September 27, 2004 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Productivity rises in most information-sector industries

Productivity, as measured by output per hour, increased in all but one of the information industries in 2002.

Annual percent change in output per hour for selected industries in the information sector, 2001-02
[Chart data—TXT]

In the detailed 4- and 5-digit information industries, the majority of the gains were greater than 4.0 percent. Double-digit productivity growth (11.2 percent) occurred in wireless telecommunications carriers. The one information industry to register a productivity decline was motion picture and video exhibition.

All of the information industries except motion picture and video exhibition saw reductions in unit labor costs. Unit labor costs fell 16.9 percent in wireless telecommunications carriers and 9.7 percent in software publishers.

This information is from the BLS Productivity and Costs Program. Data are subject to revision. Additional information is available from "Productivity and Costs in Selected Service-Providing and Mining Industries, 2002" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 04-1061.

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