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American business productivity improved in 1994 for the fifth straight year, boosted by the largest output growth since 1984, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.
Productivity-defined as output per hours worked-jumped 2.2 percent, faster than the 1.5 percent advance in 1993. The last decline, 0.9 percent, occurred in 1989.
Businesses held growth in unit labor costs-typically two-thirds of the cost of a product-to 0.9 percent, the smallest increase since 1964, when they rose 0.8 percent.
Output jumped 5.2 percent, up from 4.1 percent a year earlier and the largest since an 8.2 percent surge in 1984. Hours worked rose 2.9 percent, faster than the 2.5 percent increase in 1993.
