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Labor productivity up 4.1 percent from first quarter 2020 to first quarter 2021
June 14, 2021
From the first quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021, nonfarm business sector labor productivity increased 4.1 percent, reflecting a 1.1-percent increase in output and a 2.9-percent decline in hours worked.
Nonfarm business productivity and costs, percent change from same quarter a year ago
Quarter
Labor productivity
Output
Hours worked
Unit labor costs
Hourly compensation
Real hourly compensation
1st Q 2015
2.5%
5.2%
2.7%
0.1%
2.6%
2.7%
2nd Q 2015
1.8
4.3
2.4
2.0
3.9
3.8
3rd Q 2015
0.9
3.0
2.1
2.6
3.6
3.4
4th Q 2015
1.0
2.4
1.4
1.4
2.5
2.0
1st Q 2016
0.3
1.9
1.6
0.9
1.2
0.1
2nd Q 2016
-0.2
1.4
1.5
0.8
0.6
-0.5
3rd Q 2016
0.1
1.6
1.5
0.6
0.7
-0.5
4th Q 2016
1.3
2.4
1.1
0.6
1.8
0.0
1st Q 2017
1.2
2.3
1.2
1.6
2.8
0.2
2nd Q 2017
1.0
2.6
1.6
2.0
3.1
1.1
3rd Q 2017
1.5
2.9
1.4
2.4
3.9
1.9
4th Q 2017
1.2
3.2
2.0
3.0
4.3
2.1
1st Q 2018
1.5
3.7
2.2
2.3
3.8
1.6
2nd Q 2018
1.9
3.9
2.0
1.6
3.5
0.8
3rd Q 2018
1.4
3.6
2.1
2.1
3.5
0.9
4th Q 2018
1.1
2.7
1.7
1.4
2.5
0.3
1st Q 2019
1.6
2.6
1.1
2.6
4.2
2.5
2nd Q 2019
1.8
2.2
0.3
2.3
4.2
2.3
3rd Q 2019
1.7
2.3
0.7
1.2
2.9
1.1
4th Q 2019
2.0
2.7
0.7
1.4
3.4
1.3
1st Q 2020
0.8
0.1
-0.7
2.5
3.3
1.2
2nd Q 2020
3.0
-11.1
-13.7
5.6
8.8
8.3
3rd Q 2020
4.0
-3.2
-6.9
3.1
7.2
5.9
4th Q 2020
2.6
-2.6
-5.0
6.1
8.8
7.5
1st Q 2021
4.1
1.1
-2.9
4.1
8.3
6.3
Unit labor costs increased 4.1 percent over the last four quarters, as hourly compensation increased 8.3 percent and productivity increased 4.1 percent.
United States Department of Labor
