US non-farm productivity rises 1.4pc in Q2

3rd Sep 2026 14:38

(Sharecast News) - US labour productivity picked up in the second quarter, with non‑farm productivity rising at an unrevised annualised rate of 1.4%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, helping to keep labour costs contained after a 0.8% increase in the first quarter.

Productivity was up 2.2% year‑on‑year, with economists and policymakers expecting wider adoption of artificial intelligence to support future gains and help restrain inflation.

Unit labour costs rose at a downwardly revised 1.2% pace, compared with the previously reported 1.3%, while labour costs were 1.4% higher than a year earlier.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com