Labour productivity of Canadian businesses rose 0.6% in the second quarter, with the declines in hours worked more than offsetting the decrease in output. This was the first increase in productivity since the second quarter of 2020, when the first lockdown measures were imposed from mid-March to early May 2020. Productivity continued to adjust in the second quarter of 2021, following significant ups and downs during the previous five quarters. Productivity increased 2.6% compared with the fourth quarter of 2019, the last quarter unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the second quarter, mandatory health measures ... (full story)