Washington ? The productivity of U.S. companies improved considerably and new claims for unemployment benefits dropped to a six-month low, raising hopes that businesses may feel more inclined in the coming months to step up investment and give the economy a boost.

The reports Thursday also reinforced economists’ belief that the Federal Reserve will hold a key short-term interest rate at a 45-year low of 1 percent when it meets Tuesday.

The Labor Department reported that productivity — the amount an employee produces per hour of work — grew at an annual rate of 5.7 percent in the April-June quarter, the best showing since the third quarter of 2002. That was more than double the 2.1 percent productivity growth rate posted in the first three months of this year.

“Productivity equals profits,” said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. “This means that firms have the chips to fund a rebound in capital spending. Rising profits is one of the best predictors of rising business investment.”

In a second report from the department, new applications for jobless benefits fell by a seasonally adjusted 3,000 to a six-month low of 390,000 for the work week ending Aug. 2. It marked the third week in a row that claims were below 400,000, a level associated with a weak job market, suggesting the pace of layoffs is stabilizing.