According to a new report from the Labor Department, workers productivity fell in April. The report also found that the drop in productivity came even as workers worked more hours. labor costs also increased for companies, for the third straight quarter. Economists say that increasing hours, falling productivity and increasing worker costs are all good signs for the economy, and may cause companies to hire more workers.
See "Worker productivity falls--but that's good for the job market", Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times, May 2, 2012