February 07, 2002 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Productivity growth in 2001

Productivity in the nonfarm business sector, as measured by output per hour, rose 1.8 percent in 2001. This was the smallest annual productivity gain since 1995, when output per hour increased 0.9 percent.

Annual percent change in nonfarm business productivity, 1992-2001
[Chart data—TXT]

The rise in productivity during 2001 was due to a 0.8-percent growth in output and a 0.9-percent drop in hours. During 2000, productivity increased 3.3 percent, as output grew 4.5 percent and hours of all persons increased 1.1 percent.

These data are a product of the BLS Productivity and Costs program. Data are subject to revision. Additional information is available in "Productivity and Costs, Fourth-Quarter and Annual Averages for 2001 (Preliminary)," news release USDL 02-64.