Productivity by State - 2020

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Thursday, May 27, 2021                                               USDL-21-0936

Technical information: 	(202) 691-5606  •  productivity@bls.gov  • www.bls.gov/lpc 
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                                    PRODUCTIVITY BY STATE – 2022
 

Labor productivity in the private nonfarm sector rose in 45 states and the District of Columbia in 2020, 
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This is the highest number of states with positive 
productivity growth since 2010. Output decreased in all 50 states and the District in 2020 and hours 
worked decreased in all but 1 state – Idaho. Hawaii and Nevada experienced the highest growth in labor 
productivity of 8.5 percent and 8.0 percent, respectively. //QCT Resilio Test 09/28/2023//

Labor productivity by state, percent change, 2020

    • The ten states with the fastest growth in productivity all saw gains of more than 5.0 percent:
        • Hawaii, 8.5 percent
        • Nevada, 8.0 percent
        • Alaska, 6.3 percent
        • California, 6.1 percent
        • District of Columbia, 5.9 percent
        • Oregon, 5.8 percent
        • Massachusetts, 5.7 percent
        • Delaware, 5.7 percent
        • New Jersey, 5.4 percent
        • New York, 5.2 percent
    • Labor productivity declined in five states (Idaho, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and 
      Montana) due to a more rapid decline in output than in hours worked. Idaho is the only state with 
      an increase in hours (1.1 percent) and lower labor productivity.
    • All other states saw increases in labor productivity due to declines in hours that outpaced declines 
      in output. 

Each state’s annual contribution to national productivity growth is calculated by multiplying the state’s 
productivity growth rate by its average share of total current dollar national output. The economic size of 
each state influences its contribution to national and regional estimates. For 2020, California had the 
largest contribution to national growth. The state’s 6.1-percent growth in labor productivity in 2020 
contributed nearly one quarter of the 3.6-percent growth of the nation.

 
Long term trends
 
    • From 2007 to 2020, labor productivity rose in 48 states and the District of Columbia. 
    • Output increased in 44 states and the District of Columbia during this period, while hours worked 
      increased in only 15 states. 
    • North Dakota experienced the highest rate of growth of 3.1 percent. Wyoming posted a slight 
      decline in labor productivity over the long term, and Louisiana saw no change.
    • The first and last years of this series coincide with severe recessions. During the recession of 2007 
      to 2009, 47 states experienced increases in labor productivity, though only 10 saw growth in 
      output. No state saw an increase in hours worked during that period. These trends closely mirror 
      the most recent year’s labor productivity and hours trends. 

 
California, New York, and Texas, which have the largest economies, contributed the most to national 
productivity growth, about 40 percent of the 1.4-percent increase.

Additional Information

Output and compensation measures for 2019 and earlier years reflect revisions to GDP by state and 
industry data published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Hours and employment data through 2019 
have been revised to incorporate the BLS 2020 Current Employment Statistics benchmark. 

The COVID-19 pandemic did not impact the availability of source data used to construct productivity 
measures in this release. Data source providers continued to collect and publish high quality industry data 
for 2020. Additional information can be found on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-
covid-19-pandemic-on-productivity-and-costs-statistics.htm#Industry-Productivity.

Access the following productivity data at www.bls.gov/lpc/lpc-by-state-and-region.xlsx:
    • Detailed data series: indexes of productivity and related measures; rates of change; and levels of state 
      employment, hours worked, nominal value of production, and labor compensation 
    • Additional years and long-term data

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