Labour productivity of Canadian businesses decreased 0.8% in the third quarter, after edging down 0.1% in the previous quarter. This was a sixth consecutive quarterly decline. The decline in productivity in the third quarter mainly reflects the contraction in business output observed after two quarters of growth, while hours worked increased slightly. In the third quarter, real gross domestic product of businesses contracted 0.7%, after having grown 0.3% in the second quarter and 0.5% in the first quarter. Hours worked in the business sector, which had increased 0.4% in the second quarter, varied little in the third ... (full story)