December 2007 • January 2008 • Vol. XXVI No. 2 • An Arnold Publication

From the Editor—

Demagoguery and American Productivity!

Don’t you just love it when pompous politicians climb up on their soapboxes and shout, “American workers are the most productive in the world. Blah de blah de blah!”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor recently reported revised productivity data—as measured by output per hour of all persons—for the third quarter of 2007. The seasonally adjusted annual growth rates of productivity growth in the third quarter were: 6.7% in the business sector and 6.3% in the nonfarm business sector. These are major increases to make you proud of being an American.

But don’t be surprised to hear various and sundry politicians once again shout from the rooftops their blantant flattery to the American worker. “You’re the most productive worker in the world. Blah de blah de blah!”

The truth is that the American worker is certainly as good as, if not better, than workers anywhere else in the world. But it is the American economy, not the workers, that is the most productive in the world. It is the American economy that has invested heavily in productivity-boosting technology.
Workers today can’t hammer nails any faster than those of yesterday, but they have powered nail guns that allow them to significantly increase their productivity.

If they had to use the same manual equipment as their predecessors, machinists today would not be able to machine any faster than those of yesterday. But today one CNC programmer can keep numerous machining centers going and produce more parts in a shorter time than previously dreamed possible.
I personally puff with pride when I see American productivity perform so well, but I don’t puff with pride when I hear American politicians distorting the truth in order to gain votes.

I believe that American workers know where their increased productivity comes from, and I believe they’re pleased that their employers invest so heavily to give them faster and better tools.

I just wish that next time American politicians try to blow smoke at them about their productivity, American labor would stand up and shout back, “It’s the economy, stupid!”
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                                                                                                                                    C. H. Bush, editor