Productivity and Costs by Industry: Wholesale Trade, Retail Trade, and Food Services and Drinking Places News Release — 2020-07-30

Labor productivity rose 5.3 percent in retail trade and 0.4 percent in wholesale trade in 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Unit labor costs, which reflect the total labor costs required to produce a unit of output, rose in wholesale trade and fell in retail trade. Annual productivity growth for retail trade in 2019 was the highest since 1999. In 2019, retail trade output increased at an accelerating rate while hours worked fell at a faster rate than in 2018. In wholesale trade, productivity and output increased at a slower rate than in 2018 and hours worked increased at a slightly faster rate. Among the six 4-digit industries with the highest productivity growth, five reported growth in output while one industry showed growth in hours worked.