American workers aren't as productive as they used to be. In fact, they're the least productive they've been since 1948, Fortune reported May 5.
The publication refers to recent research from EY-Parthenon, the global strategy consulting arm of Ernst & Young. The firm found that the U.S. has had five consecutive quarters of year-over-year productivity declines — a new occurrence in a data set stretching back 75 years.
Productivity dropped 2.7 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to last year. Hours spent working grew 3 percent while quarter-over-quarter output rose disproportionately, at 0.2 percent, according to the report.
Multiple factors have contributed to this trend, Gregory Daco, EY-Parthenon's chief economist, told Fortune. Pandemic-induced increases in turnover are making it difficult for organizations to train and retain an experienced workforce. Remote work could also be hampering productivity.
As a result, more bosses could make back-to-office pushes, Mr. Daco predicts. It's already happening in some spaces, including healthcare; President Joe Biden recently directed federal agencies to bring employees under the same roof amid scrutiny of HHS' work-from-home productivity.
"We'll probably see more weight towards three to four days in the office, rather than one or two, if the labor market slows," Mr. Daco told Fortune.