by sslifer | Feb 1, 2024 | NumberNomics Notes, Productivity
February 1, 2024 Non-farm productivity rose 3.2% in the fourth quarter after having jumped 4.9% in the third quarter. The fourth quarter increase consisted of a 3.7% increase in output combined with a 0.4% increase in hours worked. Hence, a 3.2% increase in...
by sslifer | Feb 1, 2024 | NumberNomics Notes, Productivity
February 1, 2024 Unit labor costs might be a term that is not familiar to you. Unit labor costs represent the increase in compensation adjusted for the gains in productivity. You might think that if labor costs are rising that would put upward pressure on...
by sslifer | Feb 1, 2024 | NumberNomics Notes, Productivity
February 1, 2024 The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that hourly compensation rose 3.7% in the fourth quarter after gaining 3.8% in the third quarter. In the past year compensation has risen 5.0-%. Growth in hourly compensation is a good thing, but that...
by sslifer | May 14, 2021 | Commentary for the Week, NumberNomics Notes
May 14, 2021 In April inflation returned in spades and the markets did not like it. The stock market plunged. Consumer sentiment fell 5.5 points in May as consumers were shaken by the monthly jump in inflation. Some of the upswing reflects rebounding airfares,...
by sslifer | Sep 20, 2019 | Commentary for the Week, NumberNomics Notes
September 20, 2019 The biggest surprise in recent years is that inflation has not begun to climb. The labor market has been at full employment for a while, we have seen upward pressure on wages, but inflation has remained dormant. It is important to understand why...
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