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Nonfarm business productivity down 1.5 percent from fourth quarter 2021 to fourth quarter 2022

February 06, 2023

From the fourth quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter of 2022, nonfarm business labor productivity decreased 1.5 percent, reflecting a 0.8-percent increase in output and a 2.3-percent increase in hours worked. This follows over-the-year decreases in labor productivity of 2.1 percent in the second quarter of 2022 and 1.1 percent in the third quarter of 2022.

Percent change in productivity measures from same quarter in previous year, fourth quarter 2012 to fourth quarter 2022
Quarter Nonfarm business Manufacturing
Labor productivity Output Hours worked Labor productivity Output Hours worked

Q4 2012

0.3% 2.4% 2.1% -0.8% 0.7% 1.5%

Q1 2013

0.4 2.1 1.7 0.2 1.3 1.1

Q2 2013

-0.4 1.5 2.0 1.4 1.8 0.4

Q3 2013

0.3 2.3 2.0 1.5 2.3 0.8

Q4 2013

1.4 3.1 1.6 1.3 2.3 1.0

Q1 2014

-0.1 1.6 1.7 0.0 0.7 0.7

Q2 2014

1.1 3.2 2.1 -0.4 1.4 1.8

Q3 2014

1.4 3.8 2.3 -0.2 1.5 1.7

Q4 2014

0.1 3.3 3.2 -1.6 0.9 2.6

Q1 2015

1.8 4.9 3.0 -2.0 0.1 2.1

Q2 2015

1.3 3.9 2.6 -2.2 -1.3 0.9

Q3 2015

0.8 2.6 1.8 -2.0 -1.5 0.6

Q4 2015

0.8 2.1 1.3 -1.5 -1.9 -0.4

Q1 2016

0.4 1.8 1.4 0.0 -0.4 -0.4

Q2 2016

0.0 1.4 1.4 -0.5 -0.2 0.3

Q3 2016

0.2 1.8 1.6 -0.4 -0.4 0.0

Q4 2016

1.3 2.4 1.0 0.3 0.0 -0.3

Q1 2017

1.1 2.1 1.0 -1.0 -0.7 0.3

Q2 2017

1.0 2.4 1.4 -0.1 0.0 0.1

Q3 2017

1.6 2.8 1.3 -1.9 -0.6 1.3

Q4 2017

1.4 3.4 2.0 -1.4 0.7 2.1

Q1 2018

1.7 3.8 2.1 -0.2 1.5 1.8

Q2 2018

2.1 3.9 1.8 0.2 1.9 1.8

Q3 2018

1.4 3.7 2.3 1.1 3.0 1.9

Q4 2018

0.9 2.6 1.7 -0.2 1.3 1.5

Q1 2019

1.4 2.6 1.2 -1.4 -0.5 0.9

Q2 2019

1.7 2.6 0.9 -3.2 -2.3 0.9

Q3 2019

1.9 2.7 0.9 -2.9 -3.1 -0.2

Q4 2019

2.6 3.0 0.4 -2.2 -3.1 -1.0

Q1 2020

1.4 0.5 -1.0 -1.3 -3.2 -1.8

Q2 2020

5.1 -10.4 -14.8 -1.7 -15.2 -13.7

Q3 2020

6.4 -2.4 -8.2 2.9 -5.4 -8.1

Q4 2020

4.7 -1.5 -5.9 2.8 -2.8 -5.4

Q1 2021

5.8 2.2 -3.4 2.8 -0.8 -3.5

Q2 2021

2.2 16.3 13.8 5.5 15.8 9.7

Q3 2021

-0.2 6.3 6.5 1.2 5.1 3.9

Q4 2021

1.9 7.3 5.3 1.1 4.5 3.3

Q1 2022

-0.4 4.5 4.8 0.1 4.8 4.7

Q2 2022

-2.1 1.9 4.1 -0.5 4.1 4.7

Q3 2022

-1.1 2.2 3.3 -1.3 3.1 4.5

Q4 2022

-1.5 0.8 2.3 -1.5 1.0 2.5

In manufacturing, labor productivity decreased 1.5 percent from the fourth quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter of 2022, reflecting a 1.0-percent increase in output and a 2.5-percent increase in hours worked. This follows a 1.3 percent decrease in the second quarter and a 0.5 percent decrease in the third quarter of 2022.

These data are from the Productivity program and are subject to revision. See "Productivity and Costs — Fourth Quarter & Annual Averages 2022, Preliminary" to learn more. We also have 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 productivity down 1.5 percent from fourth quarter 2021 to fourth quarter 2022 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2023/nonfarm-business-productivity-down-1-5-percent-from-fourth-quarter-2021-to-fourth-quarter-2022.htm (visited March 28, 2024).

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