June 11, 2007 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Productivity growth in selected service-providing industries, 2005

In 2005, labor productivity increased in 26 of the 38 detailed service-providing industries studied by BLS and fell in 12 industries.

Annual percent change in output per hour for selected service-providing industries, 2004-05
[Chart data—TXT]

Three industries recorded double-digit growth. The biggest increase in output per hour, 34.4 percent, occurred in wireless telecommunications carriers. Labor productivity also grew by double digits in travel agencies, where output per hour increased 12.4 percent, and in photofinishing, where productivity grew 10.9 percent.

The two industries where productivity fell the most, passenger car rental and line-haul railroads, recorded declines of 6.6 percent and 5.4 percent, respectively.

This information is from the BLS Productivity and Costs program. Labor productivity is defined as output per hour. Productivity data are subject to revision. Additional information is available from "Productivity and Costs by Industry: Selected Service-Providing and Mining Industries, 2005" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 07-0823.

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