For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, July 12, 2017 USDL-17-0960

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 - 2015

Manufacturing sector multifactor productivity decreased at a 2.8-percent annual rate in 2015, the U.S. Bureau 

of Labor Statistics reported today. (See chart 1, table A.) The 2015 decline was the largest decline since 2012 and 

reflected a 1.2-percent increase in sectoral output and a 4.1-percent increase in combined inputs. The decrease in 

multifactor productivity followed a 0.9-percent increase in 2014.

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

of labor input, capital services, 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. 

Durable manufacturing sector multifactor productivity decreased at a 2.4-percent annual rate in 2015

following a 0.1-percent decrease in 2014. Nondurable manufacturing sector multifactor productivity

decreased at a 2.7-percent annual rate in 2015, following a 1.5-percent increase in 2014. (See table 3.)

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

manufacturing sectors, 1987-2015 period.

 Annual percent change 

Methodology Change to BLS Productivity Measures

A methodology change has been implemented with the release of these data. This change will also impact BLS multifactor 

productivity trends for detailed industries, scheduled for release July 20, 2017. BLS has updated the way intrasectoral 

transactions and labor composition are estimated. More information about these changes can be found shortly at 

www.bls.gov/mfp/sectoraloutputrevisions.htm.

-6.0

-4.0

-2.0

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

1988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015

Manufacturing Durable manufacturing Nondurable manufacturing
- 2 -

Among the 18 manufacturing industries, half experienced increases in multifactor productivity in 2015. Primary 

metals and computer electronic products industries showed the largest gains in multifactor productivity. The 

decline in multifactor productivity for the manufacturing sector was led by a decline in multifactor productivity in 

the chemical products and transportation equipment industries. Sectoral output increased in 61 percent of 

industries and combined inputs increased in 56 percent of industries in 2015 (See chart 2, table 3.)

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

and combined inputs, 2011-15

Trends in the manufacturing sector

Manufacturing sector output growth decelerated in 2015 with an annual increase of 1.2 percent compared to the 

1.6 percent rate in 2014. In 2015, the 4.1-percent growth in combined inputs accelerated from the 0.7-percent 

growth experienced in 2014, driven by a 7.3-percent growth in materials and a 5.8-percent growth in purchased 

business services. (See table 1.) 

Multifactor productivity in the manufacturing sector grew at an average annual rate of 0.8 percent from 1987 to 

2015 with sectoral output increasing at an average annual rate of 1.7 percent, faster than the 0.9-percent average 

annual rate of increase in combined inputs. During the same period, labor productivity grew at an average annual 

rate of 2.9 percent. (See table A.) Of the 2.9-percent average annual increase in labor productivity, multifactor 

productivity contributed 0.8 percent, capital intensity contributed 0.8 percent, intermediate inputs intensity 

contributed 1.2 percent, and labor composition contributed 0.2 percent. (See table B.)

For the most recent 2007-15 period, multifactor productivity declined at a 0.6-percent average annual rate as 

compared to the 1.7-percent average annual rate of increase experienced in the 2000-07 period. (See table A.) 

Sectoral output decreased at a 0.4-percent annual average rate and combined inputs rose at a 0.2-percent annual 

average rate over the 2007-15 period.

39

67

78

28

67

78

56

72

61

33

61 61

50

61

56

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Increasing multifactor productivity Increasing sectoral output Increasing combined inputs

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Percentage point
- 3 -

Revised measures

The difference between revised and previous productivity measures and related data in the manufacturing, durable 

manufacturing, and nondurable manufacturing sectors are displayed in table C. The revisions were a result of 

changes to BLS methodology for estimating intrasectoral transactions and labor composition, as well as revisions 

to the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA) released on January 27, 2017 and the Gross Domestic 

Product by Industry data released on November 2, 2016. More information about the methodology change can be 

found shortly at www.bls.gov/mfp/sectoraloutputrevisions.htm.

The combined impact of these revisions over the 1987-2014 period resulted in a 0.1 percentage point upward 

revision to multifactor productivity in nondurable manufacturing, with multifactor productivity in manufacturing 

and durable manufacturing unchanged. 

In 2014, multifactor productivity in the manufacturing sector was revised upward 1.9 percent, largely due to a 

downward revision in combined inputs. Multifactor productivity was revised upward 2.4 percent in the durable 

manufacturing sector and 1.0 percent in the nondurable manufacturing sector. In 2013, multifactor productivity 

and related measures in the manufacturing, durable manufacturing, and nondurable manufacturing sectors also 

exhibited major revisions.

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

2015

Average annual growth

 1987-

2015

1987-

1990

1990-

1995

1995-

2000

2000-

2007

2007-

2015

2014-

2015

Productivity

 Multifactor Productivity1 0.8 0.3 1.0 1.8 1.7 -0.6 -2.8

 Labor Productivity2 2.9 1.8 3.2 4.7 4.3 0.9 0.5

 Output per unit of capital services -0.6 -0.8 0.5 0.3 -0.1 -2.1 -1.4

Sectoral Output 1.7 1.8 3.2 4.5 1.1 -0.4 1.2

Inputs

 Combined Inputs3 0.9 1.5 2.2 2.6 -0.6 0.2 4.1

 Labor input4 -0.6 0.4 0.7 0.3 -2.4 -0.8 1.4

 Hours -1.2 0.0 0.0 -0.2 -3.1 -1.3 0.8

 Labor composition5 0.6 0.4 0.7 0.4 0.7 0.5 0.6

 Capital services 2.3 2.7 2.7 4.2 1.3 1.8 2.6

 Energy -0.8 1.9 1.6 6.6 -3.9 -5.1 -8.4

 Materials 1.5 0.4 3.2 4.3 0.3 0.0 7.3

Purchased business services 1.5 5.3 3.2 1.3 -0.5 0.9 5.8

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, 1987-2015

Average annual growth

1987-

2015

1987-

1990

1990-

1995

1995-

2000

2000-

2007

2007-

2015

2014-

2015

Labor Productivity1 2.9 1.8 3.2 4.7 4.3 0.9 0.5

 Contribution of capital intensity2 0.8 0.5 0.5 0.9 0.9 0.7 0.5

 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 0.2

 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 0.2

 Contribution of intermediate 

 inputs intensity6 1.2 0.9 1.5 1.7 1.4 0.7 2.7

 Energy intensity7 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.0 -0.1 -0.2

 Materials intensity8 0.8 0.1 0.9 1.3 1.0 0.4 2.1

 Purchased business 

 services intensity9 0.4 0.7 0.5 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.8

 Contribution of labor 

 composition10 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1

 Multifactor productivity11 0.8 0.3 1.0 1.8 1.7 -0.6 -2.8
- 5 -

Table C. Difference between revised and previous multifactor productivity and related measures, for 

selected periods 1987-2014

Average annual growth

1987-

2014

1987-

1990

1990-

1995

1995-

2000

2000-

2007

2007-

2014

2012-

2013

2013-

2014

Manufacturing

 Multifactor productivity1  0.0 0.1 -0.1 -0.1 0.0 0.2 0.0 1.9

 Labor productivity -0.4 -0.1 -0.1 -0.2 -0.3 -1.0 0.9 0.0

 Sectoral Output -0.5 0.0 0.0 -0.2 -0.4 -1.0 0.8 -0.1

 Combined Inputs2-0.5 -0.1 0.1 -0.1 -0.4 -1.2 0.9 -1.9

 Capital Services -0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -0.1

Labor Input3 0.0 -0.1 0.1 0.0 -0.1 0.0 -0.1 0.4

Energy -0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -1.2 0.0 -8.5

Materials -1.1 0.3 0.1 -0.9 -0.7 -3.0 2.6 -2.7

Purchased Services -0.2 -0.1 0.0 -0.1 0.1 -0.9 -1.4 -5.1

Durable Manufacturing

Multifactor productivity1 0.0 -0.1 -0.2 -0.1 0.0 0.3 -0.6 2.4

Labor productivity -0.4 -0.1 0.0 -0.4 0.0 -0.9 0.9 0.2

Sectoral Output -0.4 0.0 0.0 -0.3 0.0 -0.9 0.9 0.0

Combined Inputs2-0.4 0.0 0.1 -0.1 -0.1 -1.2 1.5 -2.6

Capital Services 0.0 -0.1 -0.1 -0.1 0.0 0.0 -0.2 -0.4

Labor Input3 0.0 0.0 0.1 -0.1 0.0 0.0 -0.2 0.4

Energy -0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -0.6 1.5 -6.2

Materials -1.0 0.1 0.0 -0.6 -0.5 -3.0 4.9 -4.7

Purchased Services -0.2 0.0 0.0 -0.1 0.1 -0.6 0.2 -4.7

Nondurable Manufacturing

Multifactor productivity1  0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 1.0

Labor productivity -0.2 0.0 0.0 -0.2 -0.1 -0.7 0.4 0.0

Sectoral Output -0.3 0.0 0.0 -0.2 -0.1 -0.6 0.3 0.1

Combined Inputs2-0.3 0.0 0.0 -0.2 -0.1 -0.9 -0.1 -0.9

Capital Services 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1

Labor Input3 0.0 -0.3 0.0 0.0 -0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2

Energy -0.4 0.0 -0.1 0.0 0.0 -1.6 -0.8 -9.8

Materials -0.5 0.1 0.1 -0.6 -0.1 -1.4 0.4 -0.3

Purchased Services -0.4 -0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 -1.3 -3.3 -5.7

 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 Hours at work by age, education, and gender group, weighted by each group’s share of total wages.
- 6 -

Technical Notes

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 valueadded 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 2, 2017

“Productivity and Costs” news release (USDL-17-0140). 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 

“Changes in the Composition of Labor for BLS Multifactor Productivity Measures, 2014” 

(www.bls.gov/mfp/mprlabor.pdf).

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 industry level. 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.
- 7 -

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. 

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 value-added”. 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 its 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.
- 8 -

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. 
- 9 -

Table 1. Manufacturing sector: productivity and related measures for the 1987-2015 period

Annual percent change from previous year

Year

Productivity Inputs

Output

per unit Purchased

Multifactor of capital Labor Sectoral Combined Capital business

Productivity1 services Productivity2 Output Inputs3 Labor4 Services Energy Materials services

1988 2.4 1.7 2.1 4.1 1.6 2.2 2.3 4.2 -2.7 8.6

1989 -0.9 -1.6 -0.2 1.1 1.9 1.9 2.7 -0.4 -0.2 5.9

1990 -0.7 -2.5 3.7 0.4 1.1 -2.9 3.0 1.9 4.1 1.6

1991 -1.0 -4.2 2.1 -1.8 -0.8 -2.7 2.6 -0.3 -0.9 -0.6

1992 -0.5 2.3 5.8 4.9 5.5 -1.1 2.5 -1.1 15.6 7.4

1993 2.2 1.1 2.4 3.6 1.3 2.3 2.4 3.3 -0.3 0.6

1994 2.5 2.7 2.9 5.3 2.7 2.9 2.5 3.6 2.0 3.9

1995 1.7 0.7 3.0 4.1 2.4 2.1 3.4 2.7 0.5 4.7

1996 0.2 0.1 4.9 4.2 4.0 0.0 4.2 -2.8 11.9 -0.6

1997 2.6 2.0 4.4 6.9 4.1 2.5 4.7 -1.9 6.1 3.8

1998 1.2 -0.1 4.5 4.7 3.5 1.1 4.8 4.7 4.3 4.9

1999 1.7 0.2 5.4 4.2 2.4 -0.9 4.0 23.7 4.6 0.6

2000 3.6 -0.7 4.1 2.5 -1.0 -1.2 3.3 11.6 -4.5 -2.1

2001 -1.8 -6.1 2.7 -4.1 -2.3 -5.6 2.1 14.4 -6.9 2.7

2002 2.3 -0.8 7.9 0.4 -1.9 -6.0 1.3 -24.4 4.0 -1.2

2003 5.1 0.4 6.2 1.0 -3.8 -4.1 0.6 -12.3 -5.2 -5.4

2004 2.5 2.0 2.9 2.2 -0.3 0.3 0.2 -5.1 2.7 -6.1

2005 0.7 2.9 4.9 4.0 3.2 -1.0 1.0 7.0 6.6 6.9

2006 2.2 0.2 1.2 1.6 -0.5 1.1 1.4 -7.6 -1.5 -3.0

2007 1.0 0.8 4.6 3.0 1.9 -1.2 2.2 6.6 3.3 3.0

2008 0.3 -7.5 -0.8 -4.8 -5.1 -3.3 3.0 -1.0 -9.9 -8.8

2009 -2.9 -13.1 1.4 -12.0 -9.4 -11.4 1.3 -27.4 -15.9 -3.1

2010 3.8 5.2 5.7 6.1 2.1 0.5 0.8 -2.7 4.6 2.9

2011 -1.0 1.6 0.6 2.7 3.8 1.7 1.1 8.6 7.9 1.4

2012 -2.9 0.2 -0.7 1.5 4.6 2.5 1.3 5.5 6.6 8.0

2013 0.1 -0.1 0.9 1.8 1.7 1.5 1.9 -0.3 1.6 2.2

2014 0.9 -0.8 0.0 1.6 0.7 1.0 2.4 -10.1 0.6 -0.5

2015 -2.8 -1.4 0.5 1.2 4.1 1.4 2.6 -8.4 7.3 5.8

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, weighted by each group’s share of total wages.

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.
- 10 -

Table 2. Manufacturing sector: indexes of productivity and related measures, 1987-2015 period

Indexes 2009=100

Productivity Inputs

Output

per unit Purchased

Year Multifactor of capital Labor Sectoral Combined Capital business

Productivity1 services Productivity2 Output Inputs3 Labor 4 Services Energy Materials services

1987 78.7 123.8 47.5 71.7 91.2 130.2 57.9 115.9 88.0 80.7

1988 80.6 125.9 48.5 74.6 92.6 133.0 59.3 120.8 85.7 87.7

1989 79.9 123.9 48.4 75.4 94.4 135.6 60.9 120.3 85.5 92.9

1990 79.3 120.7 50.2 75.7 95.5 131.7 62.7 122.6 89.1 94.3

1991 78.5 115.6 51.3 74.4 94.7 128.2 64.3 122.2 88.3 93.7

1992 78.1 118.3 54.2 78.0 99.9 126.7 65.9 120.9 102.1 100.7

1993 79.8 119.7 55.5 80.8 101.2 129.6 67.5 125.0 101.8 101.3

1994 81.8 122.9 57.1 85.1 104.0 133.4 69.2 129.5 103.8 105.2

1995 83.2 123.7 58.8 88.5 106.5 136.3 71.6 133.0 104.4 110.2

1996 83.3 123.8 61.7 92.3 110.7 136.3 74.5 129.2 116.8 109.5

1997 85.5 126.3 64.4 98.6 115.3 139.7 78.1 126.7 123.9 113.6

1998 86.5 126.2 67.3 103.3 119.4 141.1 81.8 132.7 129.3 119.2

1999 88.0 126.4 70.9 107.6 122.2 139.9 85.1 164.1 135.2 119.9

2000 91.1 125.5 73.9 110.3 121.0 138.2 87.9 183.1 129.1 117.5

2001 89.5 117.9 75.9 105.8 118.2 130.6 89.7 209.5 120.2 120.7

2002 91.6 116.9 81.9 106.2 116.0 122.7 90.9 158.5 124.9 119.3

2003 96.2 117.4 87.0 107.3 111.6 117.7 91.4 139.0 118.4 112.8

2004 98.6 119.8 89.5 109.7 111.2 118.0 91.6 131.9 121.6 106.0

2005 99.4 123.3 93.9 114.0 114.7 116.8 92.5 141.2 129.7 113.3

2006 101.6 123.5 95.1 115.9 114.1 118.1 93.8 130.5 127.8 109.9

2007 102.6 124.5 99.4 119.3 116.3 116.7 95.9 139.1 132.0 113.2

2008 103.0 115.1 98.6 113.6 110.3 112.9 98.7 137.7 118.9 103.2

2009 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

2010 103.8 105.2 105.7 106.1 102.1 100.5 100.8 97.3 104.6 102.9

2011 102.8 106.8 106.3 108.9 106.0 102.3 101.9 105.7 112.8 104.4

2012 99.7 107.0 105.6 110.5 110.8 104.8 103.2 111.4 120.3 112.7

2013 99.8 106.9 106.5 112.5 112.7 106.4 105.2 111.1 122.2 115.2

2014

2015

100.7

 97.8

106.1

 104.6

106.5

107.0

114.2

115.6

113.5

118.2

107.5

109.0

107.7

110.5

99.8

91.4

112.9

131.9

114.6

121.2

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, weighted by each group’s share of total wages.

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 3. Multifactor productivity measures for manufacturing industries in selected periods, 1987-2015

Average annual growth

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.

Manufacturing

1987- 2015 1987-1990 1990-1995 1995- 2000 2000-2007 2007-2015 2014-2015

0.8 0.3 1.0 1.8 1.7 -0.6 -2.8

Nondurable manufacturing -0.1 -0.4 0.4 -0.2 0.6 -0.8 -2.7

Food, beverage, and tobacco products -0.3 -1.5 1.3 -1.6 0.6 -0.8 -1.9

Textile mills and textile product mills 0.7 1.2 0.5 1.4 1.0 0.0 -1.1

Apparel, leather, and allied products -1.1 0.2 2.4 1.0 1.8 -7.1 -3.0

Paper products 0.0 -0.2 -0.2 0.0 0.6 -0.3 0.2

Printing and related support activities 0.7 0.3 -0.7 0.7 2.6 0.0 -3.7

Petroleum and coal products 1.1 -1.1 1.7 3.1 0.3 1.2 1.5

Chemical products -1.0 -0.7 -1.1 -0.4 0.7 -2.9 -7.8

Plastics and rubber products 0.3 0.7 0.2 1.3 0.2 -0.3 1.3

Durable manufacturing 1.5 0.8 1.3 3.1 2.5 -0.2 -2.4

Wood products 0.0 1.4 -1.7 -0.6 0.9 0.2 1.3

Nonmetallic mineral products 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.4 -0.1 0.0 0.5

Primary metals 0.5 1.1 -0.2 1.2 0.4 0.5 2.5

Fabricated metal products -0.3 -0.1 0.7 -0.4 0.6 -1.8 -4.1

Machinery -0.4 1.0 -2.2 -1.4 1.4 -0.9 -3.5

Computer and electronic products 7.0 5.0 9.2 14.4 7.1 2.1 1.9

Electrical equipment, appliances, and 

components

-0.8 -1.9 -2.7 -2.8 1.8 -0.1 0.3

Transportation equipment 0.2 -1.5 -0.3 0.3 1.8 -0.4 -4.4

Furniture and related products -0.1 -0.7 0.3 0.5 0.2 -0.9 0.5

Miscellaneous manufacturing 0.4 2.3 -0.7 1.1 0.9 -0.5 -2.1