Productivity in US rises more than forecast

The productivity of US workers rose in the first quarter more than forecast, signaling employers are taking time to boost payrolls in order to contain costs. The measure of employee output per hour climbed at a 3.6 per cent annual rate, the smallest gain in a year, Labor Department figures showed on Thursday in Washington. Efficiency advanced 6.3 per cent over the past four quarters, the biggest 12-month increase since 1962.