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The Global Insight

How do we measure productivity?

Author

Christopher Ramos

Updated on March 02, 2026

Productivity is measured by comparing the amount of goods and services produced with the inputs which were used in production. Labor productivity is the ratio of the output of goods and services to the labor hours devoted to the production of that output.

How do you measure productivity in the workplace?

You can measure employee productivity with the labor productivity equation: total output / total input. Let’s say your company generated $80,000 worth of goods or services (output) utilizing 1,500 labor hours (input). To calculate your company’s labor productivity, you would divide 80,000 by 1,500, which equals 53.

How is productivity measured example?

Measuring Productivity Using Total Sales Another common way to measure a company’s labor productivity level is to divide the total sales by the total amount of hours worked. For example, company ABC had net sales of $15 million and its employees worked a total of 20,000 hours over the last fiscal year.

What are the two types of productivity?

Types of Productivity Measures

  • Capital Productivity. Capital productivity tells you the ratio of products or services to physical capital.
  • Material Productivity. Another ratio is material productivity.
  • Labor Productivity.
  • Total Factor Productivity.
  • Simple Productivity Output.
  • 360-Degree Feedback.
  • Time Tracking.
  • Efficiency.

What are the factors of productivity?

8 Factors Affecting Productivity in an Organization

  • Man Power: Selection i.e. selection of right man for a specific job Applying well known saying division of labour.
  • Equipment and Machines:
  • Input Materials:
  • Time:
  • Floor Area or Space:
  • Power or Energy:
  • Finance:
  • Movement of Man and Materials:

    What’s the best way to measure productivity at work?

    Productivity in the workplace is a measure of production input’s efficiency to produce a desired level of output. The output here can be products or services and the input can be people, capital, or machines. Productivity is not about wages or time. Spending more time doesn’t mean that a production unit is more productive.

    Which is an example of a productivity formula?

    This formula calculates the quantity of output per unit of input over a specific period of time. Outputs include revenue or units of finished goods, while inputs include things such as raw materials, labor, or capital assets. As an example, let’s say your company generated $60,000 worth of goods in 1,400 hours.

    How to calculate the productivity of an organization?

    To calculate the labor productivity: $60,000/1,400 hours = $43 per hour of work. You can use this formula to measure the productivity of a department or organization and get actual numbers. It works particularly well in organizations and departments where each unit produced is of equal value.

    What’s the problem with single factor productivity measures?

    The trouble with single-factor productivity measures (whether output per labor hour, output per machine, or output per ton of material) is that it is easy to increase the productivity of one factor by replacing it with another. Labor, capital, and materials are all potential substitutes for each other.