Canadian labour productivity rises in quarter
Written on June 17, 2009
OTTAWA–The labour productivity of Canadian businesses rose 0.3 per cent in the first quarter as output and hours worked made a sharp decline.
Statistics Canada reports the gross domestic product of Canadian businesses and hours worked related to this production were both down sharply, posting the largest quarterly declines since the first quarter of 1991.
The agency says the downward movement in hours worked accelerated in the first quarter (down 2.2 per cent) compared with the fourth quarter of 2008 (down 1.3).
Productivity in the goods sector grew 1 direct payday loan cash advance.7 per cent in the first quarter, despite a further decline in manufacturing, and was partly counterbalanced by a 0.5 per cent productivity decrease in the services sector.
Productivity has followed much the same pattern in Canada and the United States over the last two quarters.
American businesses had a 0.4 per cent gain in productivity in the first quarter, after a 0.1 per cent decline the previous quarter.
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