US labor productivity rises at a 3.6% annual rate in third quarter of 2026

Output per hour in the nonfarm business sector posted its strongest gain in a year, following three softer quarters. Unit labor costs also fell. Over the past three years, productivity grew faster than it did in the 2010s, but quarterly readings are volatile. Richard de Chazal of William Blair sees limited evidence that the recent improvement amounts to a broad AI-driven boom.