(The Conference Board: New York) -- According to a report released by The Conference Board, the global business membership and research organization, productivity growth weakened substantially across the globe in 2011, with the drop-off most dramatic in advanced economies.

The “2012 Productivity Brief,” based on data from The Conference Board Total Economy Database, shows productivity—typically measured as output per person employed or hour worked—increased at a much slower rate in 2011 than most economists had predicted, with the trend likely to continue into 2012.

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