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Nonfarm business sector labor productivity decreased 2.5 percent in the first quarter of 2020
May 11, 2020
Nonfarm business sector labor productivity decreased 2.5 percent in the first quarter of 2020, as output decreased 6.2 percent and hours worked decreased 3.8 percent. Productivity had increased in 15 of the 16 quarters between fourth quarter 2015 and first quarter 2020.
Percent change from previous quarter (annual rate) in labor productivity, output, and hours worked in the nonfarm business sector, first quarter 2005 to first quarter 2020
Quarter
Productivity
Output
Hours worked
Q1 2005
4.6%
5.4%
0.8%
Q2 2005
-1.0
1.5
2.4
Q3 2005
3.2
4.1
0.9
Q4 2005
0.3
3.0
2.7
Q1 2006
2.9
7.0
4.0
Q2 2006
-0.3
0.6
0.9
Q3 2006
-1.2
0.9
2.2
Q4 2006
3.4
4.8
1.4
Q1 2007
1.1
1.2
0.1
Q2 2007
1.7
3.3
1.6
Q3 2007
4.0
2.6
-1.4
Q4 2007
3.2
2.2
-0.9
Q1 2008
-3.1
-4.4
-1.3
Q2 2008
4.2
1.9
-2.2
Q3 2008
1.2
-3.4
-4.5
Q4 2008
-2.7
-11.8
-9.3
Q1 2009
3.9
-6.5
-10.0
Q2 2009
8.5
-0.8
-8.7
Q3 2009
6.1
1.4
-4.4
Q4 2009
5.7
5.8
0.1
Q1 2010
2.0
1.9
-0.1
Q2 2010
1.0
4.6
3.6
Q3 2010
2.2
4.5
2.3
Q4 2010
1.4
3.1
1.7
Q1 2011
-2.8
-2.1
0.6
Q2 2011
0.8
4.2
3.4
Q3 2011
-1.5
0.0
1.5
Q4 2011
2.6
5.8
3.2
Q1 2012
1.5
4.8
3.3
Q2 2012
1.9
2.5
0.6
Q3 2012
-0.9
0.9
1.9
Q4 2012
-1.4
0.7
2.1
Q1 2013
2.4
4.1
1.7
Q2 2013
-1.4
0.0
1.5
Q3 2013
1.9
4.1
2.1
Q4 2013
3.1
4.6
1.4
Q1 2014
-3.9
-1.9
2.1
Q2 2014
4.2
7.0
2.8
Q3 2014
3.9
6.5
2.5
Q4 2014
-1.9
2.7
4.7
Q1 2015
2.9
3.8
0.8
Q2 2015
1.7
3.7
1.9
Q3 2015
0.8
1.2
0.3
Q4 2015
-2.9
-0.4
2.6
Q1 2016
0.8
2.3
1.6
Q2 2016
0.8
2.0
1.2
Q3 2016
1.3
2.4
1.2
Q4 2016
1.8
2.7
0.9
Q1 2017
1.1
2.5
1.3
Q2 2017
0.5
2.7
2.2
Q3 2017
2.9
4.2
1.3
Q4 2017
0.9
4.2
3.3
Q1 2018
0.9
2.9
2.0
Q2 2018
2.1
4.0
1.8
Q3 2018
1.7
3.5
1.8
Q4 2018
0.6
1.2
0.7
Q1 2019
3.9
3.9
0.1
Q2 2019
2.7
1.9
-0.7
Q3 2019
-0.3
2.3
2.6
Q4 2019
1.2
2.4
1.2
Q1 2020
-2.5
-6.2
-3.8
The decline in nonfarm business sector labor productivity in the first quarter of 2020 was the largest quarterly decline since the fourth quarter of 2015, when output per hour decreased 2.9 percent. It reflects the largest decline in output since the first quarter of 2009 (−6.5 percent) and the largest decline in hours worked since the third quarter of 2009 (−4.4 percent).
United States Department of Labor
