REPEAT: MNI DATA ANALYSIS: US 3Q Productivity +3.0%, ULC -0.2%

Repeats Story Initially Transmitted at 13:30 GMT Dec 6/08:30 EST Dec 6

By Sara Haire and Holly Stokes

     WASHINGTON (MNI) - Third quarter nonfarm productivity was unrevised at 3.0%

and below the 3.3% gain expected, while unit labor costs were revised sharply to

a 0.2% decline, well below the 0.5% rise previously reported and below the 0.2%

rise expected, data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Wednesday showed.

     In addition, second quarter unit labor cost growth was revised sharply

lower to a 1.2% rate of decline from the 0.3% gain previously reported.

Productivity was unrevised at a 1.5% rate of growth in the second quarter.

     Third quarter output growth was revised up to a 4.1% pace from the 3.8%

preliminary estimate, while hours worked growth was revised up to a 1.1% pace

from the 0.8% rate in the preliminary estimate.

     Compensation growth was revised down to a 2.7% growth pace from a 3.5%

rise, while real compensation was revised down to a 0.7% rate of growth.

     The year/year pace of productivity growth was unrevised at 1.5% from the

preliminary estimate.

     Unit labor costs are down 0.7% from where they were a year ago, a downward

revision from the flat year/year estimate in the preliminary report due to the

downward revisions in the second and third quarter. Unit labor costs were down

0.6% year/year in the second quarter, so there was a deceleration in the most

recent quarter.

--MNI Washington Bureau; +1 202-371-2121; email: holly.stokes@marketnews.com

--MNI Washington Bureau; +1 212-800-8517; email: sara.haire@marketnews.com