Productivity is usually defined as the ratio between outputs and inputs. In other words, how efficiently inputs are being used to produce a given level of output, or how much output can be produced from a given level of inputs.

Member tool: CIPD Buddy AI AI
Use AI to find trusted answers on our Knowledge hub. Start using CIPD Buddy AI

Productivity growth in the UK has been both weak and sporadic since 2011, and improvements usually require investment. However, the amount of investment made by business stopped increasing in 2016, and Brexit-related uncertainty probably added to the general uncertainty that surrounds any investment decision.  

This report gives insights into productivity and people management practices from responses to questions that were added to the spring 2023 Labour Market Outlook survey, making policy recommendations for organisations and government. 

People management and productivity

Download the PDF
PDF document 1.2 MB
  • Data

    Health and wellbeing

    Compare your health and wellbeing practices with the latest trends, drawn from CIPD 2026 research data.

  • Data

    Work life balance

    Benchmark your employees' perceptions of work life balance against 2026 CIPD research data

  • Data

    Employee-employer relationship

    The latest data on job satisfaction, employee perceptions of their organisations, and employee contributions to their organisation's productivity

  • Report

    Labour Market Outlook

    Read our latest Labour Market Outlook report for analysis on employers’ recruitment, redundancy and pay intentions

    • See all reports