Productivity in wholesale trade, retail trade, and food services and drinking places, 2010

August 31, 2011

Labor productivity—defined as output per hour—rose in wholesale trade, retail trade, and food services and drinking places, in 2010.

[Chart data]

After declining in each of the sectors in 2009, hours fell in wholesale trade and in food services and drinking places but rose in retail trade in 2010.

In wholesale trade, labor productivity rose 9.0 percent in 2010 as output grew 7.2 percent and hours fell 1.7 percent. Productivity rose most rapidly in motor vehicles and parts wholesalers and in electric goods wholesalers.

In retail trade, labor productivity grew 3.9 percent in 2010, as output and hours increased by 4.5 and 0.5 percent, respectively. The largest productivity increases were in florists, used merchandise stores, and lawn and garden equipment and supplies stores.

In food services and drinking places, labor productivity increased 1.9 percent in 2010, as output grew 1.3 percent and hours declined 0.6 percent.

These data are from the Productivity and Costs program. To learn more, see "Productivity and Costs by Industry: Wholesale Trade, Retail Trade, and Food Services and Drinking Places Industries, 2010" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-11-1274.