Instead, not only was the second-quarter number weak, but the bureau revised downward the bullish first-quarter number.

The second-quarter number will be released later this month.

The second-quarter number provided more evidence that the nearly generation-long stagnation in productivity growth had ended.

But he noted that the government had not raised that forecast, which was made earlier this year, despite the second-quarter numbers.

"We have revised the second-quarter number down as interest rates have barreled up," he said.

A spokesman at the firm, which only tracks quarterly performance, said second-quarter numbers were not yet available.

The improvement came outside manufacturing, where the second-quarter number was revised downward, to an annual rate of 2.4 percent from last month's estimate of 3.2 percent.

The second-quarter number, when it is released Monday, is likely to be about the same.

But others say that considering the importance of any given weekend, management could not have done much before announcing second-quarter numbers.

Some economists thought the second-quarter numbers would show a decline in the American economy.