Investing.com - U.S. non-farm productivity rose less than initially expected in the fourth quarter, while unit labor costs declined less than forecast, official data showed on Thursday.
In a report, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said non-farm business sector labor productivity rose by a seasonally adjusted 1.8% in the final three months of 2013, down from a preliminary estimate of 3.2% and below expectations for an increase of 2.5%.
The report also said unit labor costs fell by a seasonally adjusted 0.1% in the fourth quarter, compared to a preliminary estimate of a 1.6% decline and better than expectations for a 0.9% drop.
Following the release of the data, the U.S. dollar trimmed losses against the euro, with EUR/USD rising 0.04% to trade at 1.3739, compared to 1.3750 ahead of the data.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock index futures pointed to a firm open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a gain of 0.25%, S&P 500 futures indicated a rise of 0.25%, while the Nasdaq 100 futures signaled an increase of 0.2%.