What is my productivity per hour?
Type what was produced, how many people worked, and the hours each one worked. The productivity calculator shows the output per hour; fill the productivity instead to find the output or the hours.
- Productivity (output per hour)
- 7.5
1,200 of output in 160 hours is a productivity of 7.5 per hour.
- Total hours worked
- 160
- Output per worker
- 300
- Output per 8-hour day
- 60
Productivity (output per hour): 7.5. 1,200 of output in 160 hours is a productivity of 7.5 per hour.
How to calculate
Works out labor productivity, the output per hour worked, from the output and the hours worked by each worker, or any missing value from the others.
Example with the default inputs (Output 1,200, Workers 4, Hours per worker 40): 1,200 of output in 160 hours is a productivity of 7.5 per hour.
Formula: Productivity = output ÷ (workers × hours per worker); total hours = workers × hours per worker; output per worker = output ÷ workers.
- Labor productivity is output per hour worked (BLS); output can be units, tasks, or dollars, and the answer is in the same unit per hour.
- Every worker works the same number of hours.
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Output 1,200, Workers 4, Hours per worker 40 gives Total hours worked 160, Productivity (output per hour) 7.5, Output per worker 300, Output per 8-hour day 60.Source: BLS Handbook of Methods, Productivity Measures: Concepts (labor productivity is output per hour worked), https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/opt/concepts.htm, retrieved 2026-10-02
- Output 50,000, Workers 1, Hours per worker 1,000 gives Productivity (output per hour) 50.Source: BLS Handbook of Methods, Productivity Measures: Concepts (labor productivity is output per hour worked), https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/opt/concepts.htm, retrieved 2026-10-02
- Productivity (output per hour) 12, Workers 5, Hours per worker 8 gives Total hours worked 40, Output 480.
- Output 900, Productivity (output per hour) 15, Workers 3 gives Total hours worked 60, Hours per worker 20.
- Output 900, Productivity (output per hour) 15, Hours per worker 20 gives Workers 3.
How it works
Labor productivity is output per hour worked. With O the output, n the number of workers, h the hours each worker spent, L the total hours, and P the productivity:
- P = O ÷ (n × h)
- O = P × n × h
- n = O ÷ P ÷ h
- h = O ÷ P ÷ n
Fill any three of output, workers, hours per worker, and productivity, and leave one empty. The calculator also shows:
- Total hours worked: L = n × h.
- Output per worker: O ÷ n.
- Output per 8-hour day: P × 8.
Every value is more than 0: output up to 10^15, productivity up to 10^9, and workers and hours per worker up to 10,000 each. A solved value outside these limits gives no answer. Output can be in any unit (units, tasks, dollars), and the productivity is in that unit per hour. Every worker works the same hours.
Worked examples by hand
4 workers, 40 hours each, 1,200 units. L = 4 × 40 = 160 hours; P = 1,200 ÷ 160 = 7.5 units per hour; output per worker 1,200 ÷ 4 = 300; per 8-hour day 7.5 × 8 = 60.
$50,000 of work in 1,000 hours by 1 worker. P = 50,000 ÷ 1,000 = $50 per hour.
5 workers, 8 hours each, at 12 units per hour. L = 5 × 8 = 40 hours; O = 12 × 40 = 480 units.
900 units at 15 units per hour, 20 hours each. n = 900 ÷ 15 ÷ 20 = 3 workers.
900 units at 15 units per hour, 3 workers. h = 900 ÷ 15 ÷ 3 = 20 hours each, so L = 3 × 20 = 60 hours.
Other questions people ask
How do I calculate labor productivity?
Divide the output by the hours worked. A team of 4 that makes 1,200 units in a 40-hour week works 4 × 40 = 160 hours, so its productivity is 1,200 ÷ 160 = 7.5 units per hour.
What counts as output?
Anything you can count or price: units made, calls handled, orders packed, or the dollar value of the work. The productivity is in the same unit per hour, such as units per hour or dollars per hour.
Why use hours and not the number of workers?
Hours are a fairer measure of the work put in. Two teams of the same size can work very different hours. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics measures labor productivity as output per hour worked for this reason.
How do I find how many hours a job will take?
Fill the output, the productivity, and the number of workers, and leave the hours empty. 900 units at 15 units per hour need 900 ÷ 15 = 60 hours, so 3 workers need 20 hours each.
What is output per worker?
The output divided by the number of workers. It shows what each person produced on average, but unlike output per hour, it does not allow for how long each person worked.
How do I compare productivity over time?
Work out the output per hour for each period, then compare the two with a percentage change. A rise from 7.5 to 8.1 units per hour is (8.1 − 7.5) ÷ 7.5 = 8% higher productivity.