Productivity and Costs by Industry: Wholesale and Retail Trade, Food Services and Drinking Places News Release — 2009-08-28

Labor productivity - defined as output per hour - fell in wholesale trade, retail trade, and food services and drinking places in 2008 as follows: -0.3 percent in wholesale trade -1.8 percent in retail trade and -0.7 percent in food services and drinking places. Both output and hours declined in each of these sectors in 2008. Productivity fell in 26 of the 50 detailed industries studied. (See table 1.) Unit labor costs rose in 29 of the detailed industries and in all three sectors. Over the longer term, output per hour increased at the following average annual rates between 1987 and 2008: 3.0 percent in wholesale trade 3.0 percent in retail trade and 0.6 percent in food services and drinking places. Output and hours grew in all three sectors over the period. Productivity increased in 46 of the 50 detailed industries.