Productivity up 11.1 percent, compensation up 8.0 percent from 2009

From the third quarter of 2018 to the third quarter of 2019, nonfarm business labor productivity increased 1.4 percent, reflecting a 2.3-percent increase in output and a 0.9-percent increase in hours worked. During the same period, real hourly compensation increased 2.7 percent.

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Chart Data Labor productivity (output per hour) and related indexes, nonfarm business, 3rd quarter 2009 to 3rd quarter 2019 Quarter Output Hours worked Labor productivity (output per hour) Real hourly compensation Q3 2009 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Q4 2009 101.4 100.0 101.4 99.8 Q1 2010 101.9 100.0 101.9 99.0 Q2 2010 103.0 100.9 102.1 100.1 Q3 2010 104.2 101.4 102.7 100.2 Q4 2010 105.0 101.9 103.1 100.0 Q1 2011 104.4 102.0 102.3 100.7 Q2 2011 105.5 102.9 102.5 98.9 Q3 2011 105.5 103.3 102.1 99.0 Q4 2011 107.0 104.1 102.8 97.2 Q1 2012 108.2 104.9 103.2 98.9 Q2 2012 108.9 105.1 103.7 99.2 Q3 2012 109.2 105.6 103.4 98.8 Q4 2012 109.3 106.1 103.1 100.8 Q1 2013 110.5 106.6 103.6 98.9 Q2 2013 110.5 106.9 103.3 99.7 Q3 2013 111.6 107.5 103.8 99.0 Q4 2013 112.8 107.9 104.6 99.3 Q1 2014 112.3 108.4 103.6 100.6 Q2 2014 114.2 109.2 104.6 99.6 Q3 2014 116.0 109.9 105.6 99.9 Q4 2014 116.8 111.1 105.1 101.3 Q1 2015 117.9 111.4 105.9 103.2 Q2 2015 119.0 111.9 106.3 103.3 Q3 2015 119.3 111.9 106.6 103.4 Q4 2015 119.2 112.8 105.7 103.1 Q1 2016 119.9 113.1 106.0 103.3 Q2 2016 120.5 113.5 106.2 102.8 Q3 2016 121.2 113.8 106.5 102.9 Q4 2016 122.0 114.0 107.0 103.3 Q1 2017 122.8 114.5 107.3 103.6 Q2 2017 123.6 115.1 107.4 104.1 Q3 2017 124.9 115.4 108.2 104.6 Q4 2017 126.2 116.4 108.4 105.2 Q1 2018 127.1 116.9 108.7 105.4 Q2 2018 128.3 117.5 109.2 104.9 Q3 2018 129.4 118.2 109.5 105.1 Q4 2018 129.8 118.5 109.5 104.9 Q1 2019 131.1 118.7 110.5 107.0 Q2 2019 131.7 118.5 111.2 107.6 Q3 2019 132.4 119.2 111.1 108.0

From the third quarter of 2009 to the third quarter of 2019, nonfarm business sector labor productivity increased 11.1 percent, reflecting a 32.4-percent increase in output and a 19.2-percent increase in hours worked. Real hourly compensation increased 8.0 percent over this time span.

These data are from the Labor Productivity and Costs program. To learn more, see Productivity and Costs — Third Quarter 2019, Preliminary. Also see Charts related to the latest "Productivity and Costs" news release. Labor productivity, or output per hour, is calculated by dividing an index of real output by an index of hours worked by all persons, including employees, proprietors, and unpaid family workers.