US labor productivity grew 0.3% annually in Q1, weaker than expected. Employee productivity rose 2.8%. Unit labor costs increased 1.8% quarterly, and 0.5% annually.
Egg producers are facing a profit squeeze as prices fall due to oversupply, while input costs for feed, fuel, and labor remain high. Despite strong consumer demand for protein, lower wholesale prices mask the financial strain on farmers.
Yves Valerus, a Haitian Creole-English interpreter at LanguageLine Solutions in Brooklyn, saw her hours cut and schedule become unpredictable in 2025 after the company implemented NiCE algorithmic scheduling software. Her pay dropped nearly 20% as the company reduced downtime between calls and imposed mandatory unpaid time off. As a single mother of three, Valerus has prioritized her internet bill over utilities to maintain remote work. Over 200 interpreters have signed a petition protesting the changes, and workers are attempting to unionize with the Communications Workers of America while the company pilots AI for routine interpretation tasks.
