--- title: "21236 – Labour Productivity" url: https://australianproperty.network/apn-codex/series-20000/series-21000/series-21200/21230-employment-gdp/21236-labour-productivity/ date: 2026-10-04 modified: 2026-10-10 lang: en author: "Nicklas Clark" description: "APN Codex Node 21236 21230 — Employment & GDP family Certified Labour Productivity Z-Score −0.5493σ Period Q2 2026 Position 18.2 of 188 qtrs Vintage 2026-Q4 1Node Definition Labour Productivity (21236)..." word_count: 920 --- # 21236 – Labour Productivity - APN Codex Node 21236 21230 — Employment & GDP family Certified ### Labour Productivity Z-Score−0.5493σPeriodQ2 2026Position18.2 of 188 qtrsVintage2026-Q4 1Node Definition Labour Productivity (21236) measures how fast output per hour worked is growing across the whole economy: the change over the year in real GDP per hour worked. Higher readings mean faster productivity growth. It belongs to the Employment & GDP family (21230) and is read in its own right. Productivity growth sets how fast real wages and living standards can rise over time. The market-sector measure, which excludes industries whose output is hard to measure, is shown as a benchmark. Known limitations Quarterly output per hour moves with the business cycle: hours adjust faster than output, so productivity tends to rise in a downturn and fall in a recovery, as in 2020 and 2022–23. The national accounts are revised each quarter, so recent readings can move. 2Metric Definition **Primary metric: Node Z-Score (Z21236)** Z-Score Construction Current (Q2 2026)−0.5493σ gtGDP per hour worked, growth over the year. June quarter 2026: −0.20% μ, σBaseline mean and sample standard deviation, 2011–2025 (0.74%, 1.71 points, 60 quarters) **Metric typology:** single-series Z-score of a growth rate. **Benchmark, shown as context:** market-sector labour productivity fell 0.17% in 2024-25. 3Data Sources | Input | Source | Frequency | Coverage | | ----- | ------ | --------- | -------- | | GDP per hour worked, index, seasonally adjusted | ABS Australian National Accounts (5206.0), Table 1, A2304192L | Quarterly | September quarter 1978 to June quarter 2026 | | Market-sector labour productivity, gross value added per hour worked (benchmark only) | ABS Estimates of Industry Multifactor Productivity (5260.0.55.002) | Annual | 1994-95 to 2024-25 | Tier-1 sovereign statistical releases. No commercial data provider dependency exists within this node. 4Reading History The chart shows the node’s reading in every quarter, measured against the 2011–2025 baseline. Labour Productivity (21236) · Reading HistoryNode Z-Score by Quarter, March 2011 to June 2026−0.5493σ · position 18.2, ranked against 188 quarters**Reading, ranked quarters**Normal range (middle 80% of ranked quarters)**Current readingThe June quarter 2026 reading, −0.5493σ, ranks 18.2 against 188 quarters and sits inside the normal range of −0.9164σ to +1.7324σ. The highest ranked reading was +2.6461σ in the December quarter 1992, and the lowest −3.3760σ in the March quarter 2023. Show the data | Quarter | Reading | Basis | | ------- | ------- | ----- | | Q3 1979 | −0.0069σ | Ranked | | Q4 1979 | +0.3082σ | Ranked | | Q1 1980 | −1.1563σ | Ranked | | Q2 1980 | +0.2106σ | Ranked | | Q3 1980 | −0.3269σ | Ranked | | Q4 1980 | −0.1191σ | Ranked | | Q1 1981 | +0.1956σ | Ranked | | Q2 1981 | +1.2638σ | Ranked | | Q3 1981 | +2.0982σ | Ranked | | Q4 1981 | +1.3345σ | Ranked | | Q1 1982 | +0.3960σ | Ranked | | Q2 1982 | +1.2158σ | Ranked | | Q3 1982 | +0.1738σ | Ranked | | Q4 1982 | −0.2308σ | Ranked | | Q1 1983 | +0.9972σ | Ranked | | Q2 1983 | +0.0684σ | Ranked | | Q3 1983 | +0.8677σ | Ranked | | Q4 1983 | +1.1761σ | Ranked | | Q1 1984 | +1.5610σ | Ranked | | Q2 1984 | +0.9582σ | Ranked | | Q3 1984 | +0.5458σ | Ranked | | Q4 1984 | +0.7415σ | Ranked | | Q1 1985 | +0.4349σ | Ranked | | Q2 1985 | +1.7020σ | Ranked | | Q3 1985 | +1.2995σ | Ranked | | Q4 1985 | +0.0470σ | Ranked | | Q1 1986 | −1.0024σ | Ranked | | Q2 1986 | −2.3046σ | Ranked | | Q3 1986 | −2.4885σ | Ranked | | Q4 1986 | −0.8131σ | Ranked | | Q1 1987 | +0.3347σ | Ranked | | Q2 1987 | +1.0180σ | Ranked | | Q3 1987 | +1.7953σ | Ranked | | Q4 1987 | +1.7697σ | Ranked | | Q1 1988 | +0.6087σ | Ranked | | Q2 1988 | +0.4166σ | Ranked | | Q3 1988 | −0.2460σ | Ranked | | Q4 1988 | −1.2630σ | Ranked | | Q1 1989 | −1.1766σ | Ranked | | Q2 1989 | −0.2466σ | Ranked | | Q3 1989 | −0.4326σ | Ranked | | Q4 1989 | −0.7134σ | Ranked | | Q1 1990 | +0.4153σ | Ranked | | Q2 1990 | −1.0815σ | Ranked | | Q3 1990 | −0.9906σ | Ranked | | Q4 1990 | +1.0723σ | Ranked | | Q1 1991 | +0.2174σ | Ranked | | Q2 1991 | +1.1612σ | Ranked | | Q3 1991 | +1.7272σ | Ranked | | Q4 1991 | +0.3009σ | Ranked | | Q1 1992 | +1.0367σ | Ranked | | Q2 1992 | +1.2100σ | Ranked | | Q3 1992 | +1.1067σ | Ranked | | Q4 1992 | +2.6461σ | Ranked | | Q1 1993 | +1.8068σ | Ranked | | Q2 1993 | +1.6088σ | Ranked | | Q3 1993 | +1.2436σ | Ranked | | Q4 1993 | −0.1746σ | Ranked | | Q1 1994 | +0.6888σ | Ranked | | Q2 1994 | +0.3392σ | Ranked | | Q3 1994 | −0.0038σ | Ranked | | Q4 1994 | +0.5093σ | Ranked | | Q1 1995 | −0.8558σ | Ranked | | Q2 1995 | −1.5328σ | Ranked | | Q3 1995 | −0.0921σ | Ranked | | Q4 1995 | −0.8539σ | Ranked | | Q1 1996 | +0.5905σ | Ranked | | Q2 1996 | +1.9827σ | Ranked | | Q3 1996 | +1.0908σ | Ranked | | Q4 1996 | +1.8592σ | Ranked | | Q1 1997 | +1.1593σ | Ranked | | Q2 1997 | +2.3008σ | Ranked | | Q3 1997 | +2.2068σ | Ranked | | Q4 1997 | +1.8542σ | Ranked | | Q1 1998 | +2.2588σ | Ranked | | Q2 1998 | +0.5960σ | Ranked | | Q3 1998 | +1.7768σ | Ranked | | Q4 1998 | +1.8465σ | Ranked | | Q1 1999 | +1.9062σ | Ranked | | Q2 1999 | +1.7444σ | Ranked | | Q3 1999 | +0.4797σ | Ranked | | Q4 1999 | +0.1725σ | Ranked | | Q1 2000 | −0.2827σ | Ranked | | Q2 2000 | −0.2827σ | Ranked | | Q3 2000 | −0.5823σ | Ranked | | Q4 2000 | +0.1663σ | Ranked | | Q1 2001 | +0.8383σ | Ranked | | Q2 2001 | +0.9879σ | Ranked | | Q3 2001 | +2.0440σ | Ranked | | Q4 2001 | +1.7162σ | Ranked | | Q1 2002 | +1.2502σ | Ranked | | Q2 2002 | +1.9758σ | Ranked | | Q3 2002 | +0.8633σ | Ranked | | Q4 2002 | +0.4250σ | Ranked | | Q1 2003 | −0.0770σ | Ranked | | Q2 2003 | −0.7830σ | Ranked | | Q3 2003 | +0.4125σ | Ranked | | Q4 2003 | +0.9759σ | Ranked | | Q1 2004 | +1.6172σ | Ranked | | Q2 2004 | +1.6828σ | Ranked | | Q3 2004 | +0.9558σ | Ranked | | Q4 2004 | +0.0488σ | Ranked | | Q1 2005 | −0.7740σ | Ranked | | Q2 2005 | −1.1130σ | Ranked | | Q3 2005 | −0.7716σ | Ranked | | Q4 2005 | +0.2494σ | Ranked | | Q1 2006 | +0.5290σ | Ranked | | Q2 2006 | +0.1182σ | Ranked | | Q3 2006 | −0.2280σ | Ranked | | Q4 2006 | −0.5674σ | Ranked | | Q1 2007 | +0.2431σ | Ranked | | Q2 2007 | +0.6587σ | Ranked | | Q3 2007 | +0.7228σ | Ranked | | Q4 2007 | −0.1623σ | Ranked | | Q1 2008 | −0.3658σ | Ranked | | Q2 2008 | −0.7673σ | Ranked | | Q3 2008 | −0.8991σ | Ranked | | Q4 2008 | −0.2308σ | Ranked | | Q1 2009 | +0.1679σ | Ranked | | Q2 2009 | +1.5202σ | Ranked | | Q3 2009 | +1.7844σ | Ranked | | Q4 2009 | +1.4442σ | Ranked | | Q1 2010 | +0.6901σ | Ranked | | Q2 2010 | −0.4977σ | Ranked | | Q3 2010 | −0.6915σ | Ranked | | Q4 2010 | −0.4975σ | Ranked | | Q1 2011 | −1.4045σ | Ranked | | Q2 2011 | +0.0240σ | Ranked | | Q3 2011 | +0.4125σ | Ranked | | Q4 2011 | +0.6726σ | Ranked | | Q1 2012 | +1.8736σ | Ranked | | Q2 2012 | +1.3796σ | Ranked | | Q3 2012 | +1.1694σ | Ranked | | Q4 2012 | +0.9710σ | Ranked | | Q1 2013 | +0.8351σ | Ranked | | Q2 2013 | +0.1323σ | Ranked | | Q3 2013 | +0.1287σ | Ranked | | Q4 2013 | +0.7511σ | Ranked | | Q1 2014 | +1.0563σ | Ranked | | Q2 2014 | +1.0594σ | Ranked | | Q3 2014 | +0.8646σ | Ranked | | Q4 2014 | +0.4833σ | Ranked | | Q1 2015 | −0.0696σ | Ranked | | Q2 2015 | −0.0689σ | Ranked | | Q3 2015 | −0.0096σ | Ranked | | Q4 2015 | −0.2522σ | Ranked | | Q1 2016 | +0.1085σ | Ranked | | Q2 2016 | +0.7120σ | Ranked | | Q3 2016 | +0.2273σ | Ranked | | Q4 2016 | +0.6462σ | Ranked | | Q1 2017 | −0.1943σ | Ranked | | Q2 2017 | −0.7871σ | Ranked | | Q3 2017 | −0.3139σ | Ranked | | Q4 2017 | −0.9622σ | Ranked | | Q1 2018 | +0.0420σ | Ranked | | Q2 2018 | +0.1618σ | Ranked | | Q3 2018 | −0.1366σ | Ranked | | Q4 2018 | +0.0425σ | Ranked | | Q1 2019 | −0.7268σ | Ranked | | Q2 2019 | −0.4914σ | Ranked | | Q3 2019 | −0.3737σ | Ranked | | Q4 2019 | +0.0386σ | Ranked | | Q1 2020 | +0.9277σ | Ranked | | Q2 2020 | +1.4523σ | Ranked | | Q3 2020 | +0.8620σ | Ranked | | Q4 2020 | +0.7944σ | Ranked | | Q1 2021 | +0.9544σ | Ranked | | Q2 2021 | −0.3755σ | Ranked | | Q3 2021 | +0.6036σ | Ranked | | Q4 2021 | +0.9408σ | Ranked | | Q1 2022 | +0.5271σ | Ranked | | Q2 2022 | −0.2616σ | Ranked | | Q3 2022 | −1.4507σ | Ranked | | Q4 2022 | −2.7808σ | Ranked | | Q1 2023 | −3.3760σ | Ranked | | Q2 2023 | −2.7060σ | Ranked | | Q3 2023 | −1.4112σ | Ranked | | Q4 2023 | −0.4326σ | Ranked | | Q1 2024 | +0.0353σ | Ranked | | Q2 2024 | +0.2180σ | Ranked | | Q3 2024 | −0.7253σ | Ranked | | Q4 2024 | −0.9569σ | Ranked | | Q1 2025 | −1.0128σ | Ranked | | Q2 2025 | −0.3156σ | Ranked | | Q3 2025 | +0.2735σ | Ranked | | Q4 2025 | +0.2140σ | Ranked | | Q1 2026 | −0.3154σ | Ranked | | Q2 2026 | −0.5493σ | Ranked | Z-Score−0.5493σQ2 2026Position18.2ranked against 188 quartersOutput per hour−0.20%over the yearBaseline mean0.74%2011–2025Baseline σ1.71pointsMarket sector−0.17%2024-25, benchmark 5Analytical Interpretation At −0.5493σ (Q2 2026), output per hour worked fell 0.20% over the year, against a 2011–2025 average gain of 0.74%. **Position.** 18.2, ranked against 188 quarters since September 1979. The reading is the lowest since March 2025 and follows two quarters of modest gains in the second half of 2025. Hours worked grew 2.35% over the year while output grew more slowly, so output per hour fell. The lowest reading on record, −3.3760σ, came in March 2023 as hours recovered after the pandemic; the highest, +2.6461σ, in December 1992. 6The Employment & GDP Family The other nodes of the Employment & GDP family. Only Labour Market Tightness (21231) and Growth per Person (21235) compose into Employment & GDP (21230); the others are read in their own right. [21231 →Labour Market TightnessEmployed share of the labour force and job vacancy rate. Q2 2026: +0.5983σ, 83.6 of 123 quarters. Composes into 21230.](https://australianproperty.network/apn-codex/series-20000/series-21000/series-21200/21230-employment-gdp/21231-labour-market-tightness/)[21232 →Employment GrowthFilled jobs and hours worked, growth over the year. Q2 2026: +0.2795σ, 68.3 of 124 quarters.](https://australianproperty.network/apn-codex/series-20000/series-21000/series-21200/21230-employment-gdp/21232-employment-growth/)[21233 →Real Wage GrowthWage Price Index growth less CPI growth. Q2 2026: −0.5704σ, 13.5 of 112 quarters.](https://australianproperty.network/apn-codex/series-20000/series-21000/series-21200/21230-employment-gdp/21233-real-wage-growth/)[21234 →State Labour ConditionsEmployed share and job vacancy rate for each state and territory, against its own history. Q2 2026: −0.1378σ (ACT) to +0.9007σ (Queensland), 60 quarters each.](https://australianproperty.network/apn-codex/series-20000/series-21000/series-21200/21230-employment-gdp/21234-state-labour-conditions/)[21235 →Growth per PersonGDP per capita, growth over the year. Q2 2026: −0.1030σ, 31.4 of 208 quarters. Composes into 21230.](https://australianproperty.network/apn-codex/series-20000/series-21000/series-21200/21230-employment-gdp/21235-growth-per-person/)[21237 →Multifactor ProductivityMarket-sector multifactor productivity, annual growth. 2024-25: −1.1551σ, 13.8 of 30 years.](https://australianproperty.network/apn-codex/series-20000/series-21000/series-21200/21230-employment-gdp/21237-multifactor-productivity/)[21238 →Business Investment GrowthPrivate non-dwelling construction and machinery and equipment investment, growth over the year. Q2 2026: +0.9727σ, 73.8 of 264 quarters.](https://australianproperty.network/apn-codex/series-20000/series-21000/series-21200/21230-employment-gdp/21238-business-investment-growth/)[21239 →Construction ProductivityConstruction industry multifactor productivity, annual growth. 2024-25: −0.5400σ, 14.7 of 35 years.](https://australianproperty.network/apn-codex/series-20000/series-21000/series-21200/21230-employment-gdp/21239-construction-productivity/)[Family hub →21230 — Employment & GDP](https://australianproperty.network/apn-codex/series-20000/series-21000/series-21200/21230-employment-gdp/) 7Certification Statement APN Codex Node 21236 — Labour Productivity — Certified The input is sourced from a Tier-1 sovereign statistical release (ABS national accounts)- The Z-score of −0.5493σ (Q2 2026) is derived directly from the certified input against the 2011–2025 baseline, not manually entered or estimated- The position is an empirical percentile rank against 188 quarters- No commercial data provider dependency exists within this node **Certified:** 4 October 2026 **Source tier:** Tier-1 sovereign statistical agency (ABS) ##### Node Parameters Node21236 Family21230 StatusCertified Z-Score−0.5493σ Position18.2 of 188 qtrs PeriodQ2 2026 Vintage2026-Q4 Baseline μ0.74% Baseline σ1.71 Baseline N60