US productivity rose a modest 0.9 pct. rate in spring

WASHINGTON (AP) — The productivity of American workers rose just modestly in the spring, extending a worrisome issue that has persisted throughout this expansion.Productivity grew at an annual rate of 0.9 percent in the April-June quarter, slightly better than a scant 0.1 percent rate of increase in the first quarter, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. Labor costs edged up at a 0.6 percent rate in the second quarter, a sharp slowdown from a 5.4 percent growth rate in the first quarte