Are you on a journey to be more productive? These productivity statistics will help you on your way. On this page are statistics that provide answers to some of the most trivial productivity questions. 

What exactly do these statistics reveal about our behavior? What is the most significant cause of a lack of productivity? What factors positively or negatively influence productivity in the workplace?

Find out all the answers in the text below.

Incredible Productivity Stats (Editor’s Choice)

  • The average employee is only productive for 2 hours and 53 minutes per day.
  • Engaged employees are more productive, resulting in a 21% increase in profits.
  • 41% of stressed employees state that stress negatively affects productivity.
  • More than two-thirds of employers have seen increased productivity among their remote workers.
  • 83% of workers believe that they don’t have to work in an office to be productive.
  • Luxembourg is the most productive country in the world. 
  • 65% of employees state that they’re more productive during the holidays.

Workplace Productivity Statistics

Workplace productivity primarily refers to how efficient an employee is in a particular work setting, such as an office, a laboratory, or a construction site, over a specific period. 

It can either be measured by the output per hour or worker. 

1. In Q2 of 2020, the nonfarm business sector has seen the highest percentage of productivity increase since Q1 of 1971.

During the second quarter of 2020, the nonfarm business sector reported an increase in productivity by 10.1%, decreased output by 37.1%, and reduced work hours by 42.9%. 

Hourly compensation also increased by 20%, which, along with reduced hours, may have had an impact on productivity.

The third quarter saw a further increase of 4.6%, forecasting encouraging growth of productivity statistics for 2022.

2. Only 21% of employees in the UK believe that they are truly productive for an entire workday.

On the contrary, 79% of employees admitted that they don’t think they are truly productive for an entire eight-hour workday. They work less than three productive hours per day on average, as shown by data gathered from almost 2000 UK workers.

3. The average employee is only productive for 2 hours and 53 minutes per day.

During one whole hour, employees get interrupted about 7 times, with each interruption taking up about 5 minutes of their working time. On average, people in the workplace get interrupted once every 8 minutes, which leads to a decrease in the average productivity of the workplace.

This means that during an 8-hour workday, an employee may lose up to 4 hours of valuable working time due to distractions.

For these reasons, time tracking software is a superb choice for many companies, as it will help employees avoid unnecessary distractions and interruptions while also improving productivity.

4. Net productivity of an average American worker has grown by 253% in the last seven decades.

The troublesome information is that—in the same period—wages have increased by only 116%. 

During the period of 1948–1979, the ratio between productivity and wages was growing at a similar pace (108%, compared to 93%). However, from that point on, a 70% increase in productivity was followed by wages growing by only 12%.

5. Multitasking can hurt your productivity by 40%.

According to multitasking productivity statistics, multitasking can actually hurt your productivity instead of increasing it. Studies have shown that the constant switching from one task to another can be stressful for the brain, making us less efficient.

Instead of tackling so many tasks at once, try to incorporate the 1-3-5 rule into your work routine. This works by tackling the most challenging tasks first, before proceeding with medium level tasks, and ending the day with the easiest and smallest tasks.

Factors Affecting Employee Productivity Statistics in 2022

The year 2020 has certainly changed the way people work. With more people than ever working from home—temporarily, at least—the workplace has changed, and so has the productivity.    

6. 46% of people find working in a team incredibly tricky due to different working styles.

It seems that teamwork does not always make the dream work. Although 81% of employees regularly work in a team, nearly half feel that working in a team can be difficult due to massive differences in working style. 

In fact, 80% of US employees feel stressed due to ineffective company communication.

7. Engaged employees are more productive, resulting in a 21% increase in profits.

Statistics show that happiness and productivity at work are heavily correlated, and this should come as no surprise. Happy and engaged employees are productive employees, and productive employees equal a massive increase in profitability.

8. 89% of employees believe that gamification can increase workplace productivity.

This huge percentage of employees feel that when tasks are gamified, they become more competitive and eager to complete them, which ultimately increases workplace productivity. 

Productivity and technology statistics continue to show us a correlation between technological sophistication and productivity.

9. 41% of stressed employees state that stress negatively affects productivity.

To help alleviate workplace stress, employees propose ways their employees can help, including additional compensation, paid vacation leaves, more flexibility in work schedules, and wellness programs. 

This is important since employee productivity research shows that 50% of employees lose one to five hours of work due to stress.

10. Over 70% of employees worry about stressors during their work time.

To break down this statistic, 28% of employees spend less than an hour of their work time each week worrying about their stressors, 50% spend one to five hours, 16% spend five to 10 hours, and 6% spend more than 10 hours. 

Two of the main stressors employees have are their jobs and finances.

Statistics on Working from Home and Productivity

Recent remote working statistics show an increase in employers allowing remote work. One can’t help but wonder how productive an employee can be when allowed to work from the comfort of their own home.

11. More than two-thirds of employers have seen increased productivity among their remote workers.

Companies such as Dow Chemical, Best Buy, British Telecom, and more have seen a 35% to 40% increase in employee productivity statistics among their remote workers. Additionally, AT&T remote workers also work five more hours a week than their in-house colleagues. 

Working remotely clearly has a positive impact on employee productivity, especially if the employee has a dedicated workspace at home.

12. 83% of workers believe that they don’t have to work in an office to be productive.

Now more than ever, it’s clear that more and more employees prefer working from home. They do not feel that remote work can negatively impact their productivity, which recent telecommuting productivity statistics definitely support. 

On the contrary, working remotely provides employees with so many benefits, including more family time and more time to focus on their health. 

13. One out of three remote workers would be unhappy if the company would start monitoring employee efficiency.

However, they wouldn’t leave the job for that reason. But almost half of workers—43%—say that they would be unhappy and even consider leaving the post.

It’s interesting that 75% of people who—as of recently—work from home, due to COVID-19, claim they are more productive in such a setting.

14. 82% of remote employee managers are concerned about reduced productivity.

Although time and time again, workplace productivity statistics have shown that remote work positively impacts productivity, managers who work with remote employees are still concerned about reduced productivity and focus, and whether remote employees are finishing their tasks on time. 

They show comparatively less concern for employee loneliness and future career prospects.

Global Data—Productivity Rates by Country

Businesses around the world are starting to realize the many factors that affect employee productivity, leadership statistics indicate. 

As a result, we see more and more programs designed and launched to improve productivity, such as in-house mental health programs and flexible schedules. 

15. Luxembourg is the most productive country in the world.

With productivity per person per hour amounting to £51.60 and with the average hours worked per person at 1,512, it’s no surprise that Luxembourg is the most productive country. 

It has the highest productivity rate of an average employee out of all countries around the globe. 

16. Scandinavian countries make up three out of the top six most productive countries.

These countries are Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. The common denominator between these countries is their impeccable work-life balance. Scandinavian countries typically do not work more than 40 hours per week, which gives them ample time to rest. 

This shows that, as always, employee satisfaction and productivity statistics go hand in hand. Workers go back to work feeling refreshed, which ultimately makes them more productive

17. The Czech Republic had the lowest productivity score in 2019.

With average productivity of 39.2% in 2019, the Czech Republic ranked lowest globally. Next in line was Mexico, where the average productivity of the labor force showed a score of 41.5%. Before being replaced by the Czech Republic, Mexico remained the lowest-ranking country in terms of productivity for several years. 

If you look at the work-life balance statistics, they work long hours and don’t get much time for themselves—an interesting data point in support of the correlative effect of work-life balance and productivity.

More Facts About Employee Productivity

We know that the statistics you’ve been reading up until this moment have been eye-openers, but some of them may have been a little too serious. 

To lighten the mood, here are a handful of fun facts and statistics relating to the puzzle that is productivity.  

One should never underestimate the role that sleep plays in productivity. 

According to worker productivity statistics from a study conducted on four US corporations, workers who were fatigued due to chronically poor sleep were significantly less productive and performed worse than workers who consistently had a good night’s sleep.

19. Replacing 2.5 hours of work in a week with exercise can increase productivity.

A study conducted on six workplaces also shows the correlation between exercise and work productivity statistics. Exercising during workdays has been found to boost one’s time management skills by 72%. 

Additionally, low-intensity aerobic exercises were found to be more effective for self-rated improving productivity than high-intensity routines.

20. Proper nutrition can increase job performance by 25%.

This was concluded by a productivity study conducted over a period of three years, with 20,000 employees questioned annually. 

Those workers that ate five fruit and vegetable portions at least four days a week, showed to be 25% more productive than those who don’t have a habit of doing so.

21. 65% of employees state that they’re more productive during the holidays.

Statistics about productivity in the workplace show that among the 35% of employees who feel less productive, top reasons for the decline in productivity include social and personal commitments, higher year-end workload, flu season, and shopping for the holidays. 

On the other hand, the more productive employees avoid typical office distractions so they can leave the office on time. 

The Takeaway

With the many benefits surrounding workplace productivity, it comes as no surprise that companies are continually looking for ways to increase productivity and come up with innovative productivity metrics to accurately measure it. 

It is definitely challenging for any company to keep productivity levels at a certain minimum, especially given the many factors that can affect it. Still, the payoff is huge enough for anyone who wants to give it a try.