Employee productivity in the U.S. is holding steady — and in some industries, surging — as organizations strike a balance between flexibility and automation, according to the latest Q3 2025 Productivity Pulse from Prodoscore, a leader in employee productivity and data intelligence software.
The report, based on behavioral data from 10,000+ employees across 161 companies and 10 industries, offers one of the most detailed quarterly snapshots of how Americans are working — and how tools like AI and hybrid work are shaping performance.
“Our Q3 data shows that companies have largely found equilibrium in how work gets done – balancing flexibility with structure and human intelligence with AI,” said Sam Naficy, CEO of Prodoscore. “We’re seeing hybrid work mature into a sustainable model while AI adoption continues to enhance productivity and engagement.”
AI Adoption Doubles Productivity
The headline finding: employees using AI tools were up to twice as productive as those who did not.
As organizations shift from pilot programs to everyday implementation, AI’s impact is becoming measurable — not just theoretical.
-
Professional and business services led all industries in AI adoption.
-
HR and staffing followed closely, reflecting how people teams are leveraging AI for recruitment, engagement, and workforce analytics.
-
Law firms trailed all sectors, underscoring persistent barriers in legal tech adoption.
Hybrid Work Finds Its Sweet Spot
Hybrid remains the most productive model — but not all hybrid setups are created equal.
Employees following three-days-in, two-days-remote or four-days-in, one-day-remote schedules outperformed both fully remote and fully on-site peers.
Interestingly, the data revealed a turning point: workers required to spend three or more days in-office were less productive than both remote and hybrid peers, suggesting that too much mandatory office time can reduce efficiency.
Meetings: Timing and Load Matter
Meetings remain a defining productivity variable.
-
Tuesdays are now the busiest day for meetings, overtaking Mondays and Fridays.
-
Employees in professional services, HR, and financial services averaged nearly seven hours of meetings per week.
-
Those in industrial, logistics, and real estate industries logged under four hours — and saw the highest productivity.
The shift suggests that knowledge workers’ meeting-heavy cultures may be reaching a saturation point, while operational sectors maintain tighter focus on task execution.
Industrial and Logistics Lead for Second Quarter
For the second consecutive quarter, the industrial and logistics sector topped all others in productivity — driven by strong consumer demand and supply chain optimization amid ongoing trade tensions.
By contrast, utilities and essential services recorded the steepest productivity decline, as regulatory uncertainty and policy changes weighed on operations.
Department Trends: M&A Up, Pricing Down
-
M&A teams posted a sharp productivity surge as companies capitalized on moderate interest rates and renewed appetite for strategic acquisitions.
-
Pricing departments saw the biggest drop, with analysts facing mounting cost volatility and competitive pricing pressures.
The Bigger Picture
Prodoscore’s quarterly findings reinforce a central truth of modern work: productivity thrives at the intersection of flexibility, focus, and intelligent automation.
Organizations that measure work patterns — and adjust policies based on real behavioral data — are seeing the greatest returns.
Join thousands of HR leaders who rely on HRTechEdge for the latest in workforce technology, AI-driven HR solutions, and strategic insights
Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure. Public relations, investor relations, public policy and marketing professionals rely on Business Wire for secure and accurate distribution of market-moving news and multimedia. Founded in 1961, Business Wire is a trusted source for news organizations, journalists, investment professionals and regulatory authorities, delivering news directly into editorial systems and leading online news sources via its multi-patented NX network. Business Wire’s global newsrooms are available to meet the needs of communications professionals and news media worldwide.
Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure. Public relations, investor relations, public policy and marketing professionals rely on Business Wire for secure and accurate distribution of market-moving news and multimedia. Founded in 1961, Business Wire is a trusted source for news organizations, journalists, investment professionals and regulatory authorities, delivering news directly into editorial systems and leading online news sources via its multi-patented NX network. Business Wire’s global newsrooms are available to meet the needs of communications professionals and news media worldwide.
