Non-farm productivity grew at a 1.9 percent annual rate during the third quarter of 2012, while unit labor costs slid 0.1%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday.
The productivity gain reflects increases of 3.2% in output and 1.3% in hours worked, Labor said.
Year-over-year productivity grew 1.5% on a 3.3% gain in output and a 1.8% rise in hours worked.
Economists polled by Thomson Reuters predicted a 1.5% increase in productivity and expected labor costs to rise 1.1%.
For the second quarter, productivity rose 1.9%, while unit labor costs rose 1.7%, compared to the revised estimate of 2.2% productivity growth and a 1.6% gain in labor costs.