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Productivity
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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 2023 Total Factor Productivity for Major Industries Read More »
- Updated Total Factor Productivity for Transportation Industries - 2022 and 2023 Read More »
- New research exploring the rise in remote work and productivity Read More »
Graphics
Click the graphic to enlarge chart: Long-term labor productivity in the nonfarm business sector since 1947.
Click the graphic to enlarge chart: Labor Productivity by State, Percent Change.
Click the graphic to enlarge chart: Contributions to Labor Productivity Growth, Private Nonfarm Business Sector, Selected Time Periods.
Click the graphic to enlarge chart: Labor Productivity and Real Hourly Compensation, Nonfarm Business Sector since 1973.
Click the graphic to enlarge chart: Detailed Industries Help Tell the Story, Indexes of Productivity Within Food and Beverage Stores.
Latest Numbers
NONFARM BUSINESS SECTOR:
Labor productivity (output per hour)
+1.5%(r) in 4th Qtr of 2024
Hourly compensation
+3.8%(r) in 4th Qtr of 2024
Unit labor costs
+2.2%(r) in 4th Qtr of 2024
Real value-added output
+2.4%(r) in 4th Qtr of 2024
Hours worked
+0.8%(r) in 4th Qtr of 2024
MANUFACTURING SECTOR:
Labor productivity (output per hour)
+0.3%(r) in 4th Qtr of 2024
Hourly compensation
+4.0%(r) in 4th Qtr of 2024
Unit labor costs
+3.7%(r) in 4th Qtr of 2024
Real sectoral output
-1.3%(r) in 4th Qtr of 2024
Hours worked
-1.6%(r) in 4th Qtr of 2024
Historical Data
News Release
News Releases
Productivity increases 1.5% in Q4 2024; unit labor costs increase 2.2% (annual rates)
03/06/2025
Productivity increased 1.5 percent in the nonfarm business sector in the fourth quarter of 2024;
unit labor costs increased 2.2 percent (seasonally adjusted annual rates). In manufacturing,
productivity increased 0.3 percent and unit labor costs increased 3.7 percent.
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Charts
Productivity falls in 63 of 91 manufacturing and mining industries in 2023
04/25/2024
Labor productivity decreased in 60 of the 86 NAICS 4-digit manufacturing industries and in 3 of the 5 mining industries in 2023. Output fell in 74 of the 91 manufacturing and mining industries while hours worked fell in 45 industries. Thirty-eight industries decreased both output and hours worked.
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Productivity rises in 36 states in 2023
05/30/2024
Labor productivity increased in 36 states in 2023. Output increased in 47 states and the District of Columbia and hours worked increased in 42 states and the District.
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Productivity increases in 15 of 30 selected service-providing industries in 2023
06/27/2024
Labor productivity rose in 15 of 30 selected service-providing industries in 2023. Output increased in 16 industries while hours worked rose in 14 industries.
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Productivity falls in 25 of 46 wholesale and retail trade industries in 2023
05/30/2024
Wholesale trade productivity fell 1.6 percent with hours worked growing at a higher rate than output. Retail trade productivity increased 1.6 percent in 2023, rebounding from the decline in 2022. Unit labor costs rose 6.4 percent in wholesale trade and 0.5 percent in retail trade.
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Total factor productivity up in 78 of 86 4-digit NAICS manufacturing industries in 2021
08/31/2023
Total factor productivity rose in 78 of 86 4-digit NAICS manufacturing industries in 2021, up from 25 industries in 2020. Among the two measured transportation industries, total factor productivity increased in both air transportation and line-haul railroads.
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Total factor productivity increases in 12 out of 21 major industries in 2023
12/04/2024
In 2023, total factor productivity increased in 12 out of 21 major industries, led by the mining and retail trade industries.
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Total factor productivity increases 1.3% in 2024,
following a 1.4% increase in 2023
03/21/2025
Total factor productivity increased 1.3 percent in the private
nonfarm business sector in 2024 as output
increased 2.9 percent and combined inputs increased 1.6 percent.
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Next Releases
Productivity and Costs:
First Quarter 2025, Preliminary
is scheduled to be released on
May 8, 2025
at 8:30 A.M. Eastern Time.
Publications
Beyond the Numbers
The rise in remote work since the pandemic and its impact on productivity
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about dramatic changes in the work environment. Although 6.5 percent of workers in the private business sector worked primarily from home in 2019, the pandemic was the start of a massive experiment in full-time remote work for most workers and firms. People often ask: are workers more productive or less productive when working from home? read more »
Monthly Labor Review
Sales versus margins: alternative measures of output and productivity for retail trade
This article compares sales- and margin-based measures of output and productivity for the retail trade sector. read more »
The Economics Daily
Nonfarm business productivity up 2.0 percent from fourth quarter 2023 to fourth quarter 2024
From the fourth quarter of 2023 to the fourth quarter of 2024, nonfarm business labor productivity increased 2.0 percent, reflecting a 2.6-percent increase in output and a 0.6-percent increase in hours worked. read more »
Spotlight on Statistics
A Look at a Thrilling Industry: Amusement and Theme Parks
This Spotlight on Statistics reviews historical establishment, employment, and wage trends for the amusement and theme parks industry. Additionally, productivity, consumer expenditures for entertainment fees and admissions, and producer prices for select amusement and theme parks products are reviewed. read more »