Dispersion Statistics on Productivity (DiSP) is an experimental data product jointly developed and published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Census Bureau.

Productivity measures are critical for understanding economic performance. Official BLS productivity statistics, which are available for major sectors and detailed industries, provide information on the sources of aggregate productivity growth.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, and Experimental Data Product Logo

A large body of research shows that within-industry variation in productivity provides important insights into productivity dynamics. This research reveals large and persistent productivity differences across businesses even within narrowly-defined industries. These differences vary across industries and over time and are related to productivity-enhancing reallocation.

Since there are no official statistics providing this information, the BLS and the Census Bureau are collaborating to create experimental measures of within-industry productivity dispersion. These measures complement the official BLS aggregate and industry-level productivity growth statistics and thereby improve our understanding of the rich productivity dynamics in the U.S. economy.

The underlying micro data for these measures are available for use by qualified researchers on approved projects in the Federal Statistical Research Data Center s.

These DiSP confirm the presence of large productivity differences, and we hope that these statistics will further encourage research into understanding these differences.

NEW: The 2024 release adds another year of data; the series now covers years 1987-2021. The 2024 release of DiSP is based on longitudinally consistent 2017 NAICS codes.

Productivity measures
- Output per hour
- Total factor productivity
Dispersion statistics
- Standard deviation
- Interquartile range
- Inter-decile range (90-10)
- Upper tail range (99-90)
- Lower tail range (10-01)
4-digit NAICS
1987-2021

Download experimental Dispersion Statistics on Productivity (DiSP) data tables below. Variable definitions can be found in the DiSP Definitions below and in the DiSP README file.

The Census Bureau has reviewed this data product to ensure appropriate access, use, and disclosure avoidance protection of the confidential source data. (Project No. P-7526913, Disclosure Review Board (DRB) approval number: CBDRB-FY24-0303)

Productivity Measure Data Tables

Productivity Measure	Availability	CSV
Output per hour	1987 - 2021	output_per_hour.csv
Total factor productivity	1987 - 2021	total_factor_productivity.csv

Note: Cells with identified data quality concerns are suppressed with a publication flag ‘S’.

For reference, users may be interested in establishment counts by industry. The Business Dynamics Statistics 4-digit NAICS table provides establishment counts by 2017 NAICS.

Business Dynamics Statistics 4-digit NAICS Table [1.8 MB]

Prior Versions of the DiSP Data

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naics4 – 4-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code (longitudinally consistent 2017 NAICS codes)

year – 4-digit year

sd – standard deviation

d7525 - difference between the 75th and 25th percentile of the within-industry distribution of the natural log of productivity in a given year

d9010 - difference between the 90th and 10th percentile of the within-industry distribution of the natural log of productivity in a given year

d1001 - difference between the 10th and 1st percentile of the within-industry distribution of the natural log of productivity in a given year

d9990 - difference between the 99th and 90th percentile of the within-industry distribution of the natural log of productivity in a given year

<variable name>* - asterisk indicates activity weighted dispersion measure (output per hour weighted by total hours; total factor productivity weighted by cost-share-based input index)

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Two productivity measures are created:

Output per hour
Total factor productivity (cost-share-based; previously called multifactor productivity)

Productivity measures are created using:

Establishment-level data
Industry-level data
- Bureau of Labor Statistics productivity statistics, deflators, depreciation rates
- Bureau of Economic Analysis deflators, depreciation rates
- NBER-CES Manufacturing Industry Database

For detailed information on methodology see:

Blackwood, G. Jacob, Cheryl Grim, Rachel Nesbit, Cody Tuttle, and Zoltan Wolf. 2023. “Collaborative Micro-productivity Project: Establishment-Level Productivity Dataset, 1972-2020.” CES Discussion Paper Series, CES-WP-23-65.

Collaborative Micro-Productivity Project: Establishment-Level Productivity Dataset, 1972-2020

Cunningham, Cindy, Lucia Foster, Cheryl Grim, John Haltiwanger, Sabrina Wulff Pabilonia, Jay Stewart, and Zoltan Wolf. 2023. “Dispersion in Dispersion: Measuring Establishment-Level Differences in Productivity.” Review of Income and Wealth, 69(4): 999-1032. [Earlier version: CES Discussion Paper Series, CES-WP-18-25RRR (2022)].

Dispersion in Dispersion: Measuring Establishment-Level Differences in Productivity

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The Dispersion Statistics on Productivity (DiSP) are the result of a collaboration between the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the U.S. Census Bureau, the Collaborative Microproductivity Project (CMP). Below, we provide links to selected publications, blogs, and presentations related to the CMP and the DiSP.

Blackwood, G. Jacob, Cindy Cunningham, Matthew Dey, Lucia Foster, Cheryl Grim, John Haltiwanger, Rachel Nesbit, Sabrina Pabilonia, Jay Stewart, Cody Tuttle, and Zoltan Wolf. Forthcoming. "Opening the Black Box: Task and Skill Mix and Productivity Dispersion." In Technology, Productivity, and Economic Growth, ed. Susanto Basu, Lucy P. Eldridge, John C. Haltiwanger, and Erich Strassner. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Opening the Black Box: Task and Skill Mix and Productivity Dispersion

Blackwood, G. Jacob, Lucia S. Foster, Cheryl A. Grim, John Haltiwanger, and Zoltan Wolf. 2021. "Macro and Micro Dynamics of Productivity: From Devilish Details to Insights." American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, 13(3): 142-172.

Macro and Micro Dynamics of Productivity: From Devilish Details to Insights

Collaborative Micro-Productivity Project: Establishment-Level Productivity Dataset, 1972-2020

Dispersion in Dispersion: Measuring Establishment-Level Differences in Productivity

Cunningham, Cindy, Lucia Foster, Cheryl Grim, John Haltiwanger, Sabrina Pabilonia, Jay Stewart, and Zoltan Wolf. 2021. "Chaos Before Order: Productivity Patterns in U.S. Manufacturing." International Productivity Monitor, 41(Fall): 138-152.

Chaos Before Order: Productivity Patterns in U.S. Manufacturing [<1.0 MB]

Dinlersoz, Emin, and Zoltan Wolf. 2023. "Automation, Labor Share, and Productivity: Plant-level Evidence from US Manufacturing." Economics of Innovation and New Technology, 33(4): 604-626. [Earlier version: CES Discussion Paper Series, CES-WP-18-39 (2018)].

Automation, Labor Share, and Productivity: Plant-Level Evidence from U.S. Manufacturing

Foster, Lucia, John Haltiwanger, and Cody Tuttle. 2022. “Rising Markups or Changing Technology?” CES Discussion Paper Series, CES-WP-22-38.

Rising Markups or Changing Technology?

Foster, Lucia, Cheryl Grim, John Haltiwanger, and Zoltan Wolf. 2021. “Innovation, Productivity Dispersion, and Productivity Growth.” In Measuring and Accounting for Innovation in the 21^st Century, ed. Carol Corrado, Jonathan Haskel, Javier Miranda, and Daniel Sichel. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Innovation, Productivity Dispersion, and Productivity Growth

Foster, Lucia, Cheryl Grim, John Haltiwanger, and Zoltan Wolf. 2018. “Firm innovation and productivity: Searching for black holes.” VOX column.

Firm innovation and productivity: Searching for black holes

Foster, Lucia, Cheryl Grim, and John Haltiwanger. 2016. “Reallocation in the Great Recession: Cleansing or Not?” Journal of Labor Economics, 34(S1): S293-S331.

Reallocation in the Great Recession: Cleansing or Not?

Foster, Lucia, Cheryl Grim, John Haltiwanger, and Zoltan Wolf. 2016. “Firm-Level Dispersion in Productivity: Is the Devil in the Details?” American Economic Review, Papers and Proceedings, 106(5): 95-98.

Firm-Level Dispersion in Productivity: Is the Devil in the Details?

Foster, Lucia, Cheryl Grim, Sabrina Pabilonia, Jay Stewart, Zoltan Wolf, and Cindy Zoghi. 2014. “Collaborative Micro-Productivity Project.” Presented at Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee, December 12, 2014, U.S. Census Bureau, Suitland, MD.

Collaborative Micro-Productivity Project [<1.0 MB]

Foster, Lucia and Cheryl Grim. 2014. “The Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau Collaborate to Create New Productivity Statistics.” Research at the Center for Economic Studies and the Research Data Centers: 2014, Chapter 2, pp. 11-18.

CES and Research Data Centers Research Report: 2014

Foster, Lucia, Cheryl Grim, John Haltiwanger, and Zoltan Wolf. 2014. “A Tarnished Silver Lining: The Great Recession and Productivity.” Research Matters Blog, U.S. Census Bureau, Suitland, MD.

A Tarnished Silver Lining: The Great Recession and Productivity

Grim, Cheryl. 2019. “What Drives Productivity Growth?.” U.S. Census Bureau, America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers.

What Drives Productivity Growth?

Smith, Dominic, G. Jacob Blackwood, Michael D. Giandrea, Cheryl Grim, Jay Stewart, and Zoltan Wolf. 2024. “Productivity Dispersion and Structural Change in Retail Trade.” CES Discussion Paper Series, CES-WP-23-60R.

Productivity Dispersion and Structural Change in Retail Trade

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Initial Release Date

September 2019

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Questions? Contact us at ces.disp@census.gov.

Please provide your feedback: Census.Experimental.Data@census.gov

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Page Last Revised - March 6, 2025

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