Hard times, lean firms 艰难时局磨练高效能企业 How much longer can America keep increasingproductivity? 美国的生产率增长还能持续多久? EVERYONE complains that corporate America is reluctant to hire additional workers. 企业不愿再增加雇佣量在美国引起民怨沸腾。 Far less attention has been paid to the flip side of the jobless recovery: 但很少有人关注减少失业率的有效途径: the remarkable improvement in American productivity. 显著提升美国的劳动生产率水平。 How long can this continue? I see no limit, says William Hickey, the boss of Sealed Air, apackaging-maker. 这种提升能持续多久?包装材料制造商宝廷的老总William Hickey 说:依我看来可无限期提升。 Is he right to be so optimistic? 他的这种乐观估计是对还是错? American firms were slow to react to the downturn at the beginning of the century, and paidthe price. 新世纪之初,美国企业在应对经济衰退时反应迟钝,并为此付出了代价。 They learned their lesson. 它们吸取了教训, |