For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Thursday, April 24, 2025 USDL-25-0565
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PRODUCTIVITY AND COSTS BY INDUSTRY
MANUFACTURING AND MINING INDUSTRIES - 2024
Labor productivity decreased in 52 of the 86 four-digit NAICS manufacturing industries in 2024, the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics reported today. Among durable manufacturing industries, 22 of 51 had productivity increases in 2024,
led by a gain of 17.2 percent in the household appliances industry. Productivity rose in 11 of 35 nondurable goods
manufacturing industries, led by a 12.5-percent gain in fiber, yarn, and thread mills. Productivity fell in 4 of the
5 mining industries in 2024 with the greatest decrease occurring in the metal ore mining industry (-10.6 percent).
(See table 1.) Among industries with more than 350,000 workers, aerospace products and parts had the largest
productivity decline in 2024 (-7.0 percent) while electronic instruments recorded the highest productivity gain
(2.8 percent).
Hours worked decreased in 50 of the 86 four-digit manufacturing industries in 2024. Electric lighting equipment
recorded the greatest decline in hours worked (-21.2 percent). Hours worked decreased in three of five mining
industries. Eleven of the 91 mining and manufacturing industries increased both output and hours worked in 2024. Six
of these eleven industries had declining labor productivity.
Labor Productivity Trends in Three-Digit NAICS Industries, 2024
Manufacturing
* Labor productivity declined in 12 of the 21 three-digit NAICS manufacturing industries in 2024. Among the 9
industries with productivity gains, 8 recorded declines in both output and hours worked.
* Output decreased in 19 industries. Twelve of these industries had an output decline of more than 2.0 percent.
* Computer and electronic products was the only manufacturing industry that had growth in both productivity
(+2.2 percent) and output (+0.1 percent).
* Nonmetallic mineral products had the largest productivity decline (-7.2 percent).
Mining
* Labor productivity declined in 2 of the 3 three-digit NAICS mining industries in 2024.
* Oil and gas extraction had a productivity gain of 0.2 percent due to a 2.1-percent increase in output and a
1.9-percent increase in hours worked.
* Productivity fell 5.7 percent in mining (except oil and gas), the most among mining industries. Hours worked
rose in this industry (+0.5 percent) while output fell (-5.2 percent).
Trends in Unit Labor Costs in 2024
Unit labor costs reflect the total labor costs required to produce a unit of output. Unit labor costs increase
when hourly compensation growth exceeds productivity growth.
Manufacturing
* In manufacturing, unit labor costs increased in 20 of the 21 three-digit NAICS industries in 2024, at an
average rate of 6.1 percent. The four industries with the largest growth in unit labor costs were nonmetallic
mineral products (+12.1 percent), transportation equipment (+9.5 percent), textile product mills
(+9.4 percent), and furniture and related products (+9.4 percent). All four industries had declining output
but increased labor compensation.
* Unit labor costs increased in 73 out of the 86 four-digit NAICS manufacturing industries. Labor
compensation increased in 66 manufacturing industries in 2024. (See table 1.)
Mining
* Unit labor costs increased in each of the three-digit NAICS mining industries. The greatest growth in
unit labor costs occurred in support activities for mining (+18.5 percent). This industry also had the
largest increase in hourly compensation (+12.4 percent).
2019 to 2024 Trends
Productivity increased in 35 of the 86 four-digit NAICS manufacturing industries from 2019 to 2024. Over
this period, 2 of the 5 four-digit NAICS mining industries experienced productivity growth. Note that the
annual percent changes for periods of more than one year are annualized average rates of change over the entire
period, or a compound annual growth rate. (See table 3.)
Manufacturing
* The two industries with the greatest gains in productivity from 2019 to 2024 were audio and video equipment
(+11.2 percent per year) and apparel knitting mills (+8.6 percent). The largest productivity decline
occurred in tobacco manufacturing (-9.0 percent).
* Output decreased in over three-quarters of the four-digit NAICS manufacturing industries from 2019 to 2024.
Audio and video equipment manufacturing was the industry with the greatest output growth (+8.6 percent per
year) while the largest declines occurred in textile and fabric finishing mills and office furniture and
fixtures (-8.2 percent in both industries).
* Hours worked fell in 53 out of 86 four-digit NAICS manufacturing industries from 2019 to 2024. Apparel
knitting mills recorded the largest drop in hours worked (-10.5 percent per year). Two manufacturing
industries had growth in hours worked of more than 4.0 percent per year over this period: beverages
(+4.8 percent) and motor vehicles (+4.7 percent).
Mining
* The greatest productivity growth among mining industries from 2019 to 2024 occurred in oil and gas
extraction (+5.3 percent per year).
* Output increased from 2019 to 2024 in two mining industries. The greater increase in output occurred
in oil and gas extraction at 1.8 percent per year. Coal mining had the largest decline in output
(-6.7 percent per year) from 2019 to 2024.
* In 2024, hours worked remained below pre-pandemic levels in 4 out of the 5 four-digit NAICS mining
industries. The largest decline in hours worked occurred in support activities for mining which
decreased by 5.4 percent per year from 2019 to 2024. Metal ore mining was the only mining industry
to increase hours worked (+0.6 percent per year).
Long-Term Trends in Labor Productivity
* Over the entire 1987-2024 period, labor productivity rose in 82 of the 91 manufacturing and mining
industries. Output rose in 48 industries while hours worked increased in only 18. (See table 2.) In
the 18 industries where hours worked increased, they rose at a slow pace of 0.7 percent per year
(on average).
* During the 2007-2019 period, productivity increased in 35 industries. Of these industries, only five
had simultaneous growth in output and hours worked. Oil and gas extraction had the greatest growth
in output over this period (+7.0 percent per year).
* In the most recent 2019-2024 period, productivity increased in 37 industries. Hours worked grew in
34 industries, the greatest number for any selected time period. Beverages had the highest annual
growth in hours worked from 2019 to 2024 (+4.8 percent). Audio and video equipment manufacturing had
the highest annual growth in productivity (+11.2 percent) and output (+8.6 percent) of all 91
manufacturing and mining industries.
Long-Term Trends in Unit Labor Costs
* From 1987 to 2024, unit labor costs increased in 81 of the 86 four-digit NAICS manufacturing
industries and in all five mining industries. (See table 2.)
* In the 2007 to 2019 time period, unit labor costs increased in 82 out of 86 manufacturing industries
and in 3 of the 5 mining industries. From 2007 to 2019, unit labor costs rose the most in the resin,
rubber, and artificial fibers industry (+5.0 percent per year).
* From 2019 to 2024, unit labor costs increased in 81 out of 86 manufacturing industries and in 4 of
the 5 mining industries. Over this period, unit labor costs rose the most in the office furniture
and fixtures industry (+10.9 percent).
The computer and peripheral equipment industry recorded the largest productivity gain (+12.9 percent per
year) as well as the largest unit labor costs decline (-10.1 percent) during the 1987-2024 period. However,
from 2007 to 2019, labor productivity fell (-0.4 percent) as did unit labor costs (-0.4 percent). For the
2019-2024 period, both labor productivity (+3.3 percent) and unit labor costs (+3.3 percent) grew in
computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing.
Additional Information
Manufacturing industry output measures for 2022 and earlier years are constructed primarily using data
from the economic censuses and annual surveys of the U.S. Census Bureau together with data on price changes
primarily from BLS. Manufacturing industry output for 2023 and 2024 is estimated based on historical
relationships between BLS sectoral output, BLS price indexes, and data on industrial production from the
Federal Reserve Board.
Mining industry output measures are constructed primarily using data from the U.S. Energy Information
Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey's Mineral Commodity Summaries and Mineral Yearbooks. The data
from the U.S. Energy Information Administration are usually revised on a monthly schedule while the U.S.
Geological Survey's publications are released annually.
Access productivity data at www.bls.gov/productivity/tables/labor-productivity-detailed-industries.xlsx for:
* Additional industries and sectors
* Detailed data series: indexes of productivity and related measures; rates of change; and levels of
industry employment, hours worked, sectoral output, and labor compensation
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