December 05, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Highest productivity growth in computer industry

Between 1990 and 1998, output per hour increased the most in the computer and office equipment industry, among the manufacturing industries measured by BLS.

[Chart data—TXT]

Output per hour, a measure of labor productivity, rose by 32.9 percent per year on average in the computer and office equipment industry from 1990 to 1998. The next highest increase in labor productivity was in the electronic components and accessories industry (24.4 percent per year). Totally, nine manufacturing industries posted average annual gains of 5.0 percent or more in the 1990-98 period.

This information is from the Industry Productivity Program. Additional information is available from "Productivity and Costs: Manufacturing Industries, 1990-98" news release USDL 00-335.