US Productivity Increases 4.9 Percent in Third Quarter

Workers are shown on a home under construction, along the waterfront in Gig Harbor, Wash., on Oct. 28, 2020. Ted S. Warren/AP Photo

WASHINGTON—U.S. productivity increased between July and September, but at a slower pace than in the previous quarter.

Productivity advanced 4.9 percent in the third quarter, following an even larger 10.6 percent surge in the second quarter, the Labor Department reported on Nov. 5. Labor costs fell by 8.9 percent after rising by 8.5 percent in the second quarter.