05.11.202613:30:00UTC+00U.S. Nonfarm Productivity Surges to 3.6% in Q3 2026, Marking Stronger Efficiency Gains

U.S. nonfarm productivity accelerated sharply in the third quarter of 2026, rising 3.6% quarter-over-quarter, up from a 1.4% increase in the second quarter of 2026. The data, updated on 05 November 2026, signal a notable strengthening in output per hour worked across the nonfarm business sector.

The improvement means that, compared with the prior quarter, businesses generated significantly more output for each hour of labor, following a more modest gain in productivity earlier in the year. In the previous period, the 1.4% rise in the second quarter reflected a comparison with the first quarter of 2026, whereas the latest 3.6% reading compares productivity in the third quarter with the second quarter.

On a quarter-over-quarter basis, the acceleration from 1.4% to 3.6% underscores a robust upswing in efficiency gains, an important input for unit labor costs, corporate margins, and long-term growth potential. Investors and policymakers are likely to view the stronger productivity reading as a supportive signal for the U.S. economic outlook during the second half of 2026.