Productivity and Costs by Industry: Wholesale and Retail Trade, Food Services and Drinking Places News Release — 2011-08-30

Labor productivity - defined as output per hour � rose in wholesale trade, retail trade, and food services and drinking places, in 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Productivity increased as follows: 9.0 percent in wholesale trade, 3.9 percent in retail trade, and 1.9 percent in food services and drinking places. Productivity was higher in all three sectors in 2010 compared to 2009. Output grew in all three sectors, after declining in each sector in 2009. Hours fell in wholesale trade and in food services and drinking places but rose in retail trade, after declining in each of the sectors in 2009. Productivity increased in 40 of the 50 detailed industries in 2010. (See table 1.) In most industries, growth resulted from increases in output that more than offset changes in hours. Output grew in 43 of the detailed industries and hours increased in 18.