Productivity Statistics

The workplace is influenced by many factors. So is employees’ productivity. It can be the tools you use every day, how managers and colleagues treat you or the company culture. All these components impact the average employee’s productivity and engagement. Businesses need to understand how to improve productivity in their workplace without jeopardizing employees’ well-being. We have compiled a list of the latest productivity statistics to help improve your employees’ long-term productivity.

Productivity Statistics (Editor’s Choice)

• A worker is productive for only two hours and 53 minutes per day. (Inc.)
• Productive employees could bring 21% more profits to their company. (Gallup)
• Strong onboarding increases employee productivity by 70%. (SaplingHR)
• 41% of employees claim that stress leads to poor productivity. (AIS)
• 62% of workers stated losing one hour in productivity per day due to pandemic-related stress. (Business Wire)
• Employees who work from home once a month are 24% happier at work. (Apollo Technical)
• 69% of employees would work harder if they knew someone valued and recognized their efforts. (Clear Review)
• Employees who are engaged at work are 38% more likely to reach above-average productivity. (Firstup)

General Productivity Stats

1. The worker is productive only for two hours and 53 minutes per day.

Based on some studies, the average worker’s productivity is influenced by many disruptions. The results indicate that average Americans spend 8.8 hours at work every day. However, if we consider that a worker is productive for only two hours and 53 minutes per day, we are left with over five unproductive hours.

(Inc.)

2. Multitasking may result in a 40% decline in the employee’s productive time.

Switching between tasks may not be as efficient as it seems. Employees’ productivity appears to be deteriorating when multitasking due to brief mental blocks. Even though the costs (in productive time) between switches are relatively low, they increase if people switch continuously. Moreover, there is no need to mention the high possibility of errors, as multitasking productivity statistics indicate.

(APA)

3. Productive employees could bring 21% more profits to the company.

Employee engagement affects workplace productivity a great deal. For instance, engaged employees are more devoted and, as a result, more productive. Being more observant of processes and workflows, they contribute much more to their company's profitability, as employee engagement statistics confirm.

(Gallup)

4. 46% of people find it hard to work in teams.

One of the main stepping stones in increasing productivity for some employees is working in teams. Yet, statistics on productivity in the workplace show that teamwork is not beneficial for many workers. Half of some 81% who regularly work in teams said it could be pretty difficult. Therefore, 80% feel stressed working in teams unless they get clear communication of goals and instructions.

(The Human Capital Hub)

5. 83% of employees don’t need to be in the office to be productive.

Although it might seem that many people are more productive in the workplace rather than working from home, that isn’t entirely true. Employees are benefiting more from the companies adopting remote work and flexible hours, working from home, productivity statistics show. Most employees, in fact, believe this makes them healthier and allows them to be more with their families while remaining productive.

(Fuze)

6. Employers claim that homeworking boosted workers’ productivity by 33%.

The research conducted by CIPD raised awareness about homeworking benefits. The survey confirmed that employers are less likely to claim homeworking decreased productivity compared to June 2020. Now, only 23% of them think so. This suggests that employers have had a significant net productivity benefit during this period. Also, 38% of employers said productivity hasn’t changed over this period. This translates into 71% of those who either think it changed for the better or didn’t make any difference to productivity, statistics indicate.

(CIPD)

7. Remote managers worry mostly about reduced productivity (82%).

One of the managers' top concerns in handling remote teams is employees’ productivity. Next on the list of worries is reduced employee focus (82%), followed by lower engagement and satisfaction (81%). Finally, they are concerned if their employees will get the work done (80%). The least they are worried about is employees’ loneliness (59%), career implications (65%), work overload (67%), and difficulties managing them (68%), according to productivity stats.

(Owl Labs)

8. The turnover rate affecting overall productivity across many industries is 19%.

Turnover rates don’t impact only companies, even though the average cost-per-hire for new employees is around $4,129, but they decrease productivity too. Furthermore, employee retention statistics indicate that the overall turnover rate is about 57.3%. This is a large figure that affects the average productivity significantly.

(Apollo Technical)

9. 73% of people did other things during a meeting.

Although some meetings are necessary, many are a waste of time and affect productivity, according to 50% of workers. Recent workplace statistics show that 91% of employees daydream at meetings, while 39% fall asleep. It’s no wonder that 89% of employees complain about ineffective meetings.

(Apollo Technical)

10. Facebook costs companies $28 billion in lost productivity annually.

Do you wonder how Facebook can affect productivity and loss of employers’ money? It’s simple; an employee who spends time at work browsing social media, particularly Facebook, isn’t working. In fact, Facebook statistics show employees spend 32% of their workdays on this platform. As a result of decreased employees’ efficiency, the company loses money each year.

(Apollo Technical)

11. 64% of participants in a study stated their productivity changed due to internet usage at work.

The internet used for non-work activities significantly reduces productivity levels. Around 42% of workers said they put off their duties because of internet usage at work, statistics confirm. Moreover, 3-5% expressed a preference for the internet to personal hygiene, sleep, and interaction with people, which is worrying. One of the most used apps at work is WhatsApp, which currently boasts over 2 billion MAUs, followed by Facebook and Gmail.

(NCBI)

12. 70% of workers claim they felt distracted while working.

In view of productivity statistics, ad hoc meetings and chatty colleagues often influence the lack of productivity. Accordingly, 16% reported they are almost always distracted at work, while 80% claim chatty coworkers and noise are the main distractions. Other than that, 60% saw meetings as another significant form of disruption. In fact, a study shows that an average employee is interrupted around 56 times per day.

(Applauz)

13. Strong onboarding increases employee productivity by 70%.

Organizations that practice a thorough onboarding process register much higher retention rates (82%) and an increase in average employee productivity, statistics show. Onboarding statistics suggest that making sure to welcome and introduce them properly to the company will speed up employees’ efficiency.

(SaplingHR)

14. Nearly 77% of employees cite greater productivity while working out of the office.

Although sometimes it’s more important to socialize and be close to colleagues, the office isn’t the most comfortable work environment. So, employees often don’t mind working off-site. In turn, this boosts productivity levels. At the same time, it reduces the stress that often comes from commuting and preparing for work, as telecommuting productivity statistics confirm.

(SoftActivity)

15. US companies spend roughly $190 billion to address the psychological and physical effects of burnout.

Productive employees in America sometimes fall under pressure to achieve the best results ever and suffer from burnout. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is on the rise, and healthcare providers are paying more attention to it. Typical manifestations are negative feelings, distancing from the job, reduced work productivity, feeling exhaustion, and lack of energy.

(Apollo Technical)

Employee Happiness Statistics

16. Net productivity in the US has grown by 253% in the last seventy years.

Labor productivity data has witnessed significant growth over the last seven decades, yet hourly compensation hasn’t followed this trend. Furthermore, COVID-19 only accelerated an already serious decline in worker prosperity and happiness. For reference, hourly wages in the last seven decades have increased only 116%.

(WEF)

17. 41% of employees claim that stress leads to poor productivity.

There is a strong correlation between stress and productivity, statistics demonstrate. It creeps into every pore of the workplace and affects how workers perform everyday tasks. Further, HR statistics show that 33% of employees believe stress leads to lower engagement, while 15% are looking for another job due to increased stress and pressure at work.

(AIS)

18. 62% of workers lost at least an hour in productivity every day due to pandemic-related stress.

People were stressed at work before the pandemics, but nearly 70% of workers felt more stressed since it started, productivity statistics show. Not only did a large number lose a minimum of an hour in productivity, but some 32% lost even more than two hours per day. Further, 70% agreed there had been a significant loss of productivity in their company due to pandemic-related anxiety. Additionally, statistics show that men are 27% more likely to lose hours of productivity for this reason.

(Business Wire)

19. One-third of remote workers would be unhappy if the company started to monitor their activities.

It seems that many workers would be against employers using software that monitors their time and activities while working from home. It would greatly affect their happiness and productivity at work, statistics point out. To make matters worse, 43% would consider leaving their jobs if their employer decided to do so.

(SoftActivity)

20. Employees who eat healthy throughout the day are 25% more likely to have higher work efficiency.

Eating more vegetables and fruit per day makes employees more engaged, happier, and creative. These employees are better performers at work, productivity research has shown.

(TotalWellness)

21. Exercising during workdays improves employees’ time management by 72%.

Efficiency levels are much higher among those employees who exercise and work, productivity statistics confirm. In addition, research shows that low-intensity aerobic exercises are better than high-intensity ones at driving productivity. Physical activity, in general, provides employees with more energy and motivation to fight afternoon fatigue waves.

(BBFP)

22. Fatigue-induced productivity losses were projected at around $1,967 per employee annually.

Sleep disturbance worsens decreased productivity levels of an employee and imposes a high cost on the employer. Productive employees don’t have issues with insomnia and don’t suffer from insufficient sleep syndrome. In line with productivity statistics, the ones with sleep disturbances struggle with safety at work, overall performance, and productivity.

(NIH)

23. Employees who work from home once a month are 24% happier at work.

By default, happy employees are more productive. However, allowing them one day a month to work from home can make them significantly happier. It’s a small price to pay for the company to see an increase in productivity.

(Apollo Technical)

Technology and Productivity Statistics

24. 89% of employees said gamification influences their productivity.

Gamification in the daily work of employees affects them psychologically. For most surveyed people, it means fostering their eagerness to work, contribute, and compete. For 89% of workers, productivity was much higher with gamification elements in the systems or at work. What’s more, the same percentage of people claimed they would probably be more productive if their work had more gamified elements.

(TalentLMS)

25. 69% of employees would work harder if their efforts were valued and recognized.

In accordance with workplace productivity statistics, rewarding and recognizing employees’ efforts is beneficial for the overall business. A third of companies, in fact, believe this results in better worker retention, and another half feels a rewarding system motivates employees. Vital to maintaining this process are various performance management tools companies use, including employee scheduling apps. These improve engagement and boost productivity, thus reaching the maximum possible ROI.

(Clear Review)

26. Employees engaged at work over 38% are more likely to reach above-average productivity.

Workers’ efficiency tends to get much higher the more engaged they are in their job. So companies that use different employee engagement software or simply keep engagement levels high benefit from higher productivity. As a result, profits rise.

(Firstup)

Productivity Statistics by Country

27. 79% of UK respondents confirmed they weren’t productive throughout the entire day.

Different workplace productivity studies have tried to tackle this issue. In particular, one gathered 1,989 full-time office workers from the UK to determine if they felt productive in their job. As an answer to this question, most stated they did not. Only 21% believed that they were productive during an entire workday. In addition, most productivity stats confirmed that the average productive time is two hours and 53 minutes per day.

(Vouchercloud)

28. Ireland is the most productive nation globally, with $99.13 in productivity per hour.

Full-time Irish workers tend to spend about 39.7 hours per week working. This results in significant productivity gains, backed up by the high concentration of multinational companies there. Labor productivity in the nation grew on average around 4.5% between 2000 and 2016, worker productivity statistics indicate. Next on the list are Norway ($80.83), Switzerland ($69.26), and Luxembourg ($68.36).

(World Population Review)

29. Russia was the least productive nation in 2021, with 45.4%.

According to a productivity study for different nations globally, Russia ‘rose’ to the top of the list. This country registered the lowest level of productivity, followed by Portugal (49.5%) and Moldova (49.5%). Other notable names on that list are Ukraine (51.4%), Finland (51.9%), and France (55.5%). Other countries that don’t have such low productivity but still ended up on the list are Pakistan (56.8%), the Netherlands (57.1%), Germany (57.2%), and Bangladesh (58.6%), according to productivity statistics.

(DeskTime)

Wrapping Up

Despite being constantly ‘under attack’ by different factors, workplace productivity has improved thanks to the proliferation of technology in this field. Besides, considering all the benefits, it’s logical that companies are working hard to attain better productivity levels. So investing and improving this aspect of your business, with or without technology, definitely pays off. But, ultimately, it’s up to you to leverage these productivity stats to your benefit.

Productivity FAQ

How productive is the average worker?

An average employee is productive around 60% of their time each day in all career fields. However, the productive time dwindles down during the day for office workers.
(Apollo Technical)

How many hours do employees actually work?

Employee productivity statistics suggest that an average worker is productive for only about two hours and 53 minutes in an eight-hour workday. This translates into more than five hours of unproductive time, typically referring to office workers. On the other hand, freelancers are productive for about 36 hours per week. If we consider that they work five days a week as full-timers do, it amounts to seven hours of productivity each day, which is a lot.
(Apollo Technical)

What is a good productivity percentage?

According to workplace productivity statistics, it turns out that the countries with the highest daily average working hours register the lowest productivity. Unlike them, the countries with the shortest workdays are the most productive. Moreover, companies that impose daily working hours on employees are much less productive. On the other hand, scientists agree that the ideal daily working time should be around six hours, primarily set in the morning.
(YouMatter)

Which country has the highest productivity rate?

Based on productivity statistics by country, Ireland seems to be dominant with its $99.13 productivity per hour. Full-time workers in this country work around 39.7 hours per week. One of the reasons behind this is the large concentration of multinational corporations. For reference, the country’s productivity increased by 4.5% between 2000 and 2016. Norway is next, with its $80.83 productivity per hour.
(World Population Review)

Which country has the lowest productivity rate in the world?

Based on productivity statistics, Russia, with its 45.4% average employee productivity, was the least productive country in 2021. It’s followed by Portugal, with 49.5%. Third on the list was Moldova, registering a 49.5% productivity rate.
(DeskTime)

How do you measure productivity?

There are different ways to measure productivity, depending on which factors are considered. For reference, productivity is the measure of the efficiency of a person, a factory or, a machine in converting inputs into valuable outputs. One way to monitor productivity is through profitability and sales. Other strategies involve monitoring employee progress with various tools. Another popular method is comparing the labor time with the number of products manufactured. Finally, according to productivity statistics, some companies measure productivity based on customer feedback.
(Indeed)

What are the key elements of productivity?

The three most important elements of productivity are motivation, efficiency, and choice. Motivation is at the bottom of this hierarchy. It originates from various sources, leading to the realization of the activities much easier and better. Efficiency is second, and, basically, it is doing things you already do but faster and better. Finally, producing something entails making good choices, improving work operations, and respecting established feedback systems, work productivity statistics indicate.
(Doug Belshaw)

What are the different types of productivity?

Productivity comes in three forms: partial factor productivity, multifactor productivity, and total productivity. The first one considers a single input, calculating the ratio of total output to a single input (output/labor, output/machine). In multifactor productivity, several factors are considered, calculating the ratio of total output to a set of inputs (labor, capital, etc.). Lastly, the total productivity results from combining the effects of all the resources used in the production and dividing them into the output.
(Reference for Business)

What is the difference between production and productivity?

Based on productivity statistics, this term refers to measuring efficiency or production rates. It is the amount of output (goods or services) per unit of input (labor, equipment, capital). On the other hand, production is the very process of creating or manufacturing specific services or goods.
(Green Facts)