Worker productivity fell in the second quarter for the first time since late 2008. Economists had expected a small increase, but instead got a 0.9% decrease. Most believe that the decline in productivity is due to workers' hours increasing combined with slow growing output and low demand. Workers' hours expanded by 3.6% in the second quarter, but worker output only grew by 2.6%.The Federal Reserve us expected to make a decision in the next few weeks about whether to further stimulate the economy.
See "US worker productivity falls unexpectedly", Alan Rappeport, Financial Times, August 9, 2010