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Nonfarm business labor productivity up 2.9 percent in second quarter of 2018
September 10, 2018
Nonfarm business sector labor productivity increased 2.9 percent during the second quarter of 2018, as output increased 5.0 percent and hours worked increased 2.0 percent.
Percent change in hours worked, output, and productivity, nonfarm business sector, first quarter 2008–second quarter 2018, seasonally adjusted
Quarter
Hours worked
Output
Labor productivity
Q1 2008
-1.3%
-4.4%
-3.1%
Q2 2008
-1.9
1.9
3.9
Q3 2008
-4.3
-3.4
1.0
Q4 2008
-9.5
-11.8
-2.5
Q1 2009
-10.0
-6.5
4.0
Q2 2009
-8.5
-0.8
8.4
Q3 2009
-4.6
1.4
6.4
Q4 2009
0.2
5.8
5.6
Q1 2010
0.1
1.9
1.8
Q2 2010
3.2
4.6
1.3
Q3 2010
2.1
4.5
2.3
Q4 2010
2.0
3.1
1.1
Q1 2011
0.8
-2.1
-2.9
Q2 2011
3.1
4.2
1.1
Q3 2011
1.9
0.0
-1.8
Q4 2011
3.0
5.8
2.7
Q1 2012
3.3
4.8
1.4
Q2 2012
0.5
2.5
2.0
Q3 2012
1.9
0.9
-0.9
Q4 2012
2.0
0.7
-1.3
Q1 2013
1.9
4.1
2.2
Q2 2013
1.3
0.0
-1.2
Q3 2013
2.2
4.1
1.9
Q4 2013
1.4
4.6
3.2
Q1 2014
1.8
-1.6
-3.3
Q2 2014
3.2
6.5
3.2
Q3 2014
2.5
6.4
3.8
Q4 2014
4.5
2.2
-2.2
Q1 2015
0.9
4.1
3.1
Q2 2015
2.0
4.1
2.1
Q3 2015
0.1
0.6
0.5
Q4 2015
3.0
0.1
-2.9
Q1 2016
1.3
1.6
0.3
Q2 2016
1.6
2.5
0.9
Q3 2016
0.9
2.2
1.3
Q4 2016
1.0
2.3
1.3
Q1 2017
1.5
1.9
0.4
Q2 2017
2.2
3.8
1.6
Q3 2017
1.3
3.6
2.3
Q4 2017
3.3
3.0
-0.3
Q1 2018
2.3
2.6
0.3
Q2 2018
2.0
5.0
2.9
Note: Data are percent change from previous quarter at annual rate. Data for the most recent quarter are preliminary.
The 2.9-percent increase in productivity was the largest quarterly gain since an increase of 3.1 percent in the first quarter of 2015. The 5.0-percent increase in output was the largest since a 6.4-percent increase in the third quarter of 2014.
United States Department of Labor
