Productivity and Costs by Industry: Manufacturing Industries News Release — 2009-12-09

Labor productivity � defined as output per hour � rose in 53 percent of detailed manufacturing industries in 2007, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This was about unchanged from the proportion that recorded productivity increases the previous year. (See table 1.) Unit labor costs declined in 19 percent of the industries. Output fell and hours declined in more industries in 2007 than in 2006. Output fell in 58 percent of the 86 4- digit NAICS industries in 2007 and hours fell in 63 percent. More industries experienced sharp increases or large declines in productivity in 2007 than in the previous year. Productivity rose by 10 percent or more in ten industries and declined by 10 percent or more in nine industries. Two of the ten largest detailed industries by employment size � aerospace products and parts manufacturing and semiconductors and electronic components manufacturing � posted double-digit output and productivity growth in 2007.