Canada labor productivity declines 0.6 percent in second quarter

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The labor productivity of Canadian businesses fell 0.6 percent in the second quarter, while the previous quarter's decline was revised lower, data from Statistics Canada showed on Friday. The decline in the second quarter was in line with economists' expectations. The first quarter was revised to a decline of 0.5 percent from the initially reported 0.1 percent decrease. Real gross domestic product of businesses fell 0.3 percent, mainly driven by goods-producing businesses where output fell significantly. The number of hours worked increased for the fourth consecutive quarter, rising 0.3 percent, while overall labor costs per unit of production increased 0.4 percent. (Reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)