Washington, DC, February 3--Productivity increased by 4.1 percent in 2004, capping a remarkable three-year period, according to the Labor Department.
Productivity for the final three months of the year rose at an annual rate of just 0.8 percent, which was the slowest quarterly increase in almost three years.
Productivity in the third quarter rose by 1.8 percent after increases at rates of 3.7 percent in the first quarter and 3.9 percent in the second quarter last year.
Productivity in both 2002 and 2003 rose by 4.4 percent. When combined with the 4.1 percent increase last year, the 4.3 percent average gain for those three years was the strongest burst in productivity since 1948 to 1951.
