Productivity vs. Yield — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 4, 2023
Productivity is the rate of output per unit of input, while yield is the actual amount produced or generated.
Difference Between Productivity and Yield
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Productivity measures the efficiency of production, typically represented as a ratio of output to input. It indicates how well resources are being used to produce goods or services. For example, if a factory uses fewer hours of labor to produce more goods, it has increased its productivity.
Yield, in contrast, refers to the quantity of product or results generated. It is an absolute number, not a ratio. Yield is the amount of finished product, like bushels of wheat per acre or the number of units coming off a production line.
Productivity can be affected by various factors, such as technology, processes, and workforce efficiency. It is concerned with optimizing the use of resources to increase the output. An office may increase its productivity by automating certain tasks, allowing employees to produce more work in the same amount of time.
Yield, on the other hand, is often a measure of quality as well as quantity. For example, in agriculture, a high yield means more crop production per area, but it might also refer to the amount of usable crop after waste or poor quality is subtracted. In finance, yield refers to earnings generated and realized on an investment over a particular period.
While productivity looks at the efficiency of the production process, yield is concerned with the end product. Productivity improvements may lead to higher yields, but high yields do not necessarily mean high productivity, especially if the input cost is excessive.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Rate of output per unit of input.
Amount of output produced.
Measure Type
Ratio (Efficiency Measure)
Absolute Number (Volume Measure)
Focus
Efficiency of resource use.
Quantity of product/result generated.
Impact Factors
Technology, process, workforce skills.
Quality of inputs, environmental conditions.
Application
Across various sectors (business, personal, technology).
Specific to sectors (agriculture, finance, manufacturing).
Compare with Definitions
Productivity
Productivity measures output relative to input.
Employee training programs significantly improved the company's productivity.
Yield
Yield is the output of a production process.
The wheat fields had a high yield this season despite the drought.
Productivity
Productivity represents the quantity of work done in a given time.
We measure our productivity in lines of code written per day.
Yield
Yield also refers to returns on investment.
The bond's yield has been consistently at 5% for several years.
Productivity
Productivity is the efficiency of production.
Advancements in technology have boosted productivity in the manufacturing sector.
Yield
Yield signifies the produce obtained from a process.
With the new fertilizers, farmers expected a better crop yield.
Productivity
Productivity indicates performance effectiveness.
The new software increased worker productivity by reducing repetitive tasks.
Yield
Produce or provide (a natural, agricultural, or industrial product)
The land yields grapes and tobacco
Productivity
Productivity is the efficiency of production of goods or services expressed by some measure. Measurements of productivity are often expressed as a ratio of an aggregate output to a single input or an aggregate input used in a production process, i.e.
Yield
Give way to arguments, demands, or pressure
He yielded to the demands of his partners
The Western powers now yielded when they should have resisted
Productivity
The state or quality of being productive
The long-term productivity of land
Yield
(of a mass or structure) give way under force or pressure
He reeled into the house as the door yielded
Productivity
The quality of being productive.
Yield
An amount produced of an agricultural or industrial product
The milk yield was poor
Productivity
(Economics) The rate at which goods or services are produced especially output per unit of labor.
Yield
To give forth by a natural process, especially by cultivation
A field that yields many bushels of corn.
Productivity
(Ecology) The rate at which photosynthesizing or chemosynthesizing producers form organic substances that can be used as food by consumers.
Yield
To furnish as return for effort or investment; be productive of
An investment that yields a high return.
Productivity
The state of being productive, fertile or efficient.
Yield
To give over possession of, as in deference or defeat; surrender
Yielded my seat to the speaker.
Yielded his sword.
Productivity
The rate at which goods or services are produced by a standard population of workers.
You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics.
Yield
To give up (an advantage, for example) to another; concede
Yielded the right of way to the oncoming traffic.
Productivity
The rate at which crops are grown on a standard area of land.
Yield
To give forth a natural product; be productive.
Productivity
(linguistics) The ability to form new words using established patterns and discrete linguistic elements, as derivational affixes -ness and -ity.
Yield
To produce a return for effort or investment
Bonds that yield well.
Productivity
The quality or state of being productive; productiveness.
Not indeed as the product, but as the producing power, the productivity.
Yield
To give up, as in defeat; surrender or submit.
Productivity
The quality of being productive or having the power to produce
Yield
To give way to pressure or force
The door yielded to a gentle push.
Productivity
(economics) the ratio of the quantity and quality of units produced to the labor per unit of time
Yield
To give way to argument, persuasion, influence, or entreaty.
Productivity
Productivity reflects the rate of output.
The team's productivity increased when they streamlined their workflow.
Yield
To give up one's place, as to one that is superior
Yielded to the chairperson.
Yield
An amount yielded or produced; a product.
Yield
A profit obtained from an investment; a return.
Yield
The energy released by an explosion, especially by a nuclear explosion, expressed in units of weight (usually kilotons) of TNT required to produce an equivalent release.
Yield
(obsolete) To pay, give in payment; repay, recompense; reward; requite.
Yield
To furnish; to afford; to render; to give forth.
Yield
To give way; to allow another to pass first.
Yield the right of way to pedestrians.
Yield
To give as required; to surrender, relinquish or capitulate.
They refuse to yield to the enemy.
Yield
To give, or give forth, (anything).
Yield
(intransitive) To give way; to succumb to a force.
Yield
To produce as return, as from an investment.
Historically, that security yields a high return.
Yield
(mathematics) To produce as a result.
Adding 3 and 4 yields a result of 7.
Yield
(linguistics) To produce a particular sound as the result of a sound law.
Indo-European p- yields Germanic f-.
Yield
To pass the material's yield point and undergo plastic deformation.
Yield
(rare) To admit to be true; to concede; to allow.
Yield
(obsolete) Payment; tribute.
Yield
A product; the quantity of something produced.
Zucchini plants always seem to produce a high yield of fruit.
Yield
The explosive energy value of a bomb, especially a nuke, usually expressed in tons of TNT equivalent.
Yield
(law) The current return as a percentage of the price of a stock or bond.
Yield
(finance) Profit earned from an investment; return on investment.
Yield
To give in return for labor expended; to produce, as payment or interest on what is expended or invested; to pay; as, money at interest yields six or seven per cent.
To yelde Jesu Christ his proper rent.
When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength.
Yield
To furnish; to afford; to render; to give forth.
[He] makes milch kine yield blood.
The wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.
Yield
To give up, as something that is claimed or demanded; to make over to one who has a claim or right; to resign; to surrender; to relinquish; as a city, an opinion, etc.
And, force perforce, I'll make him yield the crown.
Shall yield up all their virtue, all their fame.
Yield
To admit to be true; to concede; to allow.
I yield it just, said Adam, and submit.
Yield
To permit; to grant; as, to yield passage.
Yield
To give a reward to; to bless.
Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more,And the gods yield you for 't.
God yield thee, and God thank ye.
One calmly yields his willing breath.
Yield
To give up the contest; to submit; to surrender; to succumb.
He saw the fainting Grecians yield.
Yield
To comply with; to assent; as, I yielded to his request.
Yield
To give way; to cease opposition; to be no longer a hindrance or an obstacle; as, men readily yield to the current of opinion, or to customs; the door yielded.
Will ye relent,And yield to mercy while 't is offered you?
Yield
To give place, as inferior in rank or excellence; as, they will yield to us in nothing.
Nay tell me first, in what more happy fieldsThe thistle springs, to which the lily yields?
Yield
Amount yielded; product; - applied especially to products resulting from growth or cultivation.
Yield
Production of a certain amount
Yield
An amount of a product
Yield
The income arising from land or other property;
The average return was about 5%
Yield
The quantity of something (as a commodity) that is created (usually within a given period of time);
Production was up in the second quarter
Yield
Be the cause or source of;
He gave me a lot of trouble
Our meeting afforded much interesting information
Yield
End resistance, especially under pressure or force;
The door yielded to repeated blows with a battering ram
Yield
Give or supply;
The cow brings in 5 liters of milk
This year's crop yielded 1,000 bushels of corn
The estate renders some revenue for the family
Yield
Give over; surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another
Yield
Give in, as to influence or pressure
Yield
Move in order to make room for someone for something;
The park gave way to a supermarket
`Move over,' he told the crowd
Yield
Bring about;
His two singles gave the team the victory
Yield
Be willing to concede;
I grant you this much
Yield
Be fatally overwhelmed
Yield
Bring in;
Interest-bearing accounts
How much does this savings certificate pay annually?
Yield
Be flexible under stress of physical force;
This material doesn't give
Yield
Cease opposition; stop fighting
Yield
Consent reluctantly
Yield
Yield represents the amount of product obtained.
The solar panels yield enough energy to power the entire building.
Yield
Yield can mean to give way or concede.
In heavy traffic, always yield to emergency vehicles.
Common Curiosities
Does technology always improve productivity?
Generally, technology is intended to improve productivity, but its actual impact can vary based on implementation and use.
What is productivity in a workplace?
In a workplace, productivity refers to the amount of work or output produced per employee or hour worked.
What does a high yield indicate?
A high yield indicates a greater return or output, whether it's in agriculture, manufacturing, or investment.
How does yield affect the agriculture sector?
Yield directly affects the agriculture sector's profitability and sustainability, as it denotes the amount of crop produced per unit area.
How is yield calculated in manufacturing?
Yield in manufacturing is calculated by dividing the number of good units produced by the total units started.
Can productivity be negative?
Productivity cannot be negative; it can be low or high, but it is the measure of the rate of production.
Can yield fluctuate over time?
Yes, yield can fluctuate over time due to varying factors such as market conditions, input quality, or operational efficiency.
Is yield always a financial term?
No, yield can refer to financial returns or the amount of any product produced.
Can a company have high productivity but low yield?
Yes, a company can be efficient in processes (high productivity) but still produce a low total output (low yield) due to other factors like limited resources.
Is yield always measured in quantity?
Yield is typically measured in quantity, but in finance, it can also refer to the rate of return as a percentage.
Can productivity measures help in personal life?
Yes, productivity measures can help in personal life by tracking and improving efficiency in daily tasks.
Can poor weather decrease agricultural yield?
Yes, poor weather can significantly decrease agricultural yield by affecting crop growth.
How do companies track productivity?
Companies track productivity using various metrics like output per hour, sales per employee, or unit costs.
Does a high yield in bonds mean high risk?
Often, but not always; high-yield bonds typically carry higher risk, compensating with potentially higher returns.
Are productivity tools only digital?
No, productivity tools can be digital, physical, or methodological practices that increase efficiency.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
