> The productivity plunge is perplexing, because productivity took off to levels not seen in decades when the coronavirus pandemic forced an overnight switch to

> The productivity plunge is perplexing, because productivity took off to levels not seen in decades when the coronavirus pandemic forced an overnight switch to remote work, leading some economists to suggest that the pandemic might spark longer-term growth. We're talking about a 4% change? That's the "plunge"? When it spiked during the pandemic, they were ready to conclude that it would always be like that, forever and ever, if not continuing to grow higher and higher? Both these positions are ridiculous, given how small the differences in both cases are, and how squishy a measurement productivity is in the first place. "If these trends continue, nobody will be doing any work in twenty years, and we won't even be able to tell you about it because we won't be working either!!!"