Nonwool yarn mills experience slow gains in productivity, (EXCERPT), Monthly Labor Review Online, March 1982

Nonwool yarn mills experience
slow gains in productivity

James D. York

As measured by output per employee hour, productivity in the nonwool yarn mill industry increased at an average of 2.3 percent during 1958-80, somewhat below the 2.8-percent rate for all manufacturing.¹ (See table 1.) Output increased at an average annual rate of 4.5 percent while employee hours advanced at a rate of 2.1 percent. For the most recent period, 1973-80, productivity has risen at a faster annual rate—averaging 3.0 percent. Improved preparatory and spinning equipment have contributed to these gains.

Growth varied over the period of study. From 1958 to 1965, productivity increased every year, rising at an average annual rate of 5.2 percent. The largest jump occurred in 1961 with a rise of 9.3 percent. The 5.2-percent average gain in productivity reflected an average annual growth of 6.7 percent in output and 1.5 percent in employee hours. Since 1965, productivity gains have slowed considerably. During 1965-73, output per employee hour grew at an average annual rate of only 1.2 percent. Output increased at a 4.6-percent rate—just slightly faster than that of 3.4 percent for employee hours. Productivity movements displayed much year-to-year fluctuation during this time. There were increases in only 5 of 9 years, with the largest— 7.1 percent— occurring in 1971.

This excerpt is from an article published in the March 1982 issue of the Monthly Labor Review. The full text of the article is available in Adobe Acrobat's Portable Document Format (PDF). See How to view a PDF file for more information.

Read abstract Download full article in PDF (356K)

Footnotes

1 "Robots Join the Labor Force," Business Week, June 9, 1980, pp. 62-76.

Within Monthly Labor Review Online:
Welcome | Current Issue | Index | Subscribe | Archives

Exit Monthly Labor Review Online:
BLS Home | Publications & Research Papers