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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Productivity > Home

Productivity Home Page

The Office of Productivity and Technology (OPT) measures how efficiently the U.S. converts inputs into the outputs of goods and services. Measures of labor productivity compare the growth in output to the growth in hours worked and measures of total factor productivity (TFP), also known as multifactor productivity (MFP), compare growth in output to the growth in a combination of inputs that include labor, capital, energy, materials, and purchased services.

Notices

Revised Total Factor Productivity — 2021 Read More »
The U.S. nonfarm economy by sector hours table suspended while we evaluate the publication standards. Read More »
New methodology for estimating labor composition for Total Factor Productivity measurement with new sources Read More »

Videos

Graphics

Bar chart of labor productivity average annual percent changes in the non farm business sector for business cycles since 1947

Click the graphic to enlarge chart: Long-term labor productivity in the nonfarm business sector since 1947.

State map of labor productivity, 1-year percent change

Click the graphic to enlarge chart: Labor Productivity by State, Percent Change, 2021.

Stacked bar graph of the contribution of sources that total labor productivity, total factor productivity, labor composition, capital intensity. Average annual percent changem in in private business sector business cycles

Click the graphic to enlarge chart: Contributions to Labor Productivity Growth, Private Nonfarm Business Sector, Selected Time Periods.

Line graph of labor productivity and real hourly compenstation since 1973, commonly referred to as the wage gap. In log index values with base year 1973.

Click the graphic to enlarge chart: Labor Productivity and Real Hourly Compensation, Nonfarm Business Sector, 1973-2021.

Line graph of detailed industries labor productivity indexes of food and beverage store industries: Beer and wine liquor stores (NAICS 4453), Food and beverage stores (NAICS 445), Grocery stores (NAICS 4451), and Specialty food stores (NAICS 4452)

Click the graphic to enlarge chart: Detailed Industries Help Tell the Story, Indexes of Productivity Within Food and Beverage Stores.

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Latest Numbers

Nonfarm Business Sector:

Output per Hour +0.3% in 3rd Qtr of 2022

Hourly Compensation +3.8% in 3rd Qtr of 2022

Unit Labor Costs +3.5% in 3rd Qtr of 2022

Output +2.8% in 3rd Qtr of 2022

Hours of All Persons +2.4% in 3rd Qtr of 2022

Manufacturing Sector:

Output per Hour -1.3% in 3rd Qtr of 2022

Hourly Compensation +2.4% in 3rd Qtr of 2022

Unit Labor Costs +3.8% in 3rd Qtr of 2022

Output +1.9% in 3rd Qtr of 2022

Hours of All Persons +3.3% in 3rd Qtr of 2022

News Releases

Productivity increases 0.3% in Q3 2022; unit labor costs increase 3.5% (annual rates)

11/03/2022

Productivity increased 0.3 percent in the nonfarm business sector in the third quarter of 2022; unit labor costs increased 3.5 percent (seasonally adjusted annual rates). Output and hours were historically revised to reflect source data revisions and a new approach for estimating hours.
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Productivity rises in 37 of 46 wholesale and retail trade industries in 2021

07/28/2022

Retail trade productivity increased 6.6 percent in 2021, slowing from its peak growth in 2020. Wholesale trade productivity rose 5.7 percent, led by growth in durable goods industries. Unit labor costs grew in both retail trade and wholesale trade.
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Productivity increases in 24 of 30 selected service-providing industries in 2021

06/30/2022

Labor productivity rose in 24 of 30 selected service-providing industries in 2021. Output increased in 27 industries in 2021 while hours worked increased in 18 industries.
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Productivity rises in 39 states and the District of Columbia in 2021

05/26/2022

Labor productivity increased in 39 states and the District of Columbia in 2021. Output increased in all 50 states and the District and hours worked increased in all states but declined in the District.
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Productivity rises in 51 of 91 manufacturing and mining industries in 2021

04/28/2022

Labor productivity increased in 47 of the 86 NAICS 4-digit manufacturing industries and in 4 mining industries in 2021. Output rose in three-quarters of industries, and two-thirds of industries had growth in hours worked.
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Total factor productivity increases 3.2% in private nonfarm business in 2021

03/24/2022

Total factor productivity increased 3.2 percent in the nonfarm business sector in 2021 as output increased 7.4 percent and combined inputs increased 4.1 percent.
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Total factor productivity increased in 15 out of 21 major industries in 2021

11/18/2022

In 2021, total factor productivity increased in 15 out of 21 major industries due to output growth outpacing combined inputs growth.
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Total factor productivity fell in 60 of 86 4-digit NAICS manufacturing industries in 2020

08/25/2022

Total factor productivity fell in 60 of 86 4-digit NAICS manufacturing industries in 2020, up from 56 of those industries that fell in 2019. Among transportation industries, total factor productivity decreased in both air transportation and line-haul railroads.
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Next Releases

Productivity and Costs: Third Quarter 2022, Revised is scheduled to be released on December 7, 2022 at 8:30 A.M. Eastern Time.

Monthly Labor Review

Alternative capital asset depreciation rates for U.S. capital and total factor productivity measures

The use of faster depreciation rates based on recent evidence from U.S. and Canadian studies resulted in lower estimates of net capital stocks and higher depreciation estimates in BEA’s fixed assets accounts, with minimal effects on total factor productivity growth rates in the BLS accounts. read more »

The Economics Daily

Productivity down 1.4 percent, real hourly compensation down 3.4 percent, over past year

From the third quarter of 2021 to the third quarter of 2022, nonfarm business sector labor productivity decreased 1.4 percent, reflecting a 1.9-percent increase in output and a 3.4-percent increase in hours worked. This quarter marks the first time this measure has seen three consecutive year-over-year declines since 1982. read more »

Spotlight on Statistics

Spotlight on State Productivity Statistics

This Spotlight looks at some short- and long-term state-level trends for labor productivity, output, and hours worked, and labor compensation. read more »

Beyond the Numbers

Checking out productivity in grocery stores

In this Beyond the Numbers article, we review the timeline for the development and implementation of new retail technologies in grocery stores. Then, check out the shifts in products and services offered by grocery stores over time. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, the article looks at the trends in employment and hours to show how all of these factors influenced labor productivity in grocery stores. read more »

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