EVERYONE complains that corporate America isreluctant to hire additional workers. Far less attention has been paid to the flip side of the jobless recovery: the remarkable improvement in American productivity. How long can this continue? I see no limit, says William Hickey, the boss of Sealed Air, a packaging-maker. Is he right to be so optimistic?

　　企業(yè)不愿再增加雇傭量在美國(guó)引起民怨沸騰。但很少有人關(guān)注減少失業(yè)率的有效途徑：顯著提升美國(guó)的勞動(dòng)生產(chǎn)率水平。這種提升能持續(xù)多久?包裝材料制造商寶廷的老總William Hickey 說(shuō)：依我看來(lái)可無(wú)限期提升。他的這種樂(lè)觀估計(jì)是對(duì)還是錯(cuò)?

　　American firms were slow to react to the downturn at the beginning of the century, and paid the price. They learned their lesson. When the economy slumped in 2008, they were much quicker to adjust. There was little of the fall in labour productivity that normally accompanies a recession, and this was not just a one-off batting average effect . Rather, it was a productivity boost that has continued in defiance of expert predictions that workers can only be squeezed so hard for a short while.

　　新世紀(jì)之初，美國(guó)企業(yè)在應(yīng)對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退時(shí)反應(yīng)遲鈍，并為此付出了代價(jià)。它們吸取了教訓(xùn)，更快地適應(yīng)了2008年的經(jīng)濟(jì)大蕭條，且勞動(dòng)生產(chǎn)率也沒(méi)有如往常隨經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退而下降。這不只是一次性實(shí)現(xiàn)的棒球擊球率效應(yīng)。專(zhuān)家們認(rèn)為這是一種依靠壓榨產(chǎn)業(yè)工人在短時(shí)期內(nèi)維持的經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)模式。然而恰恰相反，這種增長(zhǎng)是靠全力提升勞動(dòng)生產(chǎn)率實(shí)現(xiàn)的。

　　After falling in the first half of the year, American labour productivity was 2.3% higher in the third quarter of 2011 than in the same period a year earlier. This was the fastest quarterly rise in 18 months. Manufacturing productivity in that quarter rose by 2.9% compared with a year earlier. Americas productivity growth has been more robust than most other rich countriesa feat many ascribe to its flexible labour market and a culture of enterprise.

　　經(jīng)歷了上半年的下降后，2011年第三季度美國(guó)的勞動(dòng)生產(chǎn)率同比增長(zhǎng)了2.3%，這是 18個(gè)月內(nèi)最快的季度性增長(zhǎng)。該季度制造業(yè)生產(chǎn)率同比增長(zhǎng)了2.9%。美國(guó)的生產(chǎn)率比絕大多數(shù)發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家增長(zhǎng)得更為強(qiáng)勁許多人將這一成就歸功于美國(guó)靈活的勞動(dòng)力市場(chǎng)機(jī)制和特有的企業(yè)文化。

　　Yet some analysts expect productivity growth to stall soon. Hard-pressed workers are feeling grouchy: workforce surveys report record levels of job dissatisfaction. Many firms have been starving the organisation to see how it can do with a lower cost structure, says Carsten Stendevad of Citigroup, a bank. Unless the economy picks up, he predicts that productivity growth will slow in 2023.

　　但有些分析師認(rèn)為生產(chǎn)率不久將停止增長(zhǎng)。重重壓力令產(chǎn)業(yè)工人們牢騷不斷：勞動(dòng)力調(diào)查顯示出對(duì)工作表示不滿的人數(shù)創(chuàng)了紀(jì)錄。 Citigroup銀行的Carsten Stendevad說(shuō)，很多公司正忍饑挨餓，以 測(cè)試自身在低成本狀態(tài)下的生存能力。他預(yù)計(jì)，只要經(jīng)濟(jì)形勢(shì)沒(méi)有好轉(zhuǎn)，2023年生產(chǎn)率增長(zhǎng)就會(huì)放緩。

　　Two things could keep productivity rising. First, workers are terrified of losing their jobs. This makes it easier to persuade them to put in extra hours or shoulder new tasks. Even in unionised firms, there have been reports of greater flexibility. Workers have been staying on the job longer rather than featherbedding their hours by, for example, queuing up early to clock off as soon as the shift ends.

　　有兩個(gè)因素能使生產(chǎn)率持續(xù)增長(zhǎng)。其一，工人們害怕失業(yè)，這使得鼓勵(lì)他們加班或干其它的活變得更加容易。據(jù)媒體報(bào)道，即使企業(yè)里有工會(huì)，維權(quán)活動(dòng)仍更具彈性。工人們將更多的時(shí)間用于工作，而不是一到換班時(shí)間便早早排隊(duì)下班等浪費(fèi)行為。

　　EVERYONE complains that corporate America isreluctant to hire additional workers. Far less attention has been paid to the flip side of the jobless recovery: the remarkable improvement in American productivity. How long can this continue? I see no limit, says William Hickey, the boss of Sealed Air, a packaging-maker. Is he right to be so optimistic?

　　企業(yè)不愿再增加雇傭量在美國(guó)引起民怨沸騰。但很少有人關(guān)注減少失業(yè)率的有效途徑：顯著提升美國(guó)的勞動(dòng)生產(chǎn)率水平。這種提升能持續(xù)多久?包裝材料制造商寶廷的老總William Hickey 說(shuō)：依我看來(lái)可無(wú)限期提升。他的這種樂(lè)觀估計(jì)是對(duì)還是錯(cuò)?

　　American firms were slow to react to the downturn at the beginning of the century, and paid the price. They learned their lesson. When the economy slumped in 2008, they were much quicker to adjust. There was little of the fall in labour productivity that normally accompanies a recession, and this was not just a one-off batting average effect . Rather, it was a productivity boost that has continued in defiance of expert predictions that workers can only be squeezed so hard for a short while.

　　新世紀(jì)之初，美國(guó)企業(yè)在應(yīng)對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退時(shí)反應(yīng)遲鈍，并為此付出了代價(jià)。它們吸取了教訓(xùn)，更快地適應(yīng)了2008年的經(jīng)濟(jì)大蕭條，且勞動(dòng)生產(chǎn)率也沒(méi)有如往常隨經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退而下降。這不只是一次性實(shí)現(xiàn)的棒球擊球率效應(yīng)。專(zhuān)家們認(rèn)為這是一種依靠壓榨產(chǎn)業(yè)工人在短時(shí)期內(nèi)維持的經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)模式。然而恰恰相反，這種增長(zhǎng)是靠全力提升勞動(dòng)生產(chǎn)率實(shí)現(xiàn)的。

　　After falling in the first half of the year, American labour productivity was 2.3% higher in the third quarter of 2011 than in the same period a year earlier. This was the fastest quarterly rise in 18 months. Manufacturing productivity in that quarter rose by 2.9% compared with a year earlier. Americas productivity growth has been more robust than most other rich countriesa feat many ascribe to its flexible labour market and a culture of enterprise.

　　經(jīng)歷了上半年的下降后，2011年第三季度美國(guó)的勞動(dòng)生產(chǎn)率同比增長(zhǎng)了2.3%，這是 18個(gè)月內(nèi)最快的季度性增長(zhǎng)。該季度制造業(yè)生產(chǎn)率同比增長(zhǎng)了2.9%。美國(guó)的生產(chǎn)率比絕大多數(shù)發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家增長(zhǎng)得更為強(qiáng)勁許多人將這一成就歸功于美國(guó)靈活的勞動(dòng)力市場(chǎng)機(jī)制和特有的企業(yè)文化。

　　Yet some analysts expect productivity growth to stall soon. Hard-pressed workers are feeling grouchy: workforce surveys report record levels of job dissatisfaction. Many firms have been starving the organisation to see how it can do with a lower cost structure, says Carsten Stendevad of Citigroup, a bank. Unless the economy picks up, he predicts that productivity growth will slow in 2023.

　　但有些分析師認(rèn)為生產(chǎn)率不久將停止增長(zhǎng)。重重壓力令產(chǎn)業(yè)工人們牢騷不斷：勞動(dòng)力調(diào)查顯示出對(duì)工作表示不滿的人數(shù)創(chuàng)了紀(jì)錄。 Citigroup銀行的Carsten Stendevad說(shuō)，很多公司正忍饑挨餓，以 測(cè)試自身在低成本狀態(tài)下的生存能力。他預(yù)計(jì)，只要經(jīng)濟(jì)形勢(shì)沒(méi)有好轉(zhuǎn)，2023年生產(chǎn)率增長(zhǎng)就會(huì)放緩。

　　Two things could keep productivity rising. First, workers are terrified of losing their jobs. This makes it easier to persuade them to put in extra hours or shoulder new tasks. Even in unionised firms, there have been reports of greater flexibility. Workers have been staying on the job longer rather than featherbedding their hours by, for example, queuing up early to clock off as soon as the shift ends.

　　有兩個(gè)因素能使生產(chǎn)率持續(xù)增長(zhǎng)。其一，工人們害怕失業(yè)，這使得鼓勵(lì)他們加班或干其它的活變得更加容易。據(jù)媒體報(bào)道，即使企業(yè)里有工會(huì)，維權(quán)活動(dòng)仍更具彈性。工人們將更多的時(shí)間用于工作，而不是一到換班時(shí)間便早早排隊(duì)下班等浪費(fèi)行為。