October 05, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Wholesale-trade productivity in 2004

Labor productivity—defined as output per hour—rose 7.8 percent between 2003 and 2004 in wholesale trade.

[Chart data—TXT]

Output also increased by 7.8 percent, while hours remained steady.

From 1987 to 2004, labor productivity rose at an average annual rate of 3.9 percent per year in wholesale trade. Output increased 4.4 percent per year, on average, while hours grew 0.4 percent per year.

The wholesale trade sector includes establishments engaged in wholesaling merchandise, generally without transformation, and rendering services incidental to the sale of merchandise. Wholesalers sell merchandise to other businesses and normally operate from a warehouse or office.

This information is from the BLS Productivity and Costs Program. Data are subject to revision. Additional information is available from "Productivity and Costs by Industry: Wholesale Trade, Retail Trade, and Food Services and Drinking Places, 2004" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 05-1820. 

 

Related TED articles:

• Productivity in retail trade, 2004
• Restaurant productivity growth in 2004