Federal Executive Branch
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Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Possession With Intent to Distribute Meth
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa posted the following news release on Dec. 18, 2025:
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Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Possession With Intent to Distribute Meth
Berndt had a previous conviction for manslaughter
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Jarrami Berndt, 46, from Sioux City, Iowa, who, on two separate occasions, possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty December 16, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that on August 10, 2024, Sioux City police stopped Berndt's vehicle and observed Berndt
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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa posted the following news release on Dec. 18, 2025:
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Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Possession With Intent to Distribute Meth
Berndt had a previous conviction for manslaughter
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Jarrami Berndt, 46, from Sioux City, Iowa, who, on two separate occasions, possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty December 16, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that on August 10, 2024, Sioux City police stopped Berndt's vehicle and observed Berndtthrow something out of the window of the vehicle during the traffic stop. Officers found the thrown object, a black bag which contained a scale, marijuana and over 13 grams of pure methamphetamine. On May 1, 2025, Sioux City police conducted a traffic stop of a taxi occupied by Berndt. Berndt admitted ownership of a bag found in the back seat which contained over 16 grams of pure methamphetamine. Berndt admitted that on both occasions, he intended to distribute some or all the drugs to another person or persons.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Berndt remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.
On October 4, 1999, Berndt was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, terrorism, going armed with intent, possession and use of an offense weapon (firearm) in the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County. These convictions constitute a serious violent felony conviction which subjects Berndt to a sentencing enhancement. Berndt faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $8,000,000 fine, and at least eight years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff's Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney's Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4029. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/pr/sioux-city-man-pleads-guilty-possession-intent-distribute-meth-0
Married Owners of Downtown L.A. Precious Metals Businesses Plead Guilty to Hiding From IRS $127M in Cash Transactions
LOS ANGELES, California, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for Central District of California posted the following news release on Dec. 19, 2025:
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Married Owners of Downtown L.A. Precious Metals Businesses Plead Guilty to Hiding from IRS Millions of Dollars in Cash Transactions
The husband-and-wife owners of precious metals businesses in the downtown Los Angeles Jewelry District and one of their companies pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for concealing millions of dollars' worth of cash transactions from the United States government, failing to maintain an anti-money
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LOS ANGELES, California, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for Central District of California posted the following news release on Dec. 19, 2025:
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Married Owners of Downtown L.A. Precious Metals Businesses Plead Guilty to Hiding from IRS Millions of Dollars in Cash Transactions
The husband-and-wife owners of precious metals businesses in the downtown Los Angeles Jewelry District and one of their companies pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for concealing millions of dollars' worth of cash transactions from the United States government, failing to maintain an anti-moneylaundering program, and using the unreported cash at other family businesses, at a casino, and for other personal expenses.
The following defendants pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy:
* Alex Nguyen, 50, of Irvine, who also pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return;
* Sam Nguyen, 52, also of Irvine, who is Alex Nguyen's wife; and
* Newport Gold Post Inc., one of the companies they own.
According to their plea agreements, from May 2013 to March 2022, Alex and Sam Nguyen owned several family businesses that bought and sold precious metals, including Newport Gold Post, Goldtech Assay Laboratory LLC (which did business as Infinity), Sam Bullion and Coin, and AAPS Bullion.
These family businesses received millions of dollars in cash from their customers, requiring the Nguyens to file paperwork with the IRS. Alex and Sam Nguyen knowingly and repeatedly failed to file a Form 8300 with the IRS - as required by the Bank Secrecy Act - where they were supposed to report cash transactions over $10,000.
For example, during a February 2020 transaction, a buyer asked for a receipt after buying 643 ounces (40.2 pounds or 18.2 kilograms) of silver for approximately $11,766, Alex Nguyen replied, "Not for cash" and did not ask the buyer to show any identification.
As that year progressed, the buyer made multiple purchases of silver from Alex Nguyen, culminating in December 2020, when the buyer brought a suitcase containing $140,000 in cash - with half of the cash wrapped in heat-sealed packages. Alex Nguyen took the cash and provided 5,118 ounces (320 pounds or 145.1 kilograms) of silver. During all these transactions - four in total - Alex Nguyen knowingly and intentionally failed to file a Form 8300 with the IRS.
While operating the family businesses, Alex Nguyen received $200,000 to $1 million in cash daily from customers. He used this cash to purchase other precious metals from other Jewelry District businesses, agreeing with other business operators to not file completed Form 8300s.
In total, Alex Nguyen and his co-conspirators intentionally failed to file inaccurate or incomplete Form 8300s on more than 350 occasions for at least $127,446,066 in cash that was delivered to Nguyen family businesses.
In her plea agreement, Sam Nguyen admitted to intentionally failing to file a Form 8300 for multiple precious metals transactions, including in July 2021, when a buyer purchased 50 one-ounce gold bars at Newport Gold for $100,000. The cash for that transaction was wrapped in heat-sealed, shrink wrapping. Sam Nguyen told the buyer that she preferred shrink-wrapped cash because sometimes she received cash that had been buried underground.
Despite the suspicious packaging and her obligations to obtain customer information for the Form 8300, she did not ask for identification, did not inquire about the source of the cash, and intentionally did not file a Form 8300 for the transaction.
The defendants further admitted to failing to develop, implement, and maintain an anti-money laundering program as required by federal law. IRS auditors advised Alex and Sam Nguyen multiple times to set up such a program for their businesses, but the defendants failed to do so.
Further, Alex and Sam Nguyen admitted to lying to federal officials, including IRS auditors and the FBI. Alex Nguyen falsely said he did not accept cash payments and had not done so since the 1980s. Sam Nguyen lied to auditors and federal agents when she said she did not accept cash payments.
Finally, from 2016 through 2020, Alex Nguyen knowingly and willfully filed under penalty of perjury false joint tax returns where he failed to report income from the Nguyen family businesses, failing to report $1,535,330 in 2019 alone. The Nguyens also took cash from their businesses to a casino then received checks totaling $1,048,450 from the casino, which they deposited into their bank accounts for personal use.
The total tax due and owing for all five years in question is between $1,767,112 to $1,870,273, according to court documents.
United States District Judge Michelle Williams Court scheduled June 5, 2026, sentencing hearings for the defendants. At the time of sentencing, Alex Nguyen will face up to eight years in federal prison, Sam Nguyen will face up to five years in federal prison, and Newport Gold Post will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years of probation and a $500,000 fine.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea Norell of the Major Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/married-owners-downtown-la-precious-metals-businesses-plead-guilty-hiding-irs-millions
Kansas Businessman & Employee Indicted for PPP Fraud
WICHITA, Kansas, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas posted the following news release on Dec. 19, 2025:
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Kansas businessman & employee indicted for PPP fraud
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging two Kansas men for allegedly defrauding the Small Business Administration (SBA) by submitting false information on applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
According to court documents, Joseph Campbell, 61, of Olathe and John Duncan,
... Show Full Article
WICHITA, Kansas, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas posted the following news release on Dec. 19, 2025:
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Kansas businessman & employee indicted for PPP fraud
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging two Kansas men for allegedly defrauding the Small Business Administration (SBA) by submitting false information on applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
According to court documents, Joseph Campbell, 61, of Olathe and John Duncan,65, of Topeka are both charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy.
Campbell was also indicted on six counts of money laundering, six counts of making a false statement in a loan application, and two counts of making a false statement.
Campbell, as owner of multiple businesses, and Duncan, as Campbell's employee, are accused of submitting false information to receive approximately $273,000 in PPP loan proceeds and approximately $1,761,100 in EIDL loan proceeds then allegedly utilizing the funds in an unauthorized manner including for personal benefit.
IRS - Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Jorge Armando Chavez-Sanchez, 38, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was indicted on one count of reentry of a previously removed alien convicted of a felony. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.
Manuel De Jesus Chavez-Suarez, 48, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.
Jordan C. Davis, 44, of Kansas City, Missouri, was indicted on one count of escape from custody. The U.S. Marshal Service is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.
Manuel Humberto Marquez-Bencomo, 52, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
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An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ks/pr/kansas-businessman-employee-indicted-ppp-fraud
FEC Issues Digest for Week of Dec. 15-19, 2025
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The Federal Election Commission issued the following weekly digest:
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Commission meetings and hearings
No open meetings or executive sessions were scheduled this week.
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Public Disclosure
On December 18, the Office of the Inspector General released its Semi-Annual Report to Congress, covering April 1, 2025 to September 30, 2025.
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Election Dates
The Commission has posted a list of preliminary 2026 Congressional Primary Dates.
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Upcoming educational opportunities
January 14, 2026: The Commission is scheduled to host Year-End Reporting and FECFile
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The Federal Election Commission issued the following weekly digest:
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Commission meetings and hearings
No open meetings or executive sessions were scheduled this week.
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Public Disclosure
On December 18, the Office of the Inspector General released its Semi-Annual Report to Congress, covering April 1, 2025 to September 30, 2025.
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Election Dates
The Commission has posted a list of preliminary 2026 Congressional Primary Dates.
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Upcoming educational opportunities
January 14, 2026: The Commission is scheduled to host Year-End Reporting and FECFilewebinars for PACs and party committees.
January 21, 2026: The Commission is scheduled to host Year-End Reporting and FECFile webinars for candidate committees.
For more information on upcoming training opportunities, see the Commission's Trainings page.
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Upcoming reporting due dates
December 20: December Monthly Reports are due. For more information, see the 2025 Monthly Reporting schedule.
The Commission has posted filing information regarding the Special Runoff Election in the 18th District of Texas, scheduled for January 31, 2026.
The Commission has posted filing information regarding the New Jersey 11th District Special Primary Election, scheduled for February 5, 2026, and the Special General Election, scheduled for April 16, 2026.
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Additional research materials
Contribution Limits: In addition to the current limits, the Commission has posted an archive of contribution limits that were in effect going back to the 1975-1976 election cycles.
Federal election results are available. The data was compiled from the official vote totals published by state election offices.
FEC Notify: Want to be notified by email when campaign finance reports are received by the agency? Sign up here.
The Combined Federal State Disclosure and Election Directory is available. This publication identifies the federal and state agencies responsible for the disclosure of campaign finances, lobbying, personal finances, public financing, candidates on the ballot, election results, spending on state initiatives, and other financial filings.
The Presidential Election Campaign Fund Tax Checkoff Chart provides information on balance of the Fund, monthly deposits into the Fund reported by the Department of the Treasury, payments from the Fund as certified by the FEC, and participation rates of taxpayers as reported by the Internal Revenue Service. For more information on the Presidential Public Funding Program, see the Public Funding of Presidential Elections page.
The FEC Record is available as a continuously updated online news source.
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Original text here: https://www.fec.gov/updates/week-of-december-15-19-2025/
Brooklyn Pharmacist Sentenced 18 Years in Prison for Illegal Distribution of Oxycodone
BROOKLYN, New York, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York posted the following news release on Dec. 18, 2025:
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Two Pharmacists Sentenced to Years in Prison for Illegal Distribution of Oxycodone
Defendants Conspired to Fill Fraudulent Prescriptions for Oxycodone Pills Forged by a Doctor's Receptionist and Distributed to Street Drug Dealers for Cash
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Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, pharmacist Mohamed Hassan was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Ann M. Donnelly to 18 years' imprisonment. Also today, co-defendant
... Show Full Article
BROOKLYN, New York, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York posted the following news release on Dec. 18, 2025:
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Two Pharmacists Sentenced to Years in Prison for Illegal Distribution of Oxycodone
Defendants Conspired to Fill Fraudulent Prescriptions for Oxycodone Pills Forged by a Doctor's Receptionist and Distributed to Street Drug Dealers for Cash
*
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, pharmacist Mohamed Hassan was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Ann M. Donnelly to 18 years' imprisonment. Also today, co-defendantAnthony Mathis, a street narcotics dealer involved in the scheme, was sentenced by Judge Donnelly to 36 months' imprisonment. On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, Judge Donnelly sentenced pharmacist co-defendant Yousef Ennab to 30 months' imprisonment. As part of their sentences, Mathis and Ennab were ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $535,989.12 and $13,472.76, respectively, and Hassan was ordered to pay forfeiture in an amount to be determined at a future date. Ennab and Hassan were convicted after trial in February 2025 on all counts of a superseding indictment charging them with conspiracies to dispense and distribute oxycodone, as well as distribution and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone. Mathis previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA); Naomi Gruchacz, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York); Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD); Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI); and Dr. James V. McDonald, Commissioner, New York State Department of Health, announced the sentences.
"The opioid epidemic has caused incalculable harm in our communities, and this criminal ring fueled the proliferation of pills on the street," stated United States Attorney Nocella. "The corrupt pharmacists who filled illegitimate oxycodone prescriptions to supply drug dealers, acted out of pure greed and complete disregard for the harm they were causing. The prison sentences meted out, and my Office's prosecution of the scheme, demonstrates the Office's and law enforcement's commitment to hold accountable all the actors for their roles in this scourge."
Mr. Nocella expressed his thanks to the additional law enforcement partners that assisted with the case, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the New York State Comptroller, the New York Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the New York National Guard.
"Pharmacists swear an oath to protect lives, not endanger them," stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. "By illegally distributing oxycodone, these individuals betrayed their profession, their communities, and the public's trust. The DEA will not distinguish between those who wear a white coat and those who traffic drugs. Anyone who fuels addiction for profit will be held accountable."
"Today's sentences send a clear message that those who exploit their positions of trust to fuel the opioid crisis will be held accountable," stated HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Gruchacz. "HHS-OIG will continue working with our law enforcement partners to safeguard federal health care programs and protect the beneficiaries who depend on them."
"Using their positions as pharmacists to scheme and cheat the system, Ennab and Hassan dispensed oxycodone to their vulnerable clientele with full knowledge of its addictive qualities. The pair cared more about lining their pockets with dirty money than the safety and well-being of their customers. Today's sentencing was made possible with the collaborative efforts of our federal and local partners, and now each will finally see the full consequences of their criminal behavior," stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.
DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber stated, "The prison sentences imposed this week hold the defendants, including two pharmacists, accountable for a criminal scheme that sent more than 1.6 million pills of highly addictive oxycodone into our City's streets. I thank the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York and all of our law enforcement partners involved in this investigation for their unwavering commitment to bring to justice those who distribute dangerous drugs in our communities."
"The illegal distribution of opioids carries the devastating cost of broken families, lives lost and communities left shattered," stated New York State Health Commissioner McDonald. "When a pharmacist entrusted to care for patients betrays that trust, the damage can be irreparable. The New York State Department of Health 's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement will continue to remain vigilant and collaborate with law enforcement agencies to safeguard the public health of New Yorkers by combating illegitimate use of controlled substances in health care. We remain committed to supporting prevention, harm reduction and recovery efforts and ensuring people struggling with substance use have access to quality treatment and a path toward healing."
As proven at trial and set forth in court filings, Hassan and Ennab were licensed pharmacists who participated in a scheme to use illegal medical prescriptions to obtain oxycodone for sale on the streets of New York City. Hassan held ownership stakes in approximately 20 pharmacies, which were located in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, and some of which did business under the names Nile RX, Nile Ridge, Nile City, Sunset Corner, Prospect Care, Downtown RX and Forest Care, among others. Ennab was the supervising pharmacist at Forest Care, one of Hassan's pharmacies in Staten Island.
The scheme relied on filling illegally issued prescriptions for 30-day supplies of oxycodone 30 mg that were written out of a Brooklyn medical practice operating as a pill mill, often for patients that the resident doctor at the practice had never examined. Oxycodone 30 mg pills are high in strength and are usually prescribed to patients facing serious diagnoses, like cancer patients. In some cases, the prescriptions were for individuals whose identities had been stolen and were not patients of the practice.
The prescriptions were then filled at pharmacies controlled by Hassan, including the pharmacy where Ennab worked. Hassan and Ennab conspired with other drug dealers to distribute the illegally obtained oxycodone. One of the drug dealers picked up the oxycodone from the pharmacies in exchange for cash payments to Hassan and Ennab. Hassan and other pharmacist co-conspirators also billed insurance companies for the pills, even though they had no legitimate medical purpose. Mathis was a drug dealer who picked up oxycodone from pharmacies in exchange for payment. Mathis recruited dozens of individuals to serve as nominal patients, in whose name oxycodone prescriptions were issued. Mathis also stole the identities of some individuals, and those identities were used--without their knowledge or approval--on oxycodone prescriptions that co-defendant Michael Kent picked up. In total, the scheme resulted in the illegal distribution of more than 1.6 million pills of oxycodone, worth more than $48 million in retail street value.
Seven co-defendants, including Kent, Dr. Somsri Ratanaprasatporn, her receptionist Leticia Smith, and pharmacists Bassam Amin and Omar Elsayed, previously pleaded guilty based on their involvement in the scheme. Three of these co-defendants are awaiting sentencing. Kent was previously sentenced to 108 months' incarceration, and Raymond Walker, another street dealer, was previously sentenced to 84 months' incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Zuckerwise, Victor Zapana and Gilbert M. Rein are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from former Paralegal Specialists Rachel Friedman and Nadya Osman. Assistant United States Attorney Claire Kedeshian of the Office's Asset Forfeiture Section is handing forfeiture matters.
The Defendants:
YOUSEF ENNAB
Age: 28
Brooklyn, New York
MOHAMED HASSAN
Age: 35
Brooklyn, New York
ANTHONY MATHIS
Age: 58
New Windsor, New York
Co-Defendants Who Pleaded Guilty and Are Awaiting Sentencing:
LETICIA SMITH
Age: 57
Brooklyn, New York
BASSAM AMIN
Age: 62
Brooklyn, New York
OMAR ELSAYED
Age: 31
Hackensack, New Jersey
Co-Defendants Who Were Previously Sentenced:
MICHAEL KENT
Age: 52
Brooklyn, New York
DR. SOMSRI RATANAPRASATPORN
Age: 78
Staten Island, New York
RAYMOND WALKER
Age: 73
Brooklyn, New York
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-464 (S-1) (AMD)
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/two-pharmacists-sentenced-years-prison-illegal-distribution-oxycodone
BLS Issues Report on Total Factor Productivity for Major Industries - 2024
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following report (No. USDL-25-1588) on Dec. 19, 2025, entitled "Total Factor Productivity for Major Industries - 2024":
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Total factor productivity (TFP) increased in 13 out of 21 major industries in 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, led by the retail trade and the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries. Most of the industries that saw TFP growth were the result of increases to output outpacing increases to combined inputs of capital, labor, and the
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following report (No. USDL-25-1588) on Dec. 19, 2025, entitled "Total Factor Productivity for Major Industries - 2024":
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Total factor productivity (TFP) increased in 13 out of 21 major industries in 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, led by the retail trade and the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries. Most of the industries that saw TFP growth were the result of increases to output outpacing increases to combined inputs of capital, labor, and theintermediate inputs of energy, materials, and services. (See chart 1.) Output increased in 15 of 21 major industries in 2024. Of these 15 industries, all but one industry (agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting) had increased combined inputs in 2024. The largest increases in output (12.4 percent) and combined inputs (11.0 percent) occurred in the educational services industry. Within educational services, intermediate inputs drove the combined input growth. (See chart 1 and table 1.)
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Chart 1. Total factor productivity, output, and combined inputs, by major industry, 2024
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Over the current 2019-24 business cycle, 12 of 21 industries experienced TFP growth. Output growth was widespread, increasing in 17 of 21 industries over the period. The output declines occurred in the goods producing sector (mining, manufacturing, durable manufacturing, and nondurable manufacturing). Labor input grew in 16 of 21 industries during the 2019-24 cycle, demonstrating that these industries have recovered from labor losses in 2020. (See table 3.)
TFP is defined as output per unit of combined inputs. TFP shows the relationship between changes in real sectoral output and changes in the combined inputs of capital input (K), labor input (L), and intermediate inputs (energy (E), materials (M), and services (S)) used in production of final goods and services. It reflects economic growth that is not due to growth in measured KLEMS inputs, including technological change, organizational changes in the production process, and other efficiency improvements.
Total factor productivity and KLEMS as sources of labor productivity growth
Labor productivity increased in 16 of 21 industries in 2024. Labor productivity can be expressed as the sum of six components: TFP growth and the contributions of capital intensity, labor composition, energy intensity, materials intensity, and services intensity. The contribution of each KLEMS input is defined as the ratio of the services provided by that input to hours worked in the production process, weighted by its share of sectoral output. Examining input contributions and TFP changes reveals the substitution effect of increased use of an input relative to labor on an industry's labor productivity. (See table 5 and chart 2.)
Of the 16 industries with labor productivity growth in 2024, TFP was the largest contributor in 6 industries. TFP's contribution to labor productivity growth was strong in the retail trade and the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries. Services intensity made a significant contribution to the 11.3-percent growth in labor productivity for the educational services industry. Service intensity also made notable positive contributions to labor productivity growth in the management of companies and the finance and insurance industries. The labor composition index estimates the effect of shifts in the composition of the workforce on hours worked, using information on age, education, sex, and relative wages as a proxy for experience. In 2024, all 21 industries measured had positive or no contribution from labor composition.
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Chart 2. Sources of labor productivity for major industries, 2024
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TFP and input contributions to output
Private business sector output growth can be viewed as the sum of three components: total factor productivity, contribution of capital input, and contribution of labor input. The drivers of output growth for the private business sector in 2024 were TFP and capital, each with a 1.1-percentage-point contribution. Labor input contributed 0.3 percentage point to output growth. (See chart 3.)
Productivity growth is often viewed as a long run measure, encompassing many economic shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic. The current business cycle of 2019-24 shows similar contributions from capital and labor to aggregate output growth as the previous 2007-19 business cycle, while the contribution from TFP has increased 0.3 percentage point.
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Chart 3. Contribution to output for the private business sector, 2019-24 and select business cycles
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The private business sector can be divided into four broad sectors: goods producing; information and communication technology (ICT); finance, insurance, and real estate (FIRE); and service providing. Looking at these sectors provides further insights into how different sectors of the economy contribute to output. (See technical notes for industry makeup of each sector.)
TFP's contribution to output
Total factor productivity's contribution to private business output was consistent between 2023 and 2024 (1.2percentage-point and 1.1-percentage-point, respectively). The 2023 and 2024 contributions are similar to the prepandemic year of 2019 for most sectors. The service providing sector is the largest contributor in each of the 2019, 2023, and 2024 years (0.9-percentage-point, 1.0-percentage-point, and 0.7-percentage-point, respectively) led by the retail trade industry within this sector. Of note between 2019 and 2023-24 is the change in the contribution for the goods producing sector. This industry's TFP went from having a negative contribution to private business output in 2019 (-0.4-percentage-point) to a positive contribution in 2024 (0.2-percentage-point).
The increased contribution from TFP to private business output in the 2019-24 business cycle compared to the previous 2007-19 business cycle is due largely to the increased contribution of 0.2-percentage-point from the professional and technical services industry within the service providing sector. (See chart 4 and tables 6-13.)
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Chart 4. Sector contributions to TFP 2019-24 and select business cycles
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Labor's contribution to output
Labor's contribution to private business output growth decreased from 0.6-percentage-point in 2023 to 0.3percentage-point in 2024 and was due to contribution declines in all sectors (except for ICT with a 0.0 percentage contribution in both years). (See charts 3 and 5.) Decreased contributions in the goods producing sector of durable manufacturing and the service providing industry of accommodation and food services accounted for over half of the decreased contribution.
Labor's contribution to private business output is lower in the current 2019-24 business cycle (0.5-percentagepoint) than the previous 2007-19 business cycle (0.6-percentage-point) due to a decreased contribution from the service providing sector. (See charts 3 and 5, and tables 6-13.)
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Chart 5. Sector contributions to labor 2019-24 and select business cycles
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Capital's contribution to output
All sectors' capital contributions contributed positively to private business output growth in 2024 (1.1-percentagepoint). The service-providing sector made the largest positive contribution (0.5-percentage-point).
Capital had similar positive contributions for the years 2019 to 2024 and the two most recent business cycles. The slight increase in capital contribution from the service-providing sector from the 2007-19 business cycle to the 2019-24 business cycle (0.3-percentage-point to 0.4-percentage-point, respectively) was led by the retail trade industry (0.0-percentage point to 0.1-percentage-point, respectively) and the professional and technical services industry (0.0-percentage-point to 0.1-percentage-point, respectively). (See chart 6 and tables 6-13.)
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Chart 6. Sector contributions to capital 2019-24 and select business cycles
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Technical Notes
Goods producing sector
This sector contains industries within agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (NAICS 11), mining (NAICS 21), utilities (NAICS 22), construction (NAICS 23), and manufacturing (NAICS 31-33) except computer and electronic products (NAICS 334).
Information and communications technology (ICT) sector
Information and communication technology (ICT) contains the following industries: computer and electronic products (NAICS 334), broadcasting and telecommunications (NAICS 515,517), data processing, internet publishing, and other information services (NAICS 518,519) and computer systems design and related services (NAICS 5415). This definition is generally comparable to that used by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which defines the ICT sector using the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) (OECD 2011).
FIRE sector
The finance, insurance, and real estate (FIRE) sector contains industries within finance and insurance (NAICS 52) and real estate and rental and leasing (NAICS 53).
Service providing sector
This sector contains industries within trade (NAICS 42,44-45), transportation and warehousing (NAICS 48-49), publishing, except internet (includes software) (NAICS 511) and motion picture and sound recording (NAICS 512), and industries within services (NAICS 54-81) except computer systems design and related services (NAICS 5415).
Capital input
Data on investment for fixed assets are obtained from BEA. Data on inventories are estimated using data from BEA and additional information from IRS Corporation Income Returns. Data for land in the farm industry are obtained from USDA. Nonfarm industry detail for land is based on IRS book value data. Current-dollar value-added data, obtained from BEA, are used in estimating capital rental prices.
Labor input
Hours at work data reflect Productivity and Costs data as of the September 4, 2025 "Productivity and Costs" news release (USDL-25-1343).
Labor input is obtained by chained superlative Tornqvist aggregation of the hours at work, classified by age, education, and sex with weights determined by each group's share of total wages. The growth rate of labor composition is defined as the difference between the growth rate of weighted labor input and the growth rate of the hours.
Energy, materials, and services
Data on energy, materials, and services are obtained from BEA based on BEA annual inputoutput tables. Tornqvist indexes of each of these three input classes are derived at the NAICS industry level and then aggregated to the industries. Materials inputs are adjusted to exclude transactions between establishments within the same industry for goods producing industries.
Services are adjusted to exclude transactions between establishments within the same industry for all non-goods producing industries.
Sectoral output
The output concept used to measure total factor productivity for industries is "sectoral output". Sectoral output equals gross output (sales, receipts, and other operating income, plus commodity taxes plus changes in inventories), excluding transactions between establishments within the same industry.
2024 manufacturing output measures are estimated based on historical relationships between BLS industrial output, BLS price indexes, and data on industrial production from the Federal Reserve Board. For select service providing industries, output measures are estimated using data from the Quarterly Services Survey from the Census Bureau. For all other nonmanufacturing industries, sectoral output is based on indexes of real quantity and cost measures from the BEA. Data sources by industry can be found at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/opt/data.htm.
Other information
Detailed information on methods used in this release can be found in the BLS Handbook of Methods Productivity and Technology section at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/opt/home.htm.
Comprehensive tables containing more detailed data than that which is published in this news release are available upon request at 202-691-5606 or at www.bls.gov/productivity/tables.
Industry specific contributions to output are available at www.bls.gov/productivity/highlights/contributions-of-total-factor-productivity-major-industryto-output.htm.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
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Table 1. Total factor productivity and related data, 2024
Table 2. Total factor productivity intermediate inputs, 2024
Table 3. Total factor productivity and related data, 2019-24
Table 4. Total factor productivity intermediate inputs, 2019-24
Table 5. Sources of labor productivity, 2024
Table 6. Industry contributions1 to private business output by component, 2019
Table 7. Industry contributions1 to private business output by component, 2020
Table 8. Industry contributions1 to private business output by component, 2021
Table 9. Industry contributions1 to private business output by component, 2022
Table 10. Industry contributions1 to private business output by component, 2023
Table 11. Industry contributions1 to private business output by component, 2024
Table 12. Industry contributions1 to private business output by component, 2007-2019
Table 13. Industry contributions1 to private business output by component, 2019-2024
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View original text plus charts and tables here: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/prod5.pdf
BLS Issues Report on County Employment and Wages Data Update - Second Quarter 2025
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following report (No. USDL-25-1587) on Dec. 19, 2025, entitled "County Employment and Wages Data Update - Second Quarter 2025":
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) updated the full Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) database through the second quarter of 2025. Links to updated databases, files, and tables can be found at www.bls.gov/web/cewqtr.supp.toc.htm. Interactive chart data have been updated with additional detail provided at www.bls.gov/charts/county-employment-and-wages/county-employmentby-industry.htm.
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... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following report (No. USDL-25-1587) on Dec. 19, 2025, entitled "County Employment and Wages Data Update - Second Quarter 2025":
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) updated the full Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) database through the second quarter of 2025. Links to updated databases, files, and tables can be found at www.bls.gov/web/cewqtr.supp.toc.htm. Interactive chart data have been updated with additional detail provided at www.bls.gov/charts/county-employment-and-wages/county-employmentby-industry.htm.
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The County Employment and Wages release for third quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
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Federal Government Shutdown
Publication of the County Employment and Wages news release with tables 1-3 for second quarter 2025 was canceled due to the lapse in federal appropriations. Collection of second quarter data was completed on our normal schedule prior to the federal government shutdown but could not be processed or reviewed until appropriations resumed. Release of second quarter 2025 data was delayed by two weeks. BLS will resume the County Employment and Wages news release for the third quarter of 2025.
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View original text plus charts and tables here: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cewqtr.pdf
