/20040810/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/economy

The productivity of American workers rose at an annual rate of 2.9 percent in the spring, the slowest increase since late 2002, the government reported Tuesday.

The Labor Department (news - web sites) said the increase in productivity, the output of workers for each hour worked, in the April-June quarter, followed a 3.7 percent rate of increase in the first quarter.


U.S. Productivity Stronger Than Expected (Reuters)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=749&e=1&u=/nm/20040810/bs_nm/economy_dc

The productivity of U.S. businesses rose at a swifter-than-expected pace in the second quarter but labor costs still gained at their fastest rate in two years, the government said on Tuesday.

Nonfarm business productivity rose at a 2.9 percent annual rate in the second quarter, the Labor Department (news - web sites) said, well ahead of the 2 percent gain expected by Wall Street but a slowdown from the first quarter's 3.7 percent advance.



Two stories, same data, contradictory headlines and analysis. Appearing next to each other on the front page of the same Web site. So, which is it, Yahoo! News? I mean, yes, it's possible that productivity slowed but not by as much as they thought it would slow, but the headlines certainly seem to indicate otherwise. One headline sounds like good news, the other like bad news, even though the data in the stories they headline are basically identical. Which one do you think Dubya would point to, and which one Kerry? It's confusing to see such contradictory headlines so close to each other near the top of the front page of the same news Web site.

[Zynx]

1. It was weak, but stronger than expected.

Productivity is a BS number, don't pay any attention to it. It indicates nothing.

[will work 4 food]

2. The only way this country's productivity

can get any higher, is if they start using robots at all the fast food restaurants; but woulnd that then hurt the manufacturing employment numbers? :silly:








Help a fellow American out, who is another victim of Bush-O-nomics.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3924773593&category=57990&sspagename=rvi:1:1

:grouphug:

[Robert Oak]

3. bogus

outsourcing does calculate into the productivity equation...
gotta love how productivity increases are attributed to technological
advances versus most people working way past 40 hours and outsourced
projects do not compute into the equation...especially offshore
outsourcing.

This is actually "cutting edge" economist research and to me
that's also amazing...they should know precisely what
increases productivity...including outsourcing by their own science.

Not so...economics has become so political...objective analysis is
buried.