Productivity and Costs by Industry: Wholesale Trade, Retail Trade, and Food Services and Drinking Places Industries, 2010
"Labor productivity - defined as output per hour – rose in wholesale trade, retail trade, and food services and drinking places, in 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Productivity increased as follows:

9.0 percent in wholesale trade,
3.9 percent in retail trade, and
1.9 percent in food services and drinking places..."

PRODUCTIVITY AND COSTS BY INDUSTRY: WHOLESALE TRADE, RETAIL TRADE, AND FOOD SERVICES AND DRINKING PLACES INDUSTRIES, 2009
"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..."

Productivity and Costs by Industry: Manufacturing Industries, 2007
"Labor productivity – defined as output per hour – rose in 53 percent of detailed manufacturing industries in 2007, the .S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This was about unchanged from the proportion that recorded productivity increases the previous year. (See table 1.) Unit labor costs declined in 19 percent of the industries.

Output fell and hours declined in more industries in 2007 than in 2006. Output fell in 58 percent of the 86 4-digit NAICS industries in 2007 and hours fell in 63 percent. More industries experienced sharp increases or large declines in productivity in 2007 than in the previous year. Productivity rose by 10 percent or more in ten industries and declined by 10 percent or more in nine industries. Two of the ten largest detailed industries by employment size – aerospace products and parts manufacturing and semiconductors and electronic components manufacturing – posted double-digit output and productivity growth in 2007.

Unit labor costs fell in 16 of the 86 manufacturing industries in 2007. (See table 1.) Unit labor costs reflect the total labor costs required to produce a unit of output. Increases in labor productivity help to offset increases in hourly compensation and thus limit increases in unit labor costs..."