Labour productivity in Canada rose by an impressive 2.2% in 2005, Statistics Canada reported today.

Productivity growth in 2005 was twice average of the past five years.

That was twice the average annual growth in productivity in the 2000 to 2005 period.

Productivity – roughly defined as the quantity of goods produced per hour of labour – increased nationwide as GDP grew faster than the number of hours worked.

Among the provinces, Alberta enjoyed the highest productivity gains (up 3%), while British Columbia and Prince Edward Island had the biggest increase in the number of hours worked (up 2.6%).

Manufacturing saw a big drop in the number of hours worked (down 3.4%). But that drop also led to a 5.7% increase in productivity in the sector as factories struggled to produce more with fewer workers.

The booming mining, oil and natural gas industries experienced notable increases in the total number of hours worked (up 3.3%). That also led to a 2.4% drop in productivity in those fields.

The most noteworthy productivity increase came in Alberta’s construction industry, where productivity surged by what Statistics Canada called an “exceptional” 10.9% in 2005.