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Nonfarm business labor productivity down 0.6 percent from first quarter 2021 to first quarter 2022
May 13, 2022
From the first quarter 2021 to the first quarter 2022, nonfarm business sector labor productivity decreased 0.6 percent, reflecting a 4.2-percent increase in output that was outpaced by a 4.8-percent increase in hours worked. This is the largest over-the-year decline since the fourth quarter of 1993, when the measure also declined 0.6 percent.
Labor productivity (output per hour), and related measures, percent change from same quarter a year ago, 1st quarter 2012–1st quarter 2022
Quarter
Productivity
Output
Hours worked
Hourly compensation
Real hourly compensation
Unit labor costs
Q1 2012
0.9%
3.8%
2.9%
1.0%
-1.8%
0.1%
Q2 2012
1.2
3.4
2.2
2.3
0.3
1.0
Q3 2012
1.5
3.7
2.2
1.6
-0.1
0.2
Q4 2012
0.4
2.4
2.0
5.7
3.7
5.3
Q1 2013
0.5
2.1
1.6
1.7
0.0
1.2
Q2 2013
-0.2
1.5
1.7
2.0
0.5
2.2
Q3 2013
0.3
2.3
1.9
1.6
0.1
1.3
Q4 2013
1.4
3.1
1.7
-0.3
-1.6
-1.7
Q1 2014
-0.2
1.6
1.8
3.1
1.6
3.3
Q2 2014
1.1
3.2
2.1
1.9
-0.2
0.8
Q3 2014
1.5
3.8
2.2
2.8
1.0
1.3
Q4 2014
0.2
3.3
3.1
3.2
2.0
3.0
Q1 2015
2.1
4.9
2.7
2.6
2.6
0.5
Q2 2015
1.4
3.9
2.4
3.9
3.8
2.4
Q3 2015
0.5
2.6
2.1
3.5
3.3
3.0
Q4 2015
0.7
2.1
1.5
2.4
1.9
1.7
Q1 2016
0.2
1.8
1.7
1.2
0.1
1.0
Q2 2016
-0.2
1.4
1.6
0.6
-0.5
0.8
Q3 2016
0.2
1.8
1.5
0.7
-0.5
0.5
Q4 2016
1.2
2.4
1.2
1.8
0.0
0.6
Q1 2017
0.9
2.2
1.2
2.7
0.1
1.8
Q2 2017
0.9
2.6
1.7
3.0
1.1
2.1
Q3 2017
1.3
2.8
1.5
3.8
1.8
2.5
Q4 2017
1.2
3.3
2.0
4.2
2.1
3.0
Q1 2018
1.5
3.7
2.2
3.9
1.6
2.4
Q2 2018
2.0
4.0
2.0
3.6
0.9
1.6
Q3 2018
1.5
3.6
2.1
3.6
1.0
2.2
Q4 2018
1.0
2.7
1.6
2.6
0.4
1.6
Q1 2019
1.6
2.6
1.0
4.3
2.6
2.7
Q2 2019
2.1
2.6
0.4
4.2
2.4
2.1
Q3 2019
2.1
2.8
0.7
3.0
1.2
0.9
Q4 2019
2.4
3.0
0.5
3.9
1.8
1.4
Q1 2020
0.9
0.2
-0.7
3.7
1.6
2.7
Q2 2020
2.5
-11.5
-13.6
8.7
8.2
6.0
Q3 2020
3.7
-3.7
-7.1
7.3
6.0
3.4
Q4 2020
2.7
-2.7
-5.2
8.6
7.3
5.8
Q1 2021
3.9
1.3
-2.5
6.2
4.3
2.3
Q2 2021
2.2
15.9
13.5
3.4
-1.3
1.2
Q3 2021
-0.4
6.2
6.6
6.3
1.0
6.7
Q4 2021
1.9
6.9
4.9
5.5
-1.1
3.6
Q1 2022
-0.6
4.2
4.8
6.5
-1.4
7.2
Hourly compensation increased 6.5 percent over the past year. Real (adjusted for inflation) hourly compensation decreased 1.4 percent from first quarter 2021 to first quarted 2022.
Unit labor costs increased 7.2 percent over the last four quarters, the largest four-quarter increase since an 8.2-percent increase in the third quarter of 1982.
In the first quarter of 2022, hours worked was 0.9 percent above its fourth-quarter 2019 level, the last quarter not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. First-quarter 2022 output was 3.5 percent above its fourth-quarter 2019 level. The labor productivity index was 2.6 percent higher in first quarter 2022 than in fourth quarter 2019, corresponding to an annual labor productivity growth rate of 1.1 percent during that period.
United States Department of Labor
