For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, June 22, 2016 USDL-16-1249

Technical information: (202) 691-5606 • mfp@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/mfp

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov

MULTIFACTOR PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS IN MANUFACTURING - 2014

Manufacturing sector multifactor productivity decreased at a 1.0-percent annual rate in 2014, the U.S. Bureau of 

Labor Statistics reported today. This decrease followed a 0.1-percent increase in 2013. The 2014 decline reflected

a 1.7-percent increase in output and a 2.6-percent increase in combined inputs. (See table A, table 1.)

Multifactor productivity is calculated by dividing an index of real output by an index of combined units of labor

input, capital services, and intermediate inputs. It is designed to measure the joint influences of technological 

change, efficiency improvements, returns to scale, reallocation of resources, and other factors of economic 

growth, allowing for the effects of capital, labor, and intermediate inputs. Multifactor productivity annual 

measures differ from BLS quarterly labor productivity or output per hour measures because the former also

includes information on capital services, shifts in the composition of the workforce, and intermediate inputs. 

Additionally, much of the source data needed to construct multifactor productivity measures is not available on a 

quarterly basis.

Durable manufacturing sector multifactor productivity decreased 2.5-percent in 2014, following a 0.5-percent 

increase in 2013. Nondurable manufacturing sector multifactor productivity increased 0.5 percent in 2014,

following a 0.2-percent decrease in 2013. (See table C, table 3.)

Chart 1. Multifactor productivity for the manufacturing, durable manufacturing, and nondurable 

manufacturing sectors, 2008-2014

 Annual percent change 

-6.0

-4.0

-2.0

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Manufacturing Durable manufacturing Nondurable manufacturing
- 2 -

In 2014, the number of NAICS three-digit manufacturing industries exhibiting an increase in multifactor 

productivity growth decreased compared to 2013. Fewer manufacturing industries exhibited an increase in 

sectoral output growth compared to 2013, and more manufacturing industries had an increase in combined inputs. 

Four out of 18 manufacturing industries exhibited an increase in multifactor productivity. Textile mills and textile 

product mills and petroleum and coal products showed the highest growth in multifactor productivity, while 

apparel, leather, and allied products and primary metals showed the largest declines in multifactor productivity. In 

2014, 10 industries showed increasing sectoral output and 14 industries showed an increase in combined inputs. 

(See chart 2, table 3.)

Chart 2. Percent of manufacturing industries with increases in multifactor productivity, sectoral output,

and combined inputs, 2010-2014

Historical trends in manufacturing

Multifactor productivity in manufacturing grew 0.9-percent annually from 1987 to 2014 with sectoral output 

increasing at an annual rate of 2.2 percent, faster than the 1.3-percent annual increase in combined inputs. During 

the same period, labor productivity increased 3.4 percent annually. (See table A.) Of the 3.4-percent growth rate 

in labor productivity, multifactor productivity contributed 0.9 percent, capital intensity contributed 0.8 percent, 

intermediate inputs intensity contributed 1.5 percent, and labor composition contributed 0.2 percent. (See table B.)

For the most recent 2007-2014 period, multifactor productivity declined at a 0.5-percent annual rate compared to 

a 1.7-percent annual increase in the 2000-2007 period. (See table A.) Sectoral output increased 0.4 percent and 

combined inputs rose 0.9 percent over the 2007-2014 period.

Revised measures

Previous and revised productivity measures and related data for 2012 and 2013 for the manufacturing, durable 

manufacturing, and nondurable manufacturing sectors are displayed in table C. In 2013, multifactor productivity in 

the manufacturing sector increased 0.1 percent compared to the previously reported 0.7-percent decrease.

Multifactor productivity in the durable manufacturing sector increased 0.5 percent compared to the previously 

reported 1.8-percent decrease. In the nondurable manufacturing sector, multifactor productivity decreased 0.2

percent; previously it was reported as a 0.4-percent increase. In 2012, multifactor productivity measures in the 

manufacturing, durable manufacturing, and nondurable manufacturing sectors were also revised. The revisions in 

both years were due to the annual revision of the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA) released on 

January 29, 2016.

83 89

72

39

78

89

28

67

78

56

67

72

22

56

78

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Increasing multifactor productivity Increasing sectoral output Increasing combined inputs

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Percent
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Table A. Productivity, sectoral output, and inputs in the manufacturing sector for selected periods, 1987-

2014

Compound annual growth rates

 1987-

2014

1987-

1990

1990-

1995

1995-

2000

2000-

2007

2007-

2014

2013-

2014

Productivity

 Multifactor Productivity1 0.9 0.2 1.1 1.9 1.7 -0.5 -1.0

 Labor Productivity2 3.4 1.9 3.3 4.9 4.6 2.0 0.0

 Output per unit of capital services -0.2 -0.9 0.5 0.4 0.2 -1.2 -0.8

Sectoral Output 2.2 1.8 3.2 4.7 1.5 0.4 1.7

Inputs

 Combined Inputs3 1.3 1.6 2.1 2.7 -0.2 0.9 2.6

 Labor input4 -0.7 0.5 0.6 0.3 -2.3 -1.2 0.6

 Hours -1.2 0.0 0.0 -0.2 -3.0 -1.5 1.7

 Labor composition5 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.3 -1.0

 Capital services 2.4 2.7 2.7 4.2 1.3 1.7 2.5

 Energy -0.2 1.9 1.6 6.6 -3.9 -3.4 -1.6

 Materials 2.3 0.1 3.1 5.2 1.0 2.0 3.3

Purchased business services 1.5 5.4 3.2 1.4 -0.6 1.1 4.6

1 Output per combined units of labor input, capital services, energy, materials, and purchased business services.

 2 Output per hour worked.

3 The growth rate of each input is weighted by its share of current dollar costs.

4 Hours at work by age, education, and gender group are weighted by each group’s share of total wages.

5 Ratio of labor input to hours.
- 4 -

 1 Output per hour worked.

 2 Capital intensity multiplied by capital's share of current dollar costs.

 3 Information processing equipment per hour multiplied by its share of current dollar costs.

 4 Research and development per hour multiplied by its share of current dollar costs. 

 5 Software and artistic originals per hour multiplied by their share of current dollar costs.

 6 Intermediate inputs per hour multiplied by intermediate inputs’ share of current dollar costs.

 7 Energy per hour multiplied by energy’s share of current dollar costs.

 8 Materials per hour multiplied by materials’ share of current dollar costs.

 9 Purchased business services per hour multiplied by purchased business services’ share of current dollar costs.

 10 Labor composition multiplied by labor’s share of current dollar costs.

 11 Output per combined units of labor input, capital services, energy, materials, and purchased business services.

Table B. Labor productivity and contributions of capital intensity, intermediate inputs intensity, labor 

composition, and multifactor productivity to labor productivity in the manufacturing sector for selected 

periods, 1987-2014

Compound annual growth rates

1987-

2014

1987-

1990

1990-

1995

1995-

2000

2000-

2007

2007-

2014

2013-

2014

Labor Productivity1 3.4 1.9 3.3 4.9 4.6 2.0 0.0

 Contribution of capital intensity2 0.8 0.6 0.6 1.0 1.0 0.7 0.2

 Information processing 

 equipment intensity3 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0

 Research and 

 Development intensity4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.1

 All other intellectual 

 property products intensity5 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0

 All other capital services 

 intensity 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.0

 Contribution of intermediate 

 inputs intensity6 1.5 0.8 1.4 1.8 1.6 1.7 1.0

 Energy intensity7 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.0 -0.1 -0.1

 Materials intensity8 1.0 0.0 0.8 1.3 1.2 1.3 0.6

 Purchased business 

 services intensity9 0.5 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4

 Contribution of labor 

 composition10 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 -0.2

 Multifactor productivity11 0.9 0.2 1.1 1.9 1.7 -0.5 -1.0
- 5 -

 

 1 Output per combined units of hours, capital services, energy, materials, and purchased business services.

 2 The growth rate of each input is weighted by its share of current dollar costs.

 3 Previous: Hours at work. Revised: Hours at work by age, education, and gender group, weighted by each group’s share of total wages.

 

Table C. Previous and revised multifactor productivity and related measures for the 2012-2013

and 2011-2012 periods

Sector

Multifactor 

productivity1

Sectoral 

output

Inputs

Combined

inputs2 Labor3

Capital 

services Energy Materials

Purchased 

business 

services

Annual percent change, 2012-2013

Manufacturing

Previous -0.7 1.5 2.1 0.8 1.0 -0.1 2.5 5.3

Revised 0.1 1.0 0.8 1.6 1.9 -0.3 -1.0 3.6

Durable 

manufacturing

Previous -1.8 1.8 3.7 1.0 1.0 -0.7 6.1 6.7

Revised 0.5 1.2 0.7 1.6 1.2 -3.9 -0.6 1.6

Nondurable 

manufacturing

Previous 0.4 1.1 0.8 0.5 1.0 0.3 0.2 3.6

Revised -0.2 1.2 1.4 1.5 2.4 1.7 0.0 5.8

Annual percent change, 2011-2012

Manufacturing

Previous -0.8 3.0 3.9 2.3 1.1 -0.4 5.8 6.3

Revised -2.8 4.1 7.0 2.5 1.3 5.5 12.5 8.0

Durable 

manufacturing

Previous -0.8 5.9 6.8 3.1 1.0 4.5 12.2 9.6

Revised -1.2 5.5 6.7 3.5 1.1 4.4 13.0 6.0

Nondurable 

manufacturing

Previous -0.8 0.7 1.5 0.9 1.2 -3.1 1.7 2.6

Revised -3.7 1.8 5.8 0.8 1.4 6.1 8.0 10.3
- 6 -

Technical Notes

Beginning with this release, BLS includes a measure of the effects of changes in the composition of the

work force for manufacturing sectors and industries. Labor input in manufacturing sectors and NAICS 

industry groups is obtained by chained superlative Tornqvist aggregation of the hours at work, classified 

by age, education, and gender with weights determined by each group’s share of total wages. The labor 

composition index estimates the effect of shifts in the age, education, and gender composition of the 

work force on hours worked. 

Capital Services

Capital services are the services derived from the stock of physical assets and intellectual property 

assets. There are 90 asset types for fixed business equipment, structures, inventories, land, and 

intellectual property products. The aggregate capital services measures are obtained by Tornqvist 

aggregation of the capital stocks for each asset type within each of the eighteen manufacturing NAICS 

industry groupings using estimated rental prices for each asset type. Each rental price reflects the 

nominal rate of return to all assets within the industry and rates of economic depreciation and 

revaluation for the specific asset; rental prices are adjusted for the effects of taxes. Data on investment 

for fixed assets are obtained from BEA. Data on inventories are estimated using data from BEA and 

additional information from IRS Corporation Income Returns. Data for land in the farm sector are 

obtained from USDA. Nonfarm industry detail for land is based on IRS book value data. Current-dollar 

value-added data, obtained from BEA, are used in estimating capital rental prices.

Labor Input

Labor input in manufacturing sectors and industries is obtained by chained superlative Tornqvist

aggregation of the hours at work, classified by age, education, and gender with weights determined by 

each group’s share of total wages. The labor composition index estimates the effect of shifts in the age, 

education, and gender composition of the work force on hours worked. Hours at work data reflect 

Productivity and Costs data as of the February 4, 2016 “Productivity and Costs” news release (USDL16-0209). The growth rate of labor composition is defined as the difference between the growth rate of 

weighted labor input and the growth rate of the hours.

The growth rate of labor composition in manufacturing may be underestimated due to limitations in the 

source data. The education proxy does not include training certifications and licensing. The proxy only 

includes number of years of schooling.

Additional information concerning data sources and methods of measuring labor composition can be 

found in Cindy Zoghi, 2007, “Measuring Labor Composition: A Comparison of Alternate 

Methodologies” http://www.bls.gov/bls/fesacp1121407.pdf and in “Changes in the Composition of 

Labor for BLS Multifactor Productivity Measures” http://www.bls.gov/mfp/mprlabor.pdf.
- 7 -

Intermediate Inputs

In manufacturing, intermediate inputs consist of energy, materials, and purchased business services, and 

represent a large share of production costs. Research has shown that substitution among inputs, 

including intermediate inputs, affects productivity change. Therefore, it is important to account for

intermediate inputs in productivity measures at the level of manufacturing. In contrast, the more 

aggregate productivity measures compare "value-added" output with two classes of inputs, capital and 

labor. Because of these differences in concepts and methodology, productivity change in manufacturing 

cannot be directly compared with changes in private business or private nonfarm business. 

Data on intermediate inputs are obtained from BEA based on BEA annual input-output tables. Tornqvist 

indexes of each of these three input classes are derived at the three-digit NAICS level and then 

aggregated to the manufacturing sectors. Materials inputs are adjusted to exclude transactions between 

establishments within the same sector.

Combined Inputs

The five input indexes (capital services, labor, energy, materials, and purchased business services) are 

combined using chained superlative Tornqvist aggregation, applying weights that represent each 

component's share of total costs. Total costs are defined as the current dollar value of manufacturing 

sectoral output. Most taxes on production and imports, such as excise taxes, are excluded from costs; 

however, property and motor vehicle taxes remain in total costs.

Capital Intensity

Capital intensity is the ratio of capital services to hours worked in the production process. The higher the 

capital to hours ratio, the more capital intensive the production process is. 

In a production process, profit maximizing/cost-minimizing firms adjust the factor proportions of capital 

and labor if the price of one factor falls relative to the price of the other factor; there would be a 

tendency for the firms to substitute the less expensive factor for the more expensive one. In the short 

run, changes in hours worked are more variable than changes in capital services. Changes in hours 

worked in business cycles can result in volatility of the capital intensity ratio over short periods of time. 

In the long run an increase in wages relative to the price of capital will induce the firm to substitute 

capital for labor, resulting in an increase in capital intensity.

Rising labor costs are, in fact, an incentive for firms to introduce automated production processes.

Industry estimates of capital to hours ratios can be obtained at http://www.bls.gov/mfp/mprdload.htm. 
- 8 -

Sectoral Output

The output concept used for multifactor productivity in manufacturing is “sectoral output”. Sectoral 

output equals gross output (sales, receipts, and other operating income, plus commodity taxes plus 

changes in inventories), excluding transactions between establishments within the same sector. In 

contrast, the output concept used for private business and private nonfarm business is “real valueadded”. Real value-added output in private business equals gross domestic product less general 

government, government enterprises, private households (including the rental value of owner-occupied 

real estate), and non-profit institutions. Real value-added output excludes intermediate transactions 

between businesses.

The output index for manufacturing is constructed using a chained superlative index (Tornqvist) of 

three-digit NAICS industry outputs. Industry output is measured as sectoral output, the total value of 

goods and services leaving the industry. The indexes of industry output are calculated with the Tornqvist 

index formula. This index formula aggregates the growth rates of the various industry outputs between 

two periods, using their relative shares in industry value of production averaged over the two periods as 

weights. BLS industry output measures for manufacturing industries are constructed using data from the 

economic censuses and annual surveys of the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, 

together with information on price changes, primarily from BLS. 

Multifactor Productivity

The manufacturing multifactor productivity measures describe the relationship between output in real 

terms and the inputs involved in their production. Multifactor productivity measures are not intended to 

capture the specific contributions of labor, capital, or intermediate inputs. Rather, they are designed to 

measure the joint influences on economic growth of technological change, efficiency improvements, 

returns to scale, reallocation of resources and other factors of economic growth, allowing for the effects 

of capital, labor, and intermediate inputs. The multifactor productivity indexes are derived by dividing 

an output index by an index of the combined inputs of labor, capital services, energy, non-energy 

materials, and purchased business services.
- 9 -

Other information

Comprehensive tables containing more detailed data than that which is published in this press release are 

available upon request at 202-691-5606 or at http://www.bls.gov/mfp/mprdload.htm. More detailed 

information on methods, limitations, and data sources of capital and labor are provided in BLS Bulletin 

2178 (September 1983), Trends in Multifactor Productivity, 1948-81 and on the BLS Multifactor 

Productivity website under the title “Technical Information About the BLS Multifactor Productivity 

Measures” for Major Sectors and 18 NAICS 3-digit Manufacturing Industries at 

http://www.bls.gov/mfp/mprtech.pdf. General information is available on the BLS Multifactor 

Productivity website at http://www.bls.gov/mfp/mprover.htm. Additional data not contained in the 

release can be obtained in print or at http://www.bls.gov/mfp. A number of comprehensive tables set up 

as zip files can be obtained at http://www.bls.gov/mfp/mprdload.htm. Methods for measuring 

manufacturing multifactor productivity are discussed in the July 1995 issue of the Monthly Labor 

Review, "Measurement of productivity growth in U.S. manufacturing”. See 

http://www.bls.gov/mfp/mprgul95.pdf. 
- 10 -

Table 1. Manufacturing sector: productivity and related measures for the 1987-2014 period

Annual percent change from previous year

Year

Productivity Inputs

Output

per unit Purchased Combined 

Labor of capital Multifactor Sectoral Capital business units of all

Productivity1 services Productivity2 Output Labor3 Services Energy Materials services Inputs4

1988 2.0 1.5 2.5 4.0 2.4 2.4 4.2 -4.1 8.7 1.5

1989 -0.3 -1.7 -0.9 1.0 1.9 2.8 -0.4 -0.5 6.0 2.0

1990 3.9 -2.4 -0.8 0.5 -2.7 3.0 1.9 5.2 1.6 1.3

1991 2.2 -4.2 -0.9 -1.7 -2.9 2.6 -0.3 -0.5 -0.7 -0.8

1992 5.9 2.4 -0.5 5.1 -1.0 2.6 -1.0 17.8 7.5 5.6

1993 2.4 1.2 2.4 3.7 2.2 2.5 3.2 -0.9 0.5 1.2

1994 2.9 2.7 2.8 5.3 2.6 2.5 3.6 1.1 3.8 2.4

1995 2.8 0.4 1.6 3.9 2.4 3.5 2.8 -0.7 4.9 2.3

1996 4.9 -0.1 0.2 4.2 -0.2 4.3 -2.7 13.3 -0.5 4.0

1997 4.4 1.9 2.5 6.8 3.1 4.8 -1.9 5.8 3.9 4.2

1998 2.6 -2.0 1.2 2.8 1.2 4.9 4.7 -3.6 4.9 1.5

1999 5.4 0.0 1.9 4.0 -1.0 4.0 23.7 3.9 0.7 2.1

2000 7.5 2.4 3.8 5.7 -1.3 3.3 11.5 7.3 -2.1 1.9

2001 0.4 -8.2 -1.8 -6.3 -5.6 2.1 14.5 -16.4 2.7 -4.5

2002 4.7 -3.6 2.5 -2.4 -5.9 1.3 -24.4 -8.5 -1.3 -4.8

2003 6.4 0.7 5.4 1.3 -3.7 0.6 -12.3 -6.4 -5.4 -3.9

2004 5.5 4.7 2.3 4.9 0.7 0.2 -5.2 16.8 -6.2 2.6

2005 5.9 3.9 0.8 5.0 -1.3 1.0 7.0 11.4 6.8 4.1

2006 3.5 2.6 2.0 4.0 1.4 1.4 -7.6 6.8 -3.0 2.0

2007 6.0 2.2 1.0 4.4 -1.3 2.2 6.5 8.0 2.9 3.4

2008 3.9 -3.1 0.1 -0.2 -3.2 3.0 -1.0 3.2 -8.8 -0.3

2009 -6.5 -19.9 -2.2 -18.9 -11.8 1.3 -27.4 -35.3 -3.1 -17.0

2010 10.2 9.8 3.8 10.7 0.2 0.8 -2.7 21.5 2.9 6.7

2011 5.5 6.6 -1.3 7.7 2.2 1.1 8.6 23.3 1.4 9.2

2012 1.7 2.8 -2.8 4.1 2.5 1.3 5.5 12.5 8.0 7.0

2013 0.0 -0.9 0.1 1.0 1.6 1.9 -0.3 -1.0 3.6 0.8

2014 0.0 -0.8 -1.0 1.7 0.6 2.5 -1.6 3.3 4.6 2.6

1 Output per hour worked.

2 Output per combined units of labor input, capital services, energy, materials, and purchased business services.

3 Hours at work by age, education, and gender group, weighted by each group’s share of total wages.

4 Combined units of hours, capital services, energy, materials, and purchased business services, chained superlative index.

Source: The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) develops productivity measures using output data published by the Bureau of the Census, U.S. 

Department of Commerce, and modified by BLS. Compensation and hours data are from the BLS. Capital measures are based on data supplied by the 

BEA, U.S. Department of Commerce. See Technical Notes in this release.
- 11 -

Table 2. Manufacturing sector: indexes of productivity and related measures, 1987-2014

Indexes 2009=100

Productivity Inputs

Output

per unit Purchased Combined 

Year Labor of capital Multifactor Sectoral Capital business units of all

Productivity1 services Productivity2 Output Labor 3 Services Energy Materials services Inputs4

1987 47.6 124.4 77.7 71.6 129.3 57.6 116.1 92.4 80.7 92.2

1988 48.5 126.3 79.6 74.5 132.4 59.0 121.1 88.6 87.7 93.5

1989 48.4 124.1 78.9 75.2 134.9 60.6 120.6 88.2 93.0 95.4

1990 50.3 121.1 78.2 75.6 131.2 62.4 122.8 92.8 94.4 96.6

1991 51.4 116.0 77.5 74.3 127.5 64.0 122.5 92.3 93.8 95.9

1992 54.4 118.9 77.1 78.1 126.1 65.7 121.3 108.7 100.8 101.2

1993 55.7 120.3 79.0 80.9 129.0 67.3 125.2 107.7 101.3 102.4

1994 57.4 123.6 81.2 85.2 132.3 69.0 129.7 108.9 105.2 104.9

1995 59.0 124.0 82.5 88.6 135.5 71.4 133.3 108.1 110.4 107.3

1996 61.9 123.9 82.7 92.3 135.2 74.4 129.7 122.5 109.8 111.6

1997 64.6 126.3 84.7 98.5 139.3 78.0 127.1 129.6 114.2 116.3

1998 66.3 123.8 85.8 101.3 141.0 81.8 133.1 125.0 119.7 118.1

1999 69.8 123.9 87.4 105.4 139.6 85.1 164.6 129.9 120.5 120.6

2000 75.1 126.8 90.7 111.4 137.7 87.9 183.6 139.4 118.0 122.8

2001 75.4 116.4 89.1 104.5 129.9 89.8 210.2 116.6 121.3 117.3

2002 78.9 112.2 91.3 101.9 122.3 90.9 158.9 106.7 119.7 111.7

2003 84.0 113.0 96.2 103.3 117.7 91.4 139.3 99.8 113.2 107.4

2004 88.6 118.3 98.4 108.4 118.6 91.6 132.1 116.7 106.2 110.2

2005 93.8 123.0 99.1 113.7 117.0 92.5 141.3 129.9 113.4 114.7

2006 97.1 126.1 101.2 118.3 118.6 93.8 130.5 138.8 110.0 117.0

2007 102.9 128.9 102.2 123.5 117.1 95.9 139.1 149.9 113.2 120.9

2008 107.0 124.8 102.3 123.2 113.4 98.7 137.7 154.7 103.2 120.5

2009 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

2010 110.2 109.8 103.8 110.7 100.2 100.8 97.3 121.5 102.9 106.7

2011 116.2 117.0 102.4 119.2 102.4 101.9 105.7 149.7 104.4 116.5

2012 118.2 120.2 99.5 124.1 104.9 103.2 111.4 168.5 112.7 124.7

2013 118.2 119.1 99.7 125.3 106.6 105.2 111.1 166.9 116.8 125.7

2014 118.2 118.1 98.7 127.4 107.3 107.8 109.4 172.3 122.2 129.0

1 Output per hour worked.

2 Output per combined units of labor input, capital services, energy, materials, and purchased business services.

3 Hours at work by age, education, and gender group, weighted by each group’s share of total wages.

4 Combined units of hours, capital services, energy, materials, and purchased business services, chained superlative index.

Source: The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) develops productivity measures using output data published by the Bureau of the Census, U.S. 

Department of Commerce, and modified by BLS. Compensation and hours data are from the BLS. Capital measures are based on data supplied by the 

BEA, U.S. Department of Commerce. See Technical Notes in this release.
- 12 -

Table 3. Multifactor productivity measures for manufacturing industries in selected periods, 1987-2014

Compound annual growth rates

Manufacturing

1987-

2014

1987-

1990

1990-

1995

1995-

2000

2000-

2007

2007-

2014

2013-

2014

0.9 0.2 1.1 1.9 1.7 -0.5 -1.0

Nondurable manufacturing -0.1 -0.5 0.4 -0.2 0.6 -0.8 0.5

Food, beverage, and tobacco products -0.3 -1.6 1.3 -1.7 0.6 -0.9 -1.8

Textile mills and textile product mills 0.8 1.3 0.5 1.4 0.9 0.1 4.3

Apparel, leather, and allied products -1.5 -0.2 2.4 0.8 1.5 -8.9 -3.7

Paper products -0.3 -0.4 -0.1 -0.1 0.3 -1.0 -2.6

Printing and related support activities 0.9 0.3 -0.7 0.6 2.4 0.8 0.2

Petroleum and coal products 1.0 -0.7 1.7 2.9 0.4 0.6 3.8

Chemical products -0.8 -0.8 -1.1 -0.5 0.7 -2.1 -0.2

Plastics and rubber products 0.4 0.4 0.2 1.4 0.2 0.1 1.5

Durable manufacturing 1.6 0.9 1.5 3.2 2.5 -0.1 -2.5

Wood products -0.1 1.4 -1.7 -0.5 0.9 -0.4 -1.0

Nonmetallic mineral products 0.1 0.3 0.7 0.3 0.0 -0.4 -3.1

Primary metals 0.2 1.1 0.0 0.5 0.5 -0.5 -6.2

Fabricated metal products -0.2 -0.2 0.8 -0.4 0.5 -1.4 -0.2

Machinery -0.4 1.0 -2.2 -1.2 1.2 -0.6 -1.9

Computer and electronic products 7.6 5.4 10.0 15.5 6.8 2.2 -2.0

Electrical equipment, appliances, and components -0.9 -2.0 -2.6 -2.8 2.0 -0.5 -0.3

Transportation equipment 0.2 -1.6 -0.2 0.2 1.7 -0.2 -2.2

Furniture and related products -0.2 -0.6 0.1 0.4 0.3 -1.2 -2.3

Miscellaneous manufacturing 0.6 2.6 -0.4 1.0 0.9 -0.2 -1.0