2021 First Quarter (Preliminary) Productivity and Costs — 2021-05-06

(NOTE: This release was reissued on July 20, 2021, due to errors in the first quarter 2021 estimates of hours worked for the business, manufacturing, and nonfinancial corporate sectors. The error in hours worked resulted in errors to related measures, including labor productivity. Estimates in this news release will not be corrected. Corrected data are available at www.bls.gov/bls/errata/corrected-hours-worked-and-labor-productivity-for-labor-productivity-and-costs-2021-Q1.htm.) Nonfarm business sector labor productivity increased 5.4 percent in the first quarter of 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, as output increased 8.4 percent and hours worked increased 2.9 percent. (All quarterly percent changes in this release are seasonally adjusted annual rates.) From the first quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021, nonfarm business sector labor productivity increased 4.1 percent, reflecting a 1.1-percent increase in output and a 2.9-percent decline in hours worked.