The .gov means it's official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information,
make sure you're on a federal government site.
The site is secure. The
https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any
information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
Productivity up 2.5 percent as output declined, 4th quarter 2019 to 4th quarter 2020
February 08, 2021
From the fourth quarter of 2019 to the fourth quarter of 2020, nonfarm business sector labor productivity increased 2.5 percent, as output declined 2.7 percent and hours worked declined 5.0 percent. Manufacturing productivity increased 2.1 percent from the fourth quarter of 2019 to the fourth quarter of 2020, with output declining 3.0 percent and hours worked declining 5.0 percent.
Percent change in productivity measures from same quarter in previous year, Quarter 1 2006–Quarter 4 2020
Quarter
Nonfarm business
Business
Labor productivity
Hours worked
Output
Real hourly compensation
Unit labor costs
Labor productivity
Hours worked
Output
Real hourly compensation
Unit labor costs
Q1 2006
1.3%
2.5%
3.9%
0.8%
3.1%
1.4%
2.4%
3.8%
0.8%
3.1%
Q2 2006
1.5
2.1
3.7
0.0
2.4
1.7
1.9
3.7
0.2
2.3
Q3 2006
0.4
2.4
2.8
-0.5
2.5
0.4
2.3
2.8
-0.4
2.5
Q4 2006
1.2
2.1
3.3
2.0
2.8
1.0
2.2
3.2
1.9
2.9
Q1 2007
0.7
1.1
1.9
2.0
3.7
0.5
1.3
1.8
1.8
3.8
Q2 2007
1.2
1.3
2.6
1.7
3.1
1.1
1.2
2.3
1.9
3.5
Q3 2007
2.5
0.4
3.0
2.2
2.0
2.5
0.2
2.8
2.5
2.3
Q4 2007
2.5
-0.2
2.3
-0.1
1.4
2.4
-0.2
2.2
0.1
1.6
Q1 2008
1.4
-0.5
0.9
-1.6
1.0
1.4
-0.6
0.8
-1.5
1.1
Q2 2008
2.0
-1.4
0.5
-1.6
0.6
1.9
-1.3
0.6
-1.7
0.6
Q3 2008
1.3
-2.2
-0.9
-1.9
1.9
1.2
-2.1
-0.9
-2.1
1.8
Q4 2008
-0.1
-4.4
-4.5
1.5
3.3
-0.1
-4.3
-4.4
1.4
3.1
Q1 2009
1.6
-6.6
-5.0
-0.3
-2.1
1.7
-6.5
-4.9
-0.4
-2.2
Q2 2009
2.7
-8.2
-5.7
2.8
-0.8
2.7
-8.0
-5.5
2.6
-1.0
Q3 2009
3.9
-8.1
-4.5
3.1
-2.4
4.0
-8.0
-4.3
3.0
-2.5
Q4 2009
6.1
-5.8
-0.1
-0.4
-4.7
6.3
-5.9
0.0
-0.4
-4.9
Q1 2010
5.6
-3.3
2.0
0.7
-2.4
5.5
-3.4
2.0
0.7
-2.4
Q2 2010
3.7
-0.3
3.4
-0.1
-2.0
3.7
-0.3
3.4
-0.2
-2.0
Q3 2010
2.7
1.4
4.2
0.2
-1.2
2.6
1.4
4.1
0.1
-1.3
Q4 2010
1.6
1.8
3.5
0.1
-0.3
1.5
1.9
3.4
0.0
-0.2
Q1 2011
0.4
2.0
2.5
1.7
3.4
0.3
2.1
2.4
1.5
3.3
Q2 2011
0.4
2.0
2.4
-1.2
1.7
0.3
1.9
2.2
-1.2
1.8
Q3 2011
-0.5
1.8
1.3
-1.3
3.0
-0.7
1.8
1.1
-1.4
3.0
Q4 2011
-0.3
2.2
1.9
-2.8
0.8
-0.3
2.2
1.9
-2.8
0.8
Q1 2012
0.8
2.8
3.7
-1.8
0.2
0.7
2.8
3.6
-1.7
0.4
Q2 2012
1.1
2.1
3.2
0.3
1.2
1.0
2.2
3.2
0.4
1.3
Q3 2012
1.3
2.2
3.5
-0.1
0.3
1.2
2.2
3.4
0.0
0.6
Q4 2012
0.3
1.9
2.2
3.7
5.4
0.1
1.8
2.0
3.9
5.7
Q1 2013
0.5
1.5
2.0
0.0
1.3
0.8
1.3
2.1
0.3
1.3
Q2 2013
-0.3
1.8
1.4
0.5
2.3
0.2
1.5
1.7
0.8
2.1
Q3 2013
0.4
1.8
2.2
0.1
1.3
0.8
1.7
2.5
0.2
1.0
Q4 2013
1.5
1.7
3.2
-1.5
-1.7
1.8
1.6
3.5
-1.5
-2.0
Q1 2014
-0.1
1.8
1.7
1.6
3.3
0.0
1.8
1.7
1.6
3.1
Q2 2014
1.3
2.1
3.4
-0.2
0.7
1.1
2.2
3.3
-0.3
0.7
Q3 2014
1.8
2.2
4.0
1.0
1.1
1.5
2.3
3.9
0.8
1.1
Q4 2014
0.5
3.0
3.5
2.0
2.7
0.3
3.2
3.5
1.7
2.7
Q1 2015
2.4
2.7
5.2
2.7
0.2
2.2
3.0
5.3
2.3
0.0
Q2 2015
1.8
2.5
4.3
3.8
2.1
1.6
2.7
4.3
3.5
2.0
Q3 2015
1.1
1.9
3.0
3.4
2.5
1.1
2.0
3.1
3.3
2.4
Q4 2015
1.0
1.4
2.4
2.0
1.5
1.0
1.4
2.5
2.0
1.4
Q1 2016
0.3
1.6
1.9
0.1
0.8
0.3
1.6
1.9
0.1
0.8
Q2 2016
-0.1
1.4
1.4
-0.4
0.7
-0.2
1.6
1.4
-0.6
0.7
Q3 2016
0.0
1.6
1.6
-0.5
0.7
0.0
1.7
1.7
-0.6
0.7
Q4 2016
1.1
1.2
2.4
0.0
0.6
1.3
1.1
2.4
0.2
0.7
Q1 2017
1.2
1.2
2.3
0.2
1.6
1.2
1.1
2.4
0.3
1.6
Q2 2017
1.2
1.4
2.6
1.1
1.9
1.3
1.3
2.5
1.3
2.0
Q3 2017
1.5
1.4
2.9
1.9
2.4
1.6
1.2
2.8
2.1
2.5
Q4 2017
1.2
2.0
3.2
2.1
3.0
1.0
2.2
3.2
1.9
3.0
Q1 2018
1.5
2.2
3.7
1.6
2.3
1.6
2.1
3.7
1.6
2.3
Q2 2018
1.8
2.1
3.9
0.8
1.7
2.0
1.9
3.9
1.0
1.6
Q3 2018
1.3
2.2
3.6
0.8
2.2
1.3
2.2
3.6
0.7
2.1
Q4 2018
1.2
1.6
2.7
0.4
1.4
1.3
1.4
2.8
0.4
1.3
Q1 2019
1.5
1.1
2.6
2.5
2.6
1.5
1.0
2.6
2.5
2.6
Q2 2019
1.7
0.4
2.2
2.3
2.4
1.7
0.5
2.2
2.3
2.4
Q3 2019
1.7
0.6
2.3
1.1
1.2
1.7
0.6
2.3
1.1
1.2
Q4 2019
1.9
0.8
2.7
1.2
1.4
1.8
0.8
2.6
1.3
1.4
Q1 2020
0.9
-0.8
0.1
1.2
2.5
0.9
-0.8
0.2
1.2
2.4
Q2 2020
2.9
-13.6
-11.1
8.3
5.7
2.7
-13.3
-11.0
8.0
5.7
Q3 2020
4.2
-7.1
-3.2
6.9
3.9
4.3
-7.1
-3.1
6.9
3.8
Q4 2020
2.5
-5.0
-2.7
6.5
5.2
2.5
-4.9
-2.6
6.4
5.1
Percent change in productivity measures from same quarter in previous year, Quarter 1 2006–Quarter 4 2020
Quarter
Manufacturing
Labor productivity
Hours worked
Output
Real hourly compensation
Unit labor costs
Q1 2006
1.1%
0.9%
2.0%
-0.3%
2.2%
Q2 2006
-0.6
2.0
1.4
-2.5
2.0
Q3 2006
0.6
1.4
2.0
-2.3
0.3
Q4 2006
2.0
-0.9
1.1
1.7
1.7
Q1 2007
3.6
-1.8
1.7
1.3
0.2
Q2 2007
5.3
-1.8
3.4
1.9
-0.7
Q3 2007
5.2
-1.6
3.5
2.0
-0.8
Q4 2007
5.0
-1.5
3.4
-0.8
-1.8
Q1 2008
3.5
-2.1
1.4
-2.5
-1.9
Q2 2008
0.8
-2.9
-2.2
-2.0
1.4
Q3 2008
-1.5
-4.5
-5.9
-1.7
5.0
Q4 2008
-4.3
-7.4
-11.4
3.1
9.4
Q1 2009
-4.8
-11.7
-16.0
2.8
7.8
Q2 2009
-1.3
-15.1
-16.1
5.6
6.0
Q3 2009
3.4
-14.0
-11.0
5.1
0.0
Q4 2009
7.2
-10.5
-4.0
1.0
-4.4
Q1 2010
9.2
-4.9
3.8
-0.3
-6.6
Q2 2010
8.6
0.2
8.9
-0.6
-6.9
Q3 2010
4.8
2.5
7.4
-0.3
-3.7
Q4 2010
3.3
2.4
5.8
-0.4
-2.3
Q1 2011
2.5
2.4
5.0
1.8
1.5
Q2 2011
0.0
2.2
2.2
-1.6
1.7
Q3 2011
1.1
0.8
2.0
-1.5
1.0
Q4 2011
-0.2
2.3
2.1
-3.7
-0.2
Q1 2012
-0.9
2.8
1.9
-2.0
1.7
Q2 2012
-0.6
2.5
1.8
-0.2
2.3
Q3 2012
-1.9
2.7
0.8
-0.7
2.9
Q4 2012
-0.6
1.5
0.8
1.3
3.9
Q1 2013
0.3
1.2
1.4
-1.6
-0.2
Q2 2013
1.7
0.1
1.9
-0.6
-0.9
Q3 2013
1.8
0.5
2.2
-0.4
-0.6
Q4 2013
0.9
1.4
2.2
-1.1
-0.7
Q1 2014
0.3
0.4
0.7
2.0
3.2
Q2 2014
-0.5
1.8
1.3
-0.1
2.5
Q3 2014
-0.4
1.9
1.6
0.5
2.7
Q4 2014
-1.1
2.2
1.0
2.0
4.4
Q1 2015
-1.9
2.3
0.3
1.9
3.8
Q2 2015
-2.4
1.3
-1.1
2.8
5.4
Q3 2015
-1.7
0.5
-1.3
3.1
5.2
Q4 2015
-1.5
-0.2
-1.7
1.6
3.6
Q1 2016
-0.3
-0.1
-0.4
-0.4
0.9
Q2 2016
-0.3
-0.1
-0.4
-0.6
0.7
Q3 2016
-0.7
0.4
-0.3
-1.4
0.5
Q4 2016
0.5
0.0
0.5
-0.6
0.7
Q1 2017
-0.4
0.6
0.2
-0.2
2.8
Q2 2017
0.4
0.7
1.1
1.3
2.8
Q3 2017
-0.9
1.2
0.2
1.6
4.6
Q4 2017
-0.4
1.6
1.2
1.6
4.2
Q1 2018
-0.1
1.6
1.5
1.4
3.7
Q2 2018
-0.2
2.0
1.7
-1.1
1.8
Q3 2018
1.2
2.2
3.4
-0.8
0.6
Q4 2018
0.6
1.9
2.5
-0.7
0.8
Q1 2019
1.0
0.6
1.6
0.9
1.6
Q2 2019
0.1
0.1
0.1
2.0
3.7
Q3 2019
-0.1
-0.5
-0.6
0.6
2.5
Q4 2019
-0.6
-0.5
-1.1
0.8
3.4
Q1 2020
-0.5
-1.5
-2.0
0.5
3.1
Q2 2020
-3.5
-12.4
-15.5
7.5
12.0
Q3 2020
1.1
-6.7
-5.6
8.6
8.7
Q4 2020
2.1
-5.0
-3.0
7.4
6.5
Unit labor costs in the nonfarm business sector increased 5.2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2019 to the fourth quarter of 2020. Over the same period, unit labor costs in manufacturing increased 6.5 percent.
United States Department of Labor
