Check out MarketWatch's Master/Slave headline in this story about workers' hours being slashed.....

[marmar]

:wtf:



Workers' hours slashed to keep productivity rising
Real compensation in past year falls at fastest rate in 13 years
By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch


WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. firms cut back their employees' working hours in the third quarter at the fastest rate in six years, keeping productivity growth rising faster than expected, according to Labor Department data released Thursday.

Productivity in the nonfarm business sector increased at a 1.1% annualized rate as output fell 1.7% and hours worked dropped 2.7%. The decline in output was the largest since the recession in 2001.

Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected productivity to increase at a 0.3% annual rate.

"Productivity growth is on track to get much worse before it gets better," wrote Nariman Behravesh, chief economist for HIS Global Insight. "Companies will likely have trouble cutting hours and jobs fast enough to offset the drop in output."

Unit labor costs -- a key gauge of inflationary pressures from labor markets -- rose 3.6%, less than the 4.2% growth anticipated by economists.

Real hourly compensation fell 1.9% in the quarter and is down 0.9% in the past year, marking the largest annual decline in 13 years. .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Workers-hours-slashed-keep-productivity/story.aspx?guid=%7B004BE5D9%2D1368%2D4D02%2D9882%2D1DF2B13B32A8%7D

[boobooday]

1. ARGH, there's that word

Along with "human resources," another empty term to describe the dehumanizing of the work force.

They love to brag about productivity, and we're supposed to cheer, when it obviously means fewer jobs, less money and harder work.

Exec #1: "Hey, we cut back to 3 employees and we're running them into the ground!"

Exec #2: "Don't worry, there are more human resources where they came from!"