Productivity and Costs by Industry: Wholesale and Retail Trade, Food Services and Drinking Places News Release — 2010-08-31

Labor productivity - defined as output per hour - fell in wholesale trade, but rose in retail trade and in food services and drinking places, in 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Productivity changes were as follows: -3.3 percent in wholesale trade, 1.5 percent in retail trade, and 1.0 percent in food services and drinking places. In comparison, labor productivity fell in each of the three sectors overall in 2008. However, both output and hours declined more rapidly in each of the sectors in 2009 than they did in 2008. Unit labor costs, which reflect the total labor costs required to produce a unit of output, declined in retail trade but rose in wholesale trade and food services and drinking places. By comparison, unit labor costs increased in each of the sectors in 2008.