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Nonfarm business labor productivity up 1.7 percent in 4th quarter 2022

March 06, 2023

Nonfarm business labor productivity increased 1.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022, as output increased 3.1 percent and hours worked increased 1.4 percent. The fourth quarter of 2022 is the second consecutive quarter in which both output and labor productivity increased, following decreases in the first two quarters of the year.

Nonfarm business labor productivity and costs, percent change from previous quarter at annual rate, first quarter 2020–fourth quarter 2022
Quarter Labor productivity    Output    Hours worked Hourly compensation Real hourly compensation Unit labor costs

Q1 2020

-0.5% -6.7% -6.2% 10.2% 8.8% 10.8%

Q2 2020

17.3 -35.0 -44.6 25.7 30.0 7.2

Q3 2020

6.5 47.2 38.2 -6.4 -10.6 -12.1

Q4 2020

-3.5 5.3 9.2 10.0 7.6 14.0

Q1 2021

3.4 8.5 4.9 -0.9 -4.8 -4.2

Q2 2021

2.4 8.9 6.4 6.9 -1.1 4.4

Q3 2021

-3.0 2.7 5.9 5.9 -0.8 9.1

Q4 2021

3.0 9.1 6.0 6.7 -1.1 3.7

Q1 2022

-6.1 -2.5 3.9 1.9 -6.0 8.5

Q2 2022

-3.8 -1.2 2.6 2.6 -6.4 6.6

Q3 2022

1.2 3.6 2.4 8.2 2.5 6.9

Q4 2022

1.7 3.1 1.4 4.9 0.7 3.2

Unit labor costs in the nonfarm business sector increased 3.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022, reflecting a 4.9-percent increase in hourly compensation and a 1.7-percent increase in productivity.

These data are from the Productivity program and are subject to revision. See "Productivity and Costs — Fourth Quarter & Annual Averages 2022, Revised" to learn more. Also see more charts on productivity and costs. Labor productivity, or output per hour, is calculated by dividing an index of real output by an index of hours worked for all persons, including employees, proprietors, and unpaid family workers.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Nonfarm business labor productivity up 1.7 percent in 4th quarter 2022 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2023/nonfarm-business-labor-productivity-up-1-7-percent-in-4th-quarter-2022.htm (visited March 28, 2024).

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