Productivity in retail, wholesale, food services, and mining industries, 2013

In 2013, among major-sector industries, labor productivity (defined as output per hour) rose 8.5 percent in mining, 2.3 percent in wholesale trade and 5.0 percent in retail trade, but fell 2.4 percent in food services and drinking places. Among the 20 largest (by employment) detailed industries, clothing stores recorded the largest productivity increase at 10.5 percent and special food services saw the largest productivity decrease (−9.3 percent) in 2013.

In wholesale trade, productivity grew 2.8 percent in durable goods wholesalers and 1.9 percent in nondurable goods wholesalers. Productivity increased in 12 of the 19 detailed wholesale trade industries, while output rose in 16 industries and hours grew in 14. Among the largest detailed industries within wholesale trade, productivity increased the most in machinery and supplies wholesalers (6.6 percent) and commercial equipment wholesalers (3.2 percent).

In retail trade, labor productivity grew 5.0 percent, while output rose 4.6 percent and hours fell 0.4 percent. The following large detailed industries recorded productivity increases of 8.0 percent or more: clothing stores, electronics and appliance stores, automobile dealers, and department stores. Productivity increased in 22 of the 27 detailed retail trade industries in 2013, as output grew in 23 industries and hours rose in 17. 

In food services and drinking places, labor productivity declined 2.4 percent, as output grew 0.6 percent and hours rose 3.0 percent. Productivity and output fell in three of the four detailed industries in this sector, while hours grew in three. Limited-service eating places was the only industry in this sector to record an increase in productivity, output, and hours.

In mining, labor productivity increased 8.5 percent, while output grew 8.4 percent and hours fell slightly. Productivity increased in all four of the detailed mining industries for which data are available (no mining industries were among the largest). Output rose in three industries and hours declined in four. The largest productivity increase was in the oil and gas extraction industry. 

These data are from the Labor Productivity and Costs program. To learn more, see "Productivity and Costs by Industry: Mining, Wholesale Trade, Retail Trade, and Food Services and Drinking Places Industries, 2013" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-14-1430. The industry labor productivity measures describe the relationship between industry output and the labor time involved in its production. They show the changes from period to period in the amount of goods and services produced per hour.