June 21, 2002 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

New wholesale-trade productivity series

Labor productivity—defined as output per hour—increased 3.0 percent from 1999 to 2000 in wholesale trade.

[Chart data—TXT]

This rise was below the 4.0 annual percent increase for the 1995-2000 period but exceeded the 2.7 annual percent growth of 1990-1995.

These figures are from a new productivity series for the wholesale trade industry introduced this month. In addition, there are now productivity series for durable-goods wholesale trade and nondurable-goods wholesale trade, and for all 3-digit SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) industries in wholesale trade. Unit labor costs series are also now available for each of these industries.

The wholesale trade sector includes establishments involved in selling merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional, farm, construction contractors, or professional business users; or acting as brokers in purchases or sales of merchandise between businesses.

This information is from the BLS Productivity and Costs Program. Data are subject to revision. Learn more in "BLS Releases New Series on Productivity and Costs in Wholesale Trade Industries, 1990-2000"  news release USDL 02-347.