July 13, 2006 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Productivity growth in information-sector industries, 2004

Productivity, as measured by output per hour, increased in 2004 in six of the eight information industries studied.

Annual percent change in output per hour for selected industries in the information sector, 2003-04
[Chart data—TXT]

Double-digit productivity growth occurred in software publishers at 17.0 percent, wireless telecommunications carriers at 19.1 percent, and cable and other program distribution at 12.4 percent.

Productivity declined in the newspaper, book, and directory publishers industry and in the radio and television broadcasting industry.

This information is from the BLS Productivity and Costs program. Productivity data are subject to revision. Additional information is available from "Productivity and Costs by Industry: Selected Service-Providing and Mining Industries, 2004" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 06-1201.

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