U.S. worker productivity surges as labor costs fall

Recession or expansion, tepid or roaring commerce conditions, there's been one constant in the U.S. economy: Worker productivity continues to increase.

U.S. worker productivity surged at an annualized rate of 9.5 percent in the third quarter, with unit labor costs falling at a 5.2 percent rate, the U.S. Labor Department announced Thursday, as companies increased output even as they continued to trim payrolls. What's more, it was the highest increase in productivity in six years.