New Data Reveals Most and Least Productive Sectors and How Geopolitics Are Reshaping Productivity

Prodoscore (the “Company”), a leading provider of employee productivity and data intelligence software, today released its Q2 2025 Productivity Pulse report, an in-depth analysis of productivity trends across U.S. industries, job roles and departments. The report presents data from nearly 8,000 employees across 134 companies, 91 job roles and nine industries. Productivity is measured by employee use of cloud tools, including Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, CRM and phone systems, and more.

According to the data, AI adoption among U.S. employees continues to surge in Q2. Overall, AI usage grew 52 percent compared to Q1, with the HR and Staffing industry experiencing a 100 percent increase in adoption. Recruiters in this industry are increasingly automating time-consuming tasks, such as resume screening, candidate sourcing and onboarding, shifting AI from early experiments to core operational necessities. The data also showed that AI users were more active during the workday and worked longer hours: across industries, employees using AI logged approximately 30 more active minutes per day than employees who did not.

Additional findings include:

• Industrial/logistics and HR/staffing led all industries in productivity. Industrial and logistics outperformed other industries in Q2, likely due to heightened supply chain activity, “frontloading” foreign purchases to hedge against tariffs, and a strategic shift toward more modern and efficient warehouse spaces. Additionally, navigating a competitive labor market, HR and staffing professionals worked harder to secure new business while leveraging AI to streamline recruiting workflows.
• Tech and telecommunications posted the biggest quarter-over-quarter productivity gain. Generative AI adoption, expansion of 5G and fiber networks and growth in cloud computing likely fueled efficiency gains and innovation, resulting in a 4 percent increase in productivity in Q2.
• Utilities and essential services recorded the lowest productivity levels. Policy uncertainty, shifting tax incentives, new tariffs on clean energy components and significant grid modernization bottlenecks may have delayed or canceled major projects, dragging down output.
• Hybrid work continues to deliver peak employee productivity. Similar to Q1, hybrid employees across industries continued outperforming both in-office and remote-only workers in Q2, maintaining the highest overall productivity. What’s more, quarter-over-quarter, in-office employees saw the steepest productivity drop at 13 percent, compared to 2 percent for hybrid workers and 3.5 percent for remote employees.
• For some industries, the number of meetings mattered. Professional and business services, HR and staffing and software employees logged the most meeting time per week this quarter, a sign of active deal-making and collaboration. Meeting volume peaked on Mondays and even stayed high on Fridays at more than 1 hour and 25 minutes, reflecting a sustained work pace heading into the weekend.

“Prodoscore’s latest productivity data this quarter underscores how both external forces and changing internal work habits continue to actively reshape how people work, creating clear opportunities for companies to adapt, invest in and lead their employees to success,” said Sam Naficy, Prodoscore CEO. “From the continued emphasis on hybrid flexibility to more AI integration, this data empowers companies to act on real, measurable insights, rather than make broad, unfounded decisions based on gut instinct. These aren’t just trends; they’re the new rules of work — and organizations that align their people, processes and technologies accordingly will be the ones to thrive.”

To view the full Q2 2025 Prodoscore Productivity Pulse report, please click here.

Methodology

The Q2 2025 Prodoscore Productivity Pulse report is based on anonymized behavioral data collected between April 1 and June 30, 2025, from 7,771 employees across 134 companies, 91 job roles and nine industries: industrial and logistics, HR and staffing, retail and consumer goods, professional and business services, financial services and real estate, software, tech and telecommunications, law firms and legal services and utilities and essential services.

Productivity scores (0–100) are calculated using a weighted algorithm that factors in cloud tool usage, communication activity, meeting load, document interactions and system activity patterns. Trends were analyzed at the department, industry and role level and compared to Q1 2025 benchmarks. All data is fully anonymized and collected in compliance with Prodoscore’s strict privacy standards.

About Prodoscore

Prodoscore™ is an AI-powered and employee-centric data intelligence solution dedicated to making teams more successful. By providing clarity on what employees need to do to maintain optimal productivity, without feeling pressured by meaningless metrics, Prodoscore helps empower people, streamline processes, identify opportunities for workforce optimization, and ensure better-informed decision-making. Prodoscore’s unique dataset, consisting of thousands of daily activity points across various core business applications, provides our customers with meaningful insights that drive results.

As a cloud-based solution, Prodoscore works seamlessly with other cloud-based tools like Google Workspace, Office365, CRM systems, UCaaS, and other business productivity apps, allowing it to be quickly implemented and easily maintained.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, Prodoscore is backed by PSG Equity. Learn more at prodoscore.com.

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