Just to lighten the gloom,
Daily Telegraph 2 days ago,

Productivity climbed by 0.9pc in the three months to September as British workers produced more output in each hour worked than ever before.
Manufacturers and services firms reported growth of 1pc in the quarter while the public sector also managed a respectable 0.7pc, the Office for National Statistics said.
The jump in productivity was the fastest for any quarter since 2011.
Productivity rose as the economy accelerated but growth in employment stalled, meaning that a steady number of workers produced extra GDP.
Business investment also increased over the same period, which should help productivity to grow.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/01/05/uk-productivity-jumps-fastest-pace-since-2011/