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Output per hour in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1993
Output per employed person in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1993
Output in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1993
Total hours in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1993
Employment in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1993
Average annual hours in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1993
Hourly compensation in manufacturing, national currency basis, 12 countries, 1950-1993
Hourly compensation in manufacturing, U.S. dollar basis, 12 countries, 1950-1993
Unit labor costs in manufacturing, national currency basis, 12 countries, 1950-1993
Unit labor costs in manufacturing, U.S. dollar basis, 12 countries, 1950-1993
Exchange rates, 12 countries, 1950-1993 (Value of foreign currency relative to U.S. dollar)
Avg. annual compensation in manufacturing, nat. currency basis, 12 countries, 1950-1993
Real hourly compensation in manufacturing, CPI basis, 12 countries, 1950-1993
Real average annual compensation in manufacturing, CPI basis, 12 countries, 1950-1993
Korea: Output and unit labor costs, all employees in manufacturing, 1970-1993
Taiwan: Output and unit labor costs, all employees in manufacturing, 1970-1993

Technical information
(202) 606-5654
Media contact
(202) 606-5902

USDL: 94-403
For Release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Wednesday, August 17, 1994

INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS OF MANUFACTURING PRODUCTIVITY
AND UNIT LABOR COST TRENDS, 1993
The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor today reported on 1993
developments in manufacturing productivity (output per hour) and unit labor costs in the United States and
other industrial economies.
Manufacturing productivity in the United States increased by 4.2 percent in 1993, its largest annual
productivity increase since 1987. This rate of growth placed the United States about in the middle of the
range exhibited by the 11 countries for which 1993 data are available. Sweden had the largest increase in
productivity, at 9 percent, while Japan was the only country in the group to experience a decline in
productivity in 1993. (See table A and chart 1.)
Unit labor costs decreased 0.6 percent in the United States in 1993. Canada and the Scandinavian
countries also had declines in unit labor costs when measured on a national currency basis. When adjusted
for changes in foreign currency values relative to the U.S. dollar, however, Canada, Korea, Taiwan, and all
the European countries studied had greater reductions in unit labor costs than the United States. Japan was
the only economy in which U.S. dollar-based unit labor costs increased in 1993. The increase of nearly 18
percent was primarily the result of a sharp appreciation of the yen. (See table A and chart 2.)

The 1993 measures of percent changes in manufacturing productivity, unit labor costs, and related
variables for the United States, Canada, Japan, and the eight European countries for which data are available
are summarized in table A on page 2. Table A also shows percent changes in unit labor costs for Korea and
Taiwan, but comparable productivity figures are not available because adequate labor input measures have
not been developed. Table B shows average annual percent changes for selected periods from 1979 for 14
economies, which include Belgium in addition to the 13 economies for which 1993 measures are available.
Indexes of the measures for the United States, Canada, Japan, and the European countries are in tables 1-14;
output and unit labor cost indexes for Korea and Taiwan are in tables 15 and 16. U.S. indexes for most of
the measures are not currently available prior to 1977; see box on page 7.
-2Table A. Manufacturing productivity* and labor costs in 13 countries or areas
Percent change, 1992-93

Country

Output
per
hour

Output

4.2

4.8

0.5

- 0.3

0.8

3.6

- 0.6

- 0.6

---

2.1
.6
NA
NA
5.7
1.2

4.9
- 4.2
5.0
2.8
.6
- 3.2

2.8
- 3.6
NA
NA
- 4.8
- 4.3

.7
- 1.1
NA
NA
- 4.1
- 4.0

2.0
- 2.5
NA
NA
- .8
- .3

.4
2.7
NA
NA
2.5
3.6

- 1.6
3.3
1.6
3.0
- 3.0
2.4

- 7.9
17.9
- 1.1
- 1.9
- 9.7
- 4.4

- 6.3
14.1
- 2.7
- 4.8
- 6.9
- 6.6

2.3
6.3
1.2
2.1
9.2
5.2

- 7.4
- 2.1
- 2.5
1.7
1.7
1.7

-

-

- 3.4
- 2.6
.0
.3
1.6
- .7

7.2
7.3
2.9
1.0
- 1.5
5.4

4.8
.9
1.7
- 1.1
- 9.8
.2

- 1.1
-21.0
- 3.8
-13.4
-32.6
-14.8

- 5.6
-21.7
- 5.4
-12.5
-25.3
-15.0

United States
Canada
Japan
Korea (2)
Taiwan (2)
Denmark
France
Germany (3)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

-

Hours

9.4
7.9
3.6
.4
6.8
3.3

Hourly Unit labor costs
Employ- Average compen- National U.S.
Exchange
ment
hours
sation currency dollars rate (1)

6.3
5.4
3.6
.7
8.3
2.6

* Although the productivity measure relates output to the hours of persons employed in manufacturing, it
does not measure the specific contributions of labor as a single factor of production. Rather, it reflects
the joint effects of many influences, including new technology, capital investment, capacity utilization,
energy use, and managerial skills, as well as the skills and efforts of the work force.
(1) Value of foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar.
(2) See technical note.
(3) Data relate to the former West Germany.
NA=Not Available.

Productivity, output, and labor input

The U.S. manufacturing labor productivity increase of 4.2 percent in 1993 resulted from output
growth of nearly 5 percent coupled with a slight increase, 0.5 percent, in labor input (as measured by hours
worked). Of the 11 countries for which data are available, only the United States and Canada recorded
increases in both output and hours worked over the year. The other countries that had manufacturing
productivity gains -- including Denmark, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, the countries where
productivity increases exceeded that of the United States -- did so primarily by reducing labor hours.
Like the United States, Canada and Korea had manufacturing output increases of about 5 percent.
Five countries -- Japan, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands -- saw output fall in 1993. The largest
decline, 7-1/2 percent, occurred in Germany. The remaining economies experienced output growth of less
than 3 percent.
Canada, with a nearly 3 percent increase in hours worked, was the only country to record a
substantial increase in labor input. Hours fell in Japan and all of the European economies. While hours in
Norway declined only slightly, the other countries studied had declines greater than 3 percent. The sharpest
decreases occurred in Sweden (7 percent), Italy (8 percent), and Germany (9-1/2 percent).
-3****AT THIS POINT, PRINTED NEWS RELEASE CONTAINS CHART 1: PERCENT CHANGE IN MANUFACTURING OUTPUT PER HOUR, 1993

-4Hourly compensation and unit labor costs
Hourly compensation costs in manufacturing -- which include wages and salaries, supplements, and
employer payments for social security and other employer-financed benefit plans -- rose 3.6 percent in the
United States in 1993. Only 3 of the 10 foreign countries for which data are available had larger increases -the United Kingdom, up about 5-1/2 percent, and Germany and Italy, both up more than 7 percent. At the
opposite end of the spectrum, hourly compensation costs rose only 1/2 of 1 percent in Canada and 1 percent
in Norway. In Sweden, employer social contributions were cut and hourly compensation costs fell 1-1/2
percent.
Since U.S. productivity growth exceeded the rise in hourly compensation costs, U.S. unit labor costs
fell about 1/2 of 1 percent from 1992 to 1993. Measured on a national currency basis, four other countries
also experienced declines in unit labor costs over the year -- Denmark, where unit labor costs fell 3 percent,
Sweden, where they fell nearly 10 percent, Canada, and Norway. In general, unit labor cost growth slowed
in 1993 relative to 1992. Among the 13 economies studied,1 only France had a higher unit labor cost growth
rate in 1993 than in 1992.

Unit labor costs in U.S. dollars
With the notable exception of Japan, the currencies of all the economies studied depreciated against
the U.S. dollar in 1993. While the Japanese yen rose 14 percent relative to the U.S. dollar, the Canadian

dollar fell more than 6 percent, and the European currencies depreciated 5-1/2 percent or more between
1992 and 1993. The currencies of Denmark, France, Germany, and the Netherlands depreciated between
5-1/2 and 7 percent, and the other European countries experienced much greater drops in the values of their
currencies. The British pound fell 15 percent relative to the dollar, the Italian lira dropped almost 22 percent,
and the Swedish krona declined 25 percent. The currencies of Korea and Taiwan depreciated about 2-1/2
percent and 5 percent, respectively.
In evaluating competitive changes in unit labor costs, it is important to take into account changes in
relative currency values. The strength of the yen caused Japanese unit labor costs, measured on a U.S. dollar
basis, to rise nearly 18 percent in 1993. The other economies studied, however, all experienced declines in
U.S. dollar-based unit labor costs which exceeded the U.S. drop. Germany, Korea, and Taiwan had unit
labor cost declines in the 1 to 2 percent range, only slightly larger than that of the United States, but the eight
remaining countries had decreases ranging from about 4 percent in France and the Netherlands to 21 percent
in Italy and over 32 percent in Sweden.
__________
1 As noted above, unit labor cost measures are compiled for Korea and Taiwan in addition to the 11
countries for which productivity and hourly compensation measures are computed.
-5****AT THIS POINT, PRINTED NEWS RELEASE CONTAINS CHART 2: PERCENT CHANGE IN MANUFACTURING UNIT LABOR COSTS
(U.S. DOLLAR BASIS), 1993.

-6****AT THIS POINT, THE PRINTED NEWS RELEASE CONTAINS CHART 3: U.S. MANUFACTURING UNIT LABOR COSTS RELATIVE TO
12 COMPETITORS, 19799-93.
Trade-weighted unit labor costs
The countries covered by the BLS comparative measures differ greatly in their relative importance to
U.S. trade in manufactured goods. Therefore, BLS constructs two summary measures: A "competitors"
index, which is the trade-weighted geometric average of the unit labor cost indexes for the other economies;
and a relative index, which is the ratio of the U.S. index to the "competitors" index. Chart 3 shows U.S.
relative unit labor cost indexes on both a national currency and U.S. dollar basis over the 1979-93 period.
Because 1993 data are not available for Belgium, it has been excluded from this analysis; however, Belgium
accounts for less than 3 percent of the total trade in manufactured goods between the 13 foreign economies
and the United States.
U.S. relative unit labor costs, expressed on a national currency basis (i.e., unadjusted for exchange
rate changes), fell gradually, with only minor interruptions, between 1979 and 1993. The overall decline
amounted to 11 percentage points. Adjusted for relative changes in currency exchange rates, however, the
pattern was quite different. The U.S. dollar appreciated by 42 percent on a trade-weighted basis between
1979 and 1985, and U.S. relative unit labor costs rose 41 percentage points. The value of the U.S. dollar fell
between 1985 and 1988, rose in 1989, continued its decline between 1989 and 1992, and then rebounded in

1993 against all currencies except the Japanese yen. U.S. relative unit labor costs as of 1993, measured on a
U.S. dollar basis, were down 56-1/2 percentage points over 1985 and 15-1/2 percentage points over 1979.
The U.S. relative unit labor cost index increased 1-1/2 percentage points between 1992 and 1993,
measured on a U.S. dollar basis. U.S. unit labor costs fell about 12 percentage points relative to Japan,
which has a weight of nearly 26 percent in the index, and rose 7-1/2 percentage points against the tradeweighted average for the other 11 economies.
-7Recent exchange rate changes
After having fallen toward the end of last year, the currencies of Europe appreciated gradually through
the first half of 1994, and in June all stood near their 1993 average levels. July, however, saw stronger rises in
the European currencies and, as of July 1994, the currencies of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, and
the Netherlands were up 5-7 percent over their 1993 averages. Unlike the European currencies, the
currencies of Korea and Taiwan did not fluctuate much in value over the first 7 months of 1994. They
remained at nearly the same levels as in 1993. By April, the Canadian dollar was down almost 7 percent
relative to its 1993 average, but it has since leveled off. The Japanese yen continued to appreciate
sharply -- its value in July was nearly 13 percent above its 1993 average level.

Note on the U.S. output measures
The historical real manufacturing output data for the United States are the 1987 fixed-price-weighted
measures prepared by the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the U.S. Department of Commerce for 1977
through 1991. The 1991-92 and 1992-93 percent changes in manufacturing output are based on the trend
shown by the industrial production indexes published by the U.S. Federal Reserve Board. Comparable
manufacturing output data currently are not available prior to 1977.
The U.S. real output measures normally constructed by the Bureau of Economic Analysis are based on fixed
price weights of a single year. Fixed-weighted real output series have several advantages, but, if there are
major changes in relative prices over the period covered, the change in real output becomes sensitive to the
choice of price weights. This issue is discussed in Robert P. Parker, "Gross Product by Industry, 1977-90,"
Survey of Current Business, May 1993. The article shows alternative measures of real output growth, using
"benchmark-years-weighted quantity index" numbers for total gross domestic product (GDP) and for
manufacturing for the years 1977-87. The 1977-87 growth rate for manufacturing output is 2.5 percent; the
growth rate based on the 1987 fixed-weighted measure is 1.7 percent. BLS is considering introducing
manufacturing output measures based on changing price weights for use in its productivity calculations.
Most of the foreign economies link fixed-weighted measures covering various periods, but some also produce
annual chain-weighted indexes. The output measures used in this article are fixed weighted, with the following
exception: The measures for Norway for 1987-92 are based on relative prices of the preceding year (the
1993 measure is currently based on 1991 prices).
-8-

Table B. Output per hour, hourly compensation, unit labor costs, and related measures
Manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1979-93
Average annual rates of change (1)
Country
or area

1979-93

1979-85

1985-93

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

Output per hour
United States

2.5

2.0

2.9

0.6

1.8

2.0

3.7

4.2

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

1.7
3.8
NA
NA
NA
1.5
2.8

2.4
3.9
NA
NA
6.1
2.1
3.1

1.2
3.7
NA
NA
NA
1.0
2.5

0.4
6.9
NA
NA
4.8
3.4
5.0

2.1
6.9
NA
NA
2.1
-0.1
1.5

1.5
4.8
NA
NA
2.2
-0.0
0.2

3.8
-0.6
NA
NA
4.3
2.1
2.2

2.1
-0.6
NA
NA
NA
5.7
1.2

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

1.9
4.1
2.6
2.3
3.2
4.1

2.1
5.0
4.2
2.9
3.0
4.1

1.8
3.4
1.5
1.9
3.4
4.1

3.3
3.1
3.3
5.2
3.2
3.6

4.3
3.9
1.3
2.5
1.7
1.2

3.0
3.2
1.0
0.7
1.2
3.8

-0.8
4.8
0.6
1.8
7.2
4.6

2.3
6.3
1.2
2.1
9.2
5.2

Continued on next page
-9Table B. Output per hour, hourly compensation, unit labor costs, and related measures
Manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1979-93--continued
Average annual rates of change (1)
Country
or area

1979-93

1979-85

1985-93

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

Output
United States

1.7

0.7

2.4

0.9

-0.4

-2.2

3.1

4.8

Canada
Japan

1.2
4.5

1.5
5.8

0.9
3.6

0.9
8.0

-3.3
7.6

-5.8
6.3

0.2
-1.8

4.9
-4.2

Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

9.8
6.9
NA
1.1
0.3

9.1
8.3
2.6
2.9
-0.4

10.3
6.0
NA
-0.2
0.9

4.2
3.7
6.4
1.2
5.5

9.7
-0.2
3.6
-1.0
1.9

9.1
6.6
-0.4
-1.2
-1.6

5.1
3.5
0.3
1.2
-0.8

5.0
2.8
NA
0.6
-3.2

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

0.5
2.0
1.6
0.2
1.1
0.4

0.2
1.8
1.6
1.0
2.1
-1.2

0.7
2.2
1.6
-0.3
0.3
1.5

3.4
3.8
4.6
-1.6
1.2
4.5

5.5
2.0
3.3
0.7
-0.7
-0.2

3.6
-0.2
0.5
-2.1
-5.6
-5.3

-1.5
0.2
-0.7
1.8
-0.8
-0.8

-7.4
-2.1
-2.5
1.7
1.7
1.7

Total hours
United States

-0.8

-1.2

-0.5

0.4

-2.2

-4.1

-0.6

0.5

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

-0.6
0.7
NA
NA
NA
-0.4
-2.4

-0.9
1.8
NA
NA
-3.3
0.8
-3.4

-0.3
-0.1
NA
NA
NA
-1.2
-1.6

0.5
1.1
NA
NA
1.6
-2.2
0.5

-5.3
0.6
NA
NA
1.5
-1.0
0.4

-7.2
1.5
NA
NA
-2.6
-1.1
-1.8

-3.5
-1.2
NA
NA
-3.8
-0.9
-2.9

2.8
-3.6
NA
NA
NA
-4.8
-4.3

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

-1.4
-2.0
-1.0
-2.1
-2.1
-3.5

-1.8
-3.1
-2.5
-1.9
-0.9
-5.0

-1.1
-1.2
0.1
-2.2
-3.0
-2.4

0.1
0.7
1.3
-6.5
-2.0
0.8

1.1
-1.9
2.0
-1.8
-2.3
-1.4

0.6
-3.3
-0.5
-2.8
-6.7
-8.8

-0.7
-4.4
-1.3
0.0
-7.4
-5.2

-9.4
-7.9
-3.6
-0.4
-6.8
-3.3

Continued on next page
-10Table B. Output per hour, hourly compensation, unit labor costs, and related measures
Manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1979-93--continued
Average annual rates of change (1)
Country
or area

1979-93

1979-85

1985-93

1989

Employment

1990

1991

1992

1993

United States

-1.1

-1.4

-0.8

0.4

-1.5

-3.5

-1.7

-0.3

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

-0.7
1.4
NA
NA
NA
-0.1
-1.9

-0.8
1.7
NA
NA
-2.7
1.0
-2.3

-0.7
1.1
NA
NA
NA
-0.9
-1.6

1.2
2.2
NA
NA
2.1
-1.0
0.7

-5.2
2.2
NA
NA
0.3
0.2
0.8

-7.1
3.8
NA
NA
-0.9
-1.4
-1.5

-4.2
1.8
NA
NA
-3.8
-1.2
-3.1

0.7
-1.1
NA
NA
NA
-4.1
-4.0

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

-0.5
-2.0
-0.8
-2.0
-2.6
-3.2

-1.1
-2.9
-2.1
-1.8
-1.2
-4.6

-0.1
-1.3
0.2
-2.2
-3.6
-2.1

1.4
0.9
1.5
-7.1
-1.6
1.0

2.8
0.5
2.0
-1.8
-3.4
-0.7

1.6
-2.2
-0.3
-3.3
-6.6
-7.1

-1.8
-4.3
-1.1
-1.0
-9.2
-5.2

-6.3
-5.4
-3.6
-0.7
-8.3
-2.6

Average hours
United States

0.2

0.2

0.3

-0.1

-0.7

-0.6

1.2

0.8

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

0.2
-0.7
NA
NA
NA
-0.3
-0.5

-0.1
0.1
NA
NA
-0.6
-0.3
-1.1

0.3
-1.2
NA
NA
NA
-0.3
-0.0

-0.7
-1.1
NA
NA
-0.5
-1.2
-0.3

-0.1
-1.6
NA
NA
1.2
-1.2
-0.4

-0.1
-2.3
NA
NA
-1.7
0.3
-0.4

0.7
-3.0
NA
NA
-0.0
0.3
0.2

2.0
-2.5
NA
NA
NA
-0.8
-0.3

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

-0.9
0.0
-0.3
-0.1
0.5
-0.4

-0.7
-0.1
-0.4
-0.1
0.4
-0.5

-1.0
0.1
-0.1
-0.1
0.6
-0.3

-1.2
-0.2
-0.2
0.7
-0.3
-0.1

-1.6
-2.4
0.0
-0.1
1.2
-0.8

-1.0
-1.1
-0.2
0.5
-0.1
-1.8

1.1
-0.1
-0.2
1.0
2.0
0.0

-3.4
-2.6
-0.0
0.3
1.6
-0.7

Continued on next page
-11Table B. Output per hour, hourly compensation, unit labor costs, and related measures
Manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1979-93--continued
Average annual rates of change (1)
Country

1979-93

1979-85

1985-93

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

or area
Hourly compensation(3):

National currency basis

United States

5.3

6.9

4.1

3.9

5.3

5.3

4.2

3.6

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

5.9
4.6
NA
NA
NA
6.0
7.8

8.7
4.7
NA
NA
7.8
8.1
12.8

3.9
4.5
NA
NA
NA
4.5
4.2

3.8
6.3
NA
NA
5.2
5.7
5.4

5.6
7.9
NA
NA
5.9
6.2
5.3

5.7
5.8
NA
NA
6.4
3.6
4.3

4.4
4.6
NA
NA
4.6
3.0
3.4

0.4
2.7
NA
NA
NA
2.5
3.6

5.6
11.3
3.7
7.7
7.9
9.4

5.9
16.7
4.8
10.0
9.6
11.8

5.4
7.4
2.9
6.0
6.5
7.6

4.8
9.9
0.5
4.4
10.6
13.5

7.1
11.2
2.6
5.6
10.3
3.4

6.6
10.6
4.8
4.7
8.9
11.2

4.7
7.1
5.7
2.8
3.4
8.1

7.2
7.3
2.9
1.0
-1.5
5.4

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

Unit labor costs:

National currency basis

United States

2.7

4.9

1.1

3.3

3.5

3.3

0.5

-0.6

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

4.1
0.8
7.6
4.9
NA
4.5
4.9

6.1
0.7
8.2
7.1
1.6
5.9
9.4

2.6
0.8
7.1
3.3
NA
3.4
1.6

3.3
-0.5
20.6
4.4
0.4
2.2
0.4

3.4
0.9
9.2
7.0
3.7
6.3
3.7

4.2
0.9
5.5
1.6
4.1
3.7
4.1

0.6
5.2
6.4
4.3
0.4
0.9
1.2

-1.6
3.3
1.6
3.0
NA
-3.0
2.4

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

3.6
6.9
1.1
5.2
4.5
5.1

3.8
11.1
0.6
6.9
6.4
7.4

3.5
3.9
1.4
4.0
3.0
3.4

1.4
6.6
-2.7
-0.8
7.2
9.5

2.6
7.0
1.3
3.0
8.5
2.1

3.6
7.1
3.8
3.9
7.6
7.0

5.5
2.2
5.1
1.0
-3.6
3.3

4.8
0.9
1.7
-1.1
-9.8
0.2

Continued on next page
-12Table B. Output per hour, hourly compensation, unit labor costs, and related measures
Manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1979-93--continued

Average annual rates of change (1)
Country
or area

1979-93

1979-85

1985-93

Unit labor costs:

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

U.S. dollar basis

United States

2.7

4.9

1.1

3.3

3.5

3.3

0.5

-0.6

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

3.4
5.8
3.8
7.3
NA
2.9
2.8

3.4
-0.8
-1.9
5.3
-9.7
-5.8
-3.4

3.4
10.9
8.2
8.7
NA
10.0
7.7

7.4
-7.7
31.3
13.1
-6.2
-5.9
-6.2

4.9
-3.9
3.6
5.0
22.3
25.8
21.5

6.0
8.7
1.8
2.2
1.7
0.2
0.4

-4.6
11.7
-0.1
10.9
6.8
7.0
7.9

-7.9
17.9
-1.1
-1.9
NA
-9.7
-4.4

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

4.4
2.1
1.6
2.7
0.1
2.5

-4.1
-3.3
-7.5
-2.1
-5.2
-1.0

11.2
6.4
9.0
6.5
4.3
5.3

-5.2
1.2
-9.3
-6.4
1.9
0.7

19.4
22.5
18.1
13.9
18.2
11.2

0.8
3.4
1.0
0.1
5.3
6.0

12.2
2.9
11.9
5.5
0.2
3.3

-1.1
-21.0
-3.8
-13.4
-32.6
-14.8

Exchange rates (4)
United States

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

-0.7
4.9
-3.5
2.2
-1.2
-1.5
-2.0

-2.5
-1.5
-9.3
-1.7
-11.1
-11.0
-11.7

0.7
10.0
1.0
5.3
7.0
6.3
5.9

3.9
-7.2
8.9
8.3
-6.7
-7.9
-6.6

1.5
-4.8
-5.1
-1.9
17.9
18.3
17.1

1.8
7.7
-3.5
0.6
-2.3
-3.3
-3.5

-5.2
6.2
-6.1
6.4
6.4
6.1
6.7

-6.3
14.1
-2.7
-4.8
-7.0
-6.9
-6.6

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

0.7
-4.5
0.5
-2.4
-4.2
-2.4

-7.6
-12.9
-8.0
-8.4
-11.0
-7.9

7.5
2.4
7.5
2.4
1.2
1.8

-6.6
-5.1
-6.8
-5.6
-4.9
-8.0

16.3
14.5
16.5
10.5
9.0
8.9

-2.7
-3.5
-2.7
-3.7
-2.1
-0.9

6.4
0.7
6.4
4.5
3.9
-0.1

-5.6
-21.7
-5.4
-12.5
-25.3
-15.0

(1)

Rates of change based on the compound

(3)

Adjusted to include employment taxes

rate method.
(2)

that are not compensation to employees
but are labor costs to employers.

Data relate to the former West Germany.

NA = Not available.

(4) Value of foreign currency relative to
the U.S. dollar.
-13-

TECHNICAL NOTE
The Bureau of Labor Statistics constructs trend indexes of manufacturing labor productivity (output per hour),
hourly compensation costs, and unit labor costs from three basic aggregative measures---output, total labor
hours, and total compensation. The hours and compensation measures refer to all employed persons,
including self-employed persons and unpaid family workers, in the United States and Canada and to all
employees (wage and salary earners) in the other economies. Hours refer to hours worked in all countries.
(The figures for Canada in this release are the official measures prepared by Statistics Canada.)
The historical data have been revised to reflect the most recent series available and may differ from previously
published figures.
In general, the measures relate to total manufacturing as defined by the International Standard Industrial
Classification (ISIC). However, the measures for France and Italy (beginning 1970) refer to mining and
manufacturing less energy-related products; the measures for Denmark include mining and exclude
manufacturing handicrafts from 1960 to 1966; and the measures for the Netherlands exclude petroleum
refining and include coal mining from 1969 to 1976.
Output: In general, the output measures are value added in manufacturing (gross product originating) in
constant prices from the national accounts of each country. However, output for Japan prior to 1970 and the
Netherlands from 1969 to 1977 are indexes of industrial production. The national accounts measures for the
United Kingdom are essentially identical to their indexes of industrial production. While methods of deriving
national accounts measures differ substantially from country to country, the use of different procedures does
not, in itself, connote lack of comparability--rather, it reflects differences among countries in the availability
and reliability of underlying data series.
Labor Input: The total hours measures are developed from statistics of manufacturing employment and
average hours. The series used for France (from 1970 forward), Norway, and Sweden are official series
published with the national accounts. Where official total hours series are not available, the measures are
developed by BLS using employment figures published with the national accounts, or other comprehensive
employment series, and estimates of annual hours worked.
For the Republic of Korea and Taiwan, the Bureau publishes only measures of unit labor costs and the data
on output and total compensation that underlie the computations of unit labor costs. Total hours, and
consequently productivity, are not computed for Korea and Taiwan because BLS has not yet developed
adequate labor input series.
Compensation (labor cost): The compensation measures are from the national accounts except those for
Belgium, which are developed by the Bureau using statistics on employment, average hours, and hourly

compensation. Compensation includes all payments in cash or kind made directly to employees plus
employer expenditures for legally required insurance programs and contractual and private benefit plans. In
addition, for some countries, compensation is increased to account for other significant taxes on payroll or
employment (or reduced to reflect subsidies). Self-employed workers are included in the U.S. and Canadian
figures by assuming that their hourly compensation is equal to the average for wage and salary employees.
-14Current Indicators: For most countries, the measures for recent years may be based on current indicators of
manufacturing output (such as industrial production indexes), employment, average hours, and hourly
compensation until national accounts and other statistics used for the long-term measures become available.
Trade-Weighted Measures: The economies covered by the BLS measures differ greatly in their relative
importance to U.S. trade in manufactured products. Therefore, the Bureau constructs trade-weighted
measures that take account of these differences. The trade weights used were derived by rescaling a series
covering 21 economies that was developed by the International Monetary Fund. These weights are based on
disaggregated 1980 trade data for manufactured goods, and take account of both bilateral trade and the
relative importance of "third country" markets. The following are rescaled weights for the 12 economies for
which the 1993 unit labor cost measures are available:
Country

Weight

Country

Weight

Country

Canada
Japan
Denmark
France

19.43
25.63
0.66
8.41

Germany
Italy
Norway
Netherlands

14.70
5.66
0.59
2.77

Sweden
United Kingdom
Korea
Taiwan

Weight
2.10
12.27
3.31
4.48

The weights given to Korea and Taiwan would be larger based on more current weights.
Level Comparisons: The BLS measures are limited to trend comparisons. BLS does not prepare level
comparisons of manufacturing productivity and unit labor costs because of data limitations and technical
problems in comparing the levels of manufacturing output among countries. Each country measures
manufacturing output in its own currency units. To compare outputs among countries, a common unit of
measure--such as the U.S. dollar--is needed. Market exchange rates are not suitable as a basis for
comparing output levels. What are needed are purchasing-power-parity (PPP) exchange rates, that is, the
number of foreign currency units required to buy goods and services equivalent to what can be bought with
one unit of U.S. currency.
PPP exchange rates are available for total gross domestic product (GDP). However, these PPP exchange
rates are derived from the expenditure side of the national accounts (consumer, business, and government final
expenditures for goods and services) and not from the output side of the accounts (gross product originating
by industry, or value added). Therefore, they do not provide PPP exchange rates by industry. The PPP
exchange rates for total GDP are not suitable for each component industry, such as manufacturing.
Table 1. Output per hour in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1993
(Indexes: 1982=100)
United

Nether-

United

States

Canada

1950

NA

35.5

7.6

NA

24.5

20.0

1955

NA

43.6

12.7

NA

26.7

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

51.6
54.4
58.2
60.3
63.2
66.1
67.6
68.9
74.0
77.9

18.6
21.1
22.0
23.8
27.0
28.1
30.9
35.5
40.0
46.2

24.2
24.5
25.8
26.8
28.5
29.9
32.0
33.8
36.8
40.2

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
96.2
96.3
94.9

76.9
82.4
86.4
91.9
93.3
90.1
96.4
101.8
102.9
103.8

52.0
54.8
60.5
66.1
66.9
69.6
74.6
77.9
82.3
88.8

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

92.9
96.2
100.0
102.2
103.5
106.7
109.5
116.6
119.2
119.9

99.9
104.8
100.0
107.3
116.3
119.8
117.9
119.0
119.5
120.0

1990
1991
1992
1993

122.1
124.5
129.1
134.5

122.6
124.4
129.1
131.8

NA:

Year

Not Available

Japan Belgium Denmark

France Germany

Italy

lands

Norway

Sweden Kingdom

18.6

16.6

16.7

34.3

25.8

41.1

24.5

26.6

23.2

20.9

38.0

28.3

44.3

32.4
34.3
36.0
37.2
40.2
42.2
44.3
47.6
51.9
54.0

31.2
33.0
35.0
36.7
39.4
42.1
45.4
48.2
53.3
56.4

38.6
40.3
43.1
44.8
48.5
51.3
53.4
56.8
61.3
65.2

29.1
31.4
34.8
35.7
36.1
40.2
43.7
45.9
49.5
51.3

26.5
27.9
28.8
29.8
32.4
34.5
36.7
39.3
43.9
48.0

47.8
49.3
49.3
51.8
54.7
58.0
60.4
62.5
66.4
72.6

36.2
37.9
40.7
43.1
46.6
50.0
52.0
56.4
61.5
66.2

50.3
50.3
51.5
54.2
57.8
59.5
61.4
64.3
68.9
70.6

44.3
47.0
52.3
57.8
61.1
63.5
70.0
73.4
77.9
82.2

57.2
61.1
66.0
72.7
75.1
82.6
85.7
87.3
88.5
92.9

59.6
62.8
65.5
69.9
71.3
73.8
78.1
82.6
86.2
90.1

67.1
69.6
73.8
78.4
81.1
84.5
90.5
93.1
96.3
100.4

54.6
55.6
60.3
65.2
69.8
67.4
76.5
78.2
83.3
91.1

52.9
55.7
60.6
67.3
72.9
71.3
79.3
82.7
88.1
92.9

74.5
77.2
81.4
86.4
90.0
88.6
91.4
90.8
92.2
97.7

69.0
71.9
75.5
81.1
84.4
85.6
86.9
85.5
87.9
94.8

72.1
75.6
80.6
86.2
87.4
86.0
89.6
90.2
91.2
91.6

92.1
95.5
100.0
101.9
106.1
112.0
110.3
119.5
126.5
135.2

87.5
94.2
100.0
110.9
115.8
117.2
118.2
120.1
125.2
131.2

98.0
99.6
100.0
104.9
104.3
105.0
98.9
98.4
102.1
105.6

90.5
93.2
100.0
102.6
104.3
108.2
110.0
112.1
119.7
125.7

98.5
100.4
100.0
105.5
109.2
113.4
114.1
112.3
116.4
120.2

95.5
97.8
100.0
105.2
115.7
122.3
123.7
127.2
130.0
134.0

93.9
97.5
100.0
106.6
115.0
118.7
120.1
120.7
124.4
128.5

96.3
96.5
100.0
105.2
112.6
116.0
114.6
120.4
119.7
125.9

96.3
96.3
100.0
106.9
112.0
113.2
115.2
117.6
119.0
122.8

91.0
95.1
100.0
107.3
112.4
116.4
120.6
126.9
133.5
138.4

144.5
151.4
150.5
149.6

133.9
136.9
142.7
NA

105.5
105.5
107.7
113.9

127.6
127.8
130.7
132.3

125.4
129.2
128.2
131.1

139.3
143.8
150.8
160.3

130.1
131.4
132.2
133.8

129.1
130.1
132.4
135.2

124.9
126.5
135.5
147.9

140.1
145.5
152.2
160.1

Note: The data relate to all employed persons (wage and salary earners and self-employed workers) in the United States and
Canada, and all employees (wage and salary earners) in the other countries.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.

Table 2. Output per employed person in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1993
(Indexes: 1982=100)

Year

United
States

Canada

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

1950

NA

39.6

8.1

NA

33.1

24.0

25.6

18.9

21.0

43.0

35.8

48.2

1955

NA

46.8

14.3

NA

35.4

29.2

36.6

27.0

26.3

47.9

39.0

52.6

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

55.1
57.8
62.5
65.0
68.4
71.6
72.7
73.8
79.3
83.2

21.8
24.3
24.7
26.5
29.8
30.5
33.8
38.8
43.6
49.6

30.4
30.7
32.4
33.6
35.6
36.8
39.0
40.8
44.4
47.9

40.8
41.9
44.4
45.1
49.2
51.5
53.1
56.3
60.1
61.7

37.4
39.7
42.0
44.1
47.1
49.8
54.0
56.7
60.9
66.0

47.8
49.0
51.0
52.3
56.6
59.6
61.2
63.3
69.2
73.8

34.2
36.6
39.3
40.5
40.9
44.1
48.4
51.5
55.6
57.2

33.8
34.1
34.9
36.0
38.8
41.1
43.5
46.4
50.9
54.9

57.8
58.8
58.6
61.3
65.4
67.4
70.4
72.3
74.9
80.0

47.2
48.9
52.2
54.6
58.6
62.2
64.8
69.0
73.8
78.0

58.5
57.8
58.5
61.5
66.1
67.1
68.1
70.7
76.4
78.3

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
99.8
99.9
97.9

81.5
86.8
91.0
96.4
97.3
92.9
99.3
105.1
106.5
106.6

55.2
57.1
62.8
68.1
65.8
66.7
73.8
77.3
82.2
89.6

51.5
53.7
58.5
63.1
64.9
63.9
71.7
74.9
79.3
83.6

63.3
67.3
71.2
74.2
78.2
83.3
86.8
87.6
87.8
92.1

68.9
72.1
74.5
78.3
78.9
79.2
84.2
88.2
91.3
95.3

75.5
76.5
80.4
84.8
85.9
87.3
96.1
97.3
99.2
103.0

59.8
59.2
63.8
69.8
72.1
68.4
77.7
79.0
83.9
91.1

59.3
61.9
66.4
72.3
75.9
72.9
80.9
84.0
88.6
92.4

81.5
83.7
87.4
92.6
95.6
94.4
95.0
92.7
93.2
97.5

79.6
82.7
84.6
89.1
91.8
91.2
91.5
89.4
89.4
94.9

78.7
80.6
85.1
92.3
90.5
88.8
93.3
94.5
95.2
95.2

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988

94.6
97.9
100.0
105.0
107.9
111.3
114.1
122.1
126.3

102.2
105.9
100.0
108.7
119.1
122.6
120.6
122.6
123.5

92.9
95.7
100.0
102.5
108.1
113.3
110.8
120.6
129.0

87.7
92.2
100.0
108.1
112.3
115.2
116.3
119.3
126.3

97.8
98.2
100.0
106.3
105.4
102.6
98.8
96.1
99.8

95.8
97.4
100.0
102.0
103.8
107.1
109.0
111.7
119.8

99.8
100.5
100.0
105.2
108.8
111.3
111.1
108.8
112.5

95.7
98.0
100.0
105.2
115.7
121.2
125.7
131.6
139.3

93.9
97.0
100.0
106.5
114.1
115.2
116.4
116.6
120.0

96.7
96.7
100.0
105.8
112.5
115.1
113.4
115.7
115.5

95.3
95.8
100.0
108.2
115.6
116.0
117.4
121.4
122.6

91.5
94.1
100.0
107.6
113.7
117.7
121.7
129.0
136.4

Japan Belgium Denmark

France Germany

United
Sweden Kingdom

126.9

123.1

136.3

131.7

101.9

125.4

114.8

143.3

123.7

122.2

126.1

141.2

1990
1991
1992
1993

128.3
130.0
136.4
143.3

125.6
127.3
133.2
138.7

143.5
146.9
141.6
137.2

136.1
136.8
142.6
NA

100.6
100.9
103.4
108.4

126.8
126.6
129.7
130.8

117.8
120.1
120.4
119.0

145.3
148.3
155.3
160.8

125.3
126.3
126.8
128.3

125.3
126.8
130.4
133.5

129.7
131.2
143.4
159.0

141.8
144.6
151.3
158.1

NA:

1989

Not Available

Note: The data relate to all employed persons (wage and salary earners and self-employed workers) in the United States and
Canada, and all employees (wage and salary earners) in the other countries.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.

Table 3. Output in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1993
(Indexes: 1982=100)

Year

United
States

Canada

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

1950

NA

29.1

3.1

NA

29.8

20.9

17.8

12.3

22.6

37.9

34.8

61.0

1955

NA

37.7

6.9

NA

32.8

26.0

33.8

19.0

30.9

46.4

40.3

71.7

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

44.1
45.9
51.1
54.5
60.0
66.0
70.3
71.8
76.6
82.0

15.1
18.1
19.7
21.9
25.5
26.5
30.0
36.0
41.6
48.4

37.8
39.5
42.6
44.6
48.6
50.2
53.1
53.8
57.5
64.3

45.4
47.9
52.0
52.7
58.9
62.7
64.0
64.7
69.7
73.5

35.1
37.7
40.5
43.6
47.6
50.0
54.6
57.2
60.4
67.6

51.0
54.0
56.7
57.8
62.8
67.5
68.7
67.1
74.1
82.8

28.0
30.8
34.1
36.3
36.8
38.7
42.3
46.5
50.8
54.1

42.7
44.2
46.3
48.3
52.9
56.6
59.6
62.0
67.8
74.4

56.0
58.3
58.8
62.3
66.8
70.3
74.5
76.9
78.8
84.5

51.8
55.3
59.5
62.5
68.0
72.8
74.9
77.3
81.3
87.7

82.9
83.0
83.2
86.1
94.0
96.7
98.4
99.1
106.0
110.1

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
104.3
108.7
109.3

78.5
83.5
90.3
100.0
103.0
96.1
103.1
106.9
111.7
115.9

55.1
57.8
63.8
71.8
69.7
67.1
73.6
76.4
79.8
86.5

70.9
74.1
79.6
86.9
90.4
83.6
89.9
90.2
91.5
93.9

75.7
77.2
83.9
88.5
89.9
87.7
91.9
92.3
92.0
97.3

72.7
77.2
80.8
87.0
88.7
86.9
92.0
96.2
98.4
101.3

87.0
87.9
90.6
96.4
95.4
91.0
98.0
99.8
101.7
106.9

58.4
59.3
62.7
70.7
75.6
71.1
81.6
84.6
88.8
97.9

80.3
82.3
85.3
91.2
95.2
88.3
94.2
95.2
97.9
101.0

88.4
91.5
95.9
101.3
106.4
104.1
104.3
102.2
99.8
102.7

91.1
91.7
92.2
98.7
104.1
104.4
104.4
98.5
95.8
102.0

110.5
109.3
111.6
121.9
120.4
112.1
114.2
116.4
117.0
116.8

Japan Belgium Denmark

France Germany

United
Sweden Kingdom

102.0
105.0
100.0
103.2
111.3
114.0
115.2
123.5
130.0
131.2

110.7
114.8
100.0
106.5
120.2
127.0
127.9
134.1
140.9
142.1

91.5
95.7
100.0
104.3
113.2
121.2
117.9
126.5
138.2
149.3

96.4
95.8
100.0
105.6
108.4
109.6
108.9
109.0
114.6
121.9

101.7
98.4
100.0
106.7
111.7
115.3
115.3
110.6
112.3
113.6

100.6
99.0
100.0
99.9
98.7
99.1
99.1
98.9
104.6
110.3

104.7
103.6
100.0
101.5
104.6
108.4
110.1
108.1
111.5
115.4

103.1
101.1
100.0
100.8
105.4
108.9
111.5
116.3
125.0
129.7

101.5
101.5
100.0
101.9
107.9
111.1
113.8
115.4
119.7
125.2

101.7
100.7
100.0
99.3
105.0
108.8
108.8
110.8
105.5
103.8

102.4
99.7
100.0
105.8
113.6
115.7
117.1
120.0
123.7
125.1

106.7
100.1
100.0
102.1
105.9
108.9
110.3
115.5
123.6
129.1

1990
1991
1992
1993

130.6
127.8
131.7
138.0

137.5
129.5
129.8
136.1

160.6
170.8
167.7
160.7

126.4
125.9
126.3
NA

112.4
111.1
112.5
113.2

112.4
110.6
109.8
106.3

121.7
126.0
124.1
114.9

132.3
132.1
132.4
129.6

129.3
129.9
129.0
125.8

104.5
102.3
104.2
105.9

124.3
117.4
116.5
118.5

128.9
122.0
121.0
123.1

NA:

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

Not Available

Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.

Table 4. Total hours in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1993
(Indexes: 1982=100)

Year

United
States

Canada

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

1950

87.4

82.0

40.7

NA

121.8

104.4

95.4

74.0

135.2

110.6

134.9

148.4

1955

96.6

86.5

54.3

NA

122.9

106.2

126.9

81.9

147.9

122.0

142.5

161.6

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

94.1
91.6
95.4
96.3
98.4
104.1
110.8
110.2
111.8
113.1

85.5
84.3
87.9
90.4
95.0
99.8
103.9
104.2
103.6
105.3

81.2
86.0
89.4
92.3
94.6
94.3
97.1
101.5
104.1
104.8

156.2
161.0
165.0
166.4
170.7
167.6
166.1
158.9
156.4
160.0

140.0
139.7
144.3
141.6
146.3
148.6
144.4
136.1
134.3
136.1

112.5
114.3
115.7
118.8
120.7
118.6
120.1
118.6
113.1
120.0

131.9
134.1
131.6
128.9
129.5
131.7
128.6
118.1
120.9
126.9

96.2
98.2
98.1
101.7
102.0
96.3
96.8
101.4
102.7
105.5

160.9
158.0
160.9
162.0
163.0
163.9
162.5
157.8
154.6
154.9

117.3
118.3
119.4
120.4
122.1
121.3
123.4
122.9
118.5
116.4

143.3
146.0
146.4
145.1
145.9
145.6
143.9
137.1
132.1
132.4

164.9
164.9
161.7
159.0
162.8
162.6
160.2
154.0
153.8
155.9

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974

106.5
102.6
107.2
112.6
110.2

102.1
101.4
104.5
108.8
110.3

105.9
105.6
105.4
108.6
104.1

159.9
157.6
152.1
150.3
148.0

132.3
126.5
127.0
121.8
119.7

122.0
122.9
123.5
124.5
124.3

129.7
126.2
122.8
122.9
117.6

107.0
106.8
104.0
108.3
108.4

152.0
147.9
140.7
135.6
130.6

118.6
118.6
117.8
117.3
118.3

131.9
127.5
122.1
121.8
123.3

153.3
144.6
138.5
141.4
137.8

Japan Belgium Denmark

France Germany

United
Sweden Kingdom

99.3
104.0
108.4
112.9
115.1

106.6
106.9
105.0
108.6
111.6

96.4
98.7
98.2
97.0
97.4

131.6
128.5
122.9
117.4
114.3

106.2
107.3
105.8
104.0
104.7

117.7
117.8
116.5
114.2
112.4

107.7
108.3
107.2
105.6
106.5

105.6
106.7
108.2
106.6
107.4

123.8
118.8
115.1
111.1
108.7

117.4
114.1
112.6
108.3
105.1

121.9
120.1
115.2
109.0
107.6

130.4
127.5
129.0
128.3
127.5

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

109.8
109.2
100.0
101.0
107.6
106.8
105.2
106.0
109.0
109.4

110.8
109.6
100.0
99.2
103.3
106.0
108.5
112.7
117.9
118.4

99.3
100.2
100.0
102.4
106.6
108.2
106.9
105.8
109.3
110.4

110.1
101.7
100.0
95.2
93.6
93.5
92.2
90.7
91.5
93.0

103.7
98.8
100.0
101.7
107.1
109.8
116.6
112.4
110.0
107.6

111.2
106.2
100.0
97.4
94.6
91.5
90.0
88.3
87.4
87.8

106.3
103.1
100.0
96.2
95.8
95.6
96.5
96.2
95.8
95.9

108.0
103.4
100.0
95.8
91.1
89.0
90.1
91.4
96.1
96.8

108.1
104.1
100.0
95.6
93.8
93.6
94.8
95.6
96.2
97.4

105.5
104.3
100.0
94.3
93.2
93.8
94.9
92.1
88.1
82.5

106.3
103.5
100.0
99.0
101.4
102.2
101.7
102.1
103.9
101.8

117.3
105.3
100.0
95.1
94.2
93.5
91.5
91.0
92.6
93.3

1990
1991
1992
1993

107.0
102.6
102.0
102.6

112.2
104.1
100.5
103.3

111.2
112.8
111.4
107.4

94.4
92.0
88.5
NA

106.6
105.3
104.4
99.4

88.1
86.5
84.0
80.4

97.0
97.6
96.9
87.7

95.0
91.8
87.8
80.8

99.4
98.9
97.6
94.0

80.9
78.6
78.7
78.4

99.5
92.8
85.9
80.1

92.0
83.9
79.5
76.9

NA:

1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

Not Available

Note: The data relate to all employed persons (wage and salary earners and self-employed workers) in the United States and
Canada, and all employees (wage and salary earners) in the other countries.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.

Table 5. Employment in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1993
(Indexes: 1982=100)

Year

United
States

Canada

1950

81.4

73.5

37.9

NA

90.2

87.2

1955

89.8

80.5

48.2

NA

92.7

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966

89.3
86.9
89.6
90.2
91.5
95.8
101.7

80.1
79.4
81.8
83.8
87.7
92.2
96.6

69.2
74.7
79.5
82.8
85.5
86.8
88.9

124.3
128.4
131.4
132.6
136.4
136.3
136.1

111.3
114.4
117.2
116.8
119.7
121.8
120.6

Japan Belgium Denmark

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

69.5

65.1

107.6

88.0

97.3

126.6

89.1

92.4

70.3

117.4

96.9

103.5

136.1

94.0
95.0
96.3
98.9
101.1
100.3
101.0

106.6
110.3
111.2
110.6
111.0
113.4
112.3

81.7
84.3
86.9
89.7
90.0
87.9
87.4

126.4
129.5
132.9
134.2
136.3
137.5
137.1

96.9
99.2
100.4
101.6
102.1
104.2
105.8

109.9
113.1
114.1
114.5
116.2
116.9
115.6

141.7
143.7
142.3
140.1
142.2
144.1
144.5

France Germany

United
Sweden Kingdom

103.0
104.6
106.7

97.4
96.6
98.6

92.7
95.4
97.6

131.9
129.7
134.1

114.9
116.0
119.1

100.8
99.2
102.4

106.0
107.0
112.1

90.2
91.4
94.5

133.6
133.3
135.5

106.3
105.1
105.7

111.9
110.1
112.3

140.0
138.7
140.6

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

102.6
98.6
101.3
106.6
106.2
97.1
100.7
104.5
108.8
111.7

96.3
96.2
99.2
103.7
105.8
103.4
103.9
101.7
105.0
108.7

99.9
101.2
101.6
105.5
105.9
100.6
99.8
98.9
97.2
96.6

137.7
137.8
136.0
137.8
139.3
130.8
125.5
120.5
115.4
112.3

119.6
114.7
117.7
119.3
115.0
105.3
105.9
105.3
104.8
105.6

105.4
107.1
108.6
111.1
112.5
109.8
109.2
109.0
107.8
106.2

115.2
114.8
112.7
113.6
111.0
104.2
102.0
102.6
102.5
103.8

97.6
100.2
98.3
101.2
104.9
104.0
105.1
107.1
105.8
107.4

135.4
133.0
128.4
126.2
125.4
121.1
116.4
113.3
110.5
109.3

108.5
109.4
109.7
109.5
111.3
110.3
109.8
110.2
107.1
105.3

114.4
110.8
109.0
110.8
113.4
114.4
114.2
110.2
107.2
107.5

140.3
135.6
131.2
132.1
133.0
126.3
122.4
123.1
122.9
122.6

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

107.8
107.2
100.0
98.3
103.1
102.4
100.9
101.1
102.9
103.4

108.4
108.4
100.0
98.0
100.9
103.6
106.1
109.3
114.1
115.4

98.5
100.0
100.0
101.8
104.7
106.9
106.4
104.9
107.2
109.5

109.9
103.9
100.0
97.6
96.5
95.1
93.7
91.4
90.7
92.6

103.9
100.2
100.0
100.4
106.0
112.4
116.6
115.1
112.6
111.5

105.0
101.6
100.0
97.9
95.1
92.5
90.8
88.5
87.3
87.9

104.9
103.0
100.0
96.6
96.1
97.4
99.1
99.3
99.1
100.5

107.8
103.2
100.0
95.8
91.1
89.8
88.7
88.4
89.8
90.5

108.1
104.7
100.0
95.7
94.5
96.5
97.8
98.9
99.7
101.2

105.2
104.1
100.0
93.8
93.3
94.5
95.9
95.8
91.4
84.9

107.4
104.0
100.0
97.8
98.3
99.7
99.7
98.8
100.9
99.2

116.7
106.4
100.0
94.9
93.2
92.5
90.7
89.5
90.6
91.5

1990
1991
1992
1993

101.9
98.3
96.6
96.3

109.5
101.7
97.4
98.2

112.0
116.2
118.4
117.1

92.9
92.0
88.6
NA

111.7
110.1
108.8
104.4

88.7
87.4
84.6
81.3

103.3
104.9
103.1
96.6

91.0
89.0
85.2
80.6

103.2
102.9
101.7
98.0

83.4
80.7
79.9
79.4

95.8
89.5
81.2
74.5

90.9
84.4
80.0
77.9

NA:

1967
1968
1969

Not Available

Note: The data relate to all employed persons (wage and salary earners and self-employed workers) in the United States and
Canada, and all employees (wage and salary earners) in the other countries.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.

Table 6. Average annual hours in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1993
(Indexes: 1982=100)

Year

United
States

Canada

1950

107.4

111.6

Japan Belgium Denmark
107.4

NA

135.1

France Germany
119.8

137.3

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

113.6

125.7

125.7

United
Sweden Kingdom
138.7

117.3

107.5

107.5

112.6

NA

132.6

119.1

137.4

116.5

126.0

126.0

137.7

118.8

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

105.3
105.5
106.5
106.8
107.5
108.6
109.0
107.0
106.8
106.0

106.8
106.2
107.4
107.8
108.3
108.3
107.5
107.0
107.2
106.7

117.3
115.2
112.5
111.4
110.7
108.6
109.3
109.4
109.1
107.4

125.6
125.3
125.6
125.5
125.1
123.0
122.0
120.5
120.5
119.3

125.9
122.2
123.1
121.2
122.2
122.0
119.8
118.4
115.7
114.3

119.8
120.3
120.0
120.2
119.4
118.3
118.9
117.6
114.1
117.2

123.8
121.6
118.3
116.5
116.6
116.2
114.6
111.4
112.9
113.2

117.7
116.5
112.8
113.4
113.4
109.6
110.8
112.4
112.4
111.6

127.2
122.0
121.1
120.7
119.6
119.2
118.6
118.0
116.0
114.3

121.1
119.2
118.8
118.5
119.6
116.3
116.7
115.7
112.8
110.2

130.3
129.1
128.2
126.7
125.6
124.5
124.5
122.5
120.0
117.9

116.3
114.8
113.6
113.5
114.4
112.8
110.9
110.0
110.9
110.9

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

103.8
104.1
105.8
105.7
103.7
102.2
103.3
103.7
103.7
103.1

106.0
105.4
105.4
104.9
104.2
103.1
102.9
103.2
103.5
102.7

106.1
104.3
103.8
103.0
98.4
95.8
98.9
99.2
99.8
100.9

116.2
114.4
111.8
109.1
106.3
100.6
102.4
102.0
101.7
101.8

110.7
110.3
107.9
102.1
104.1
100.8
101.3
100.4
99.2
99.1

115.7
114.8
113.7
112.0
110.5
107.3
107.8
106.8
106.0
105.8

112.5
110.0
108.9
108.2
105.9
103.4
106.2
104.5
103.0
102.6

109.6
106.6
105.8
107.1
103.3
101.5
101.5
101.0
100.8
100.0

112.2
111.2
109.6
107.5
104.1
102.2
102.0
101.6
100.6
99.4

109.3
108.4
107.3
107.2
106.3
106.5
103.9
102.1
101.1
99.8

115.3
115.1
112.0
109.9
108.7
106.5
105.2
104.5
101.7
100.1

109.2
106.6
105.6
107.1
103.6
103.2
104.1
104.8
104.4
104.0

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

101.8
101.9
100.0
102.7
104.3
104.3
104.2
104.8
105.9
105.8

102.3
101.1
100.0
101.3
102.4
102.4
102.3
103.1
103.3
102.6

100.8
100.2
100.0
100.6
101.8
101.2
100.4
100.9
102.0
100.8

100.2
97.9
100.0
97.5
96.9
98.3
98.4
99.3
100.9
100.4

99.8
98.6
100.0
101.4
101.1
97.7
100.0
97.7
97.7
96.5

105.8
104.5
100.0
99.4
99.5
98.9
99.1
99.7
100.1
99.8

101.4
100.1
100.0
99.7
99.7
98.1
97.4
96.9
96.7
95.5

100.3
100.3
100.0
100.0
100.0
99.1
101.6
103.5
107.1
106.9

100.0
99.5
100.0
99.9
99.2
97.0
96.9
96.6
96.5
96.3

100.4
100.1
100.0
100.5
99.9
99.3
99.0
96.1
96.4
97.1

99.0
99.5
100.0
101.2
103.2
102.5
101.9
103.2
103.0
102.7

100.5
99.0
100.0
100.3
101.1
101.1
100.9
101.6
102.2
102.0

1990
1991
1992
1993

105.1
104.4
105.7
106.5

102.5
102.4
103.1
105.2

99.3
97.0
94.1
91.8

101.6
99.9
99.9
NA

95.4
95.6
96.0
95.2

99.4
99.0
99.2
98.9

93.9
93.0
94.0
90.8

104.3
103.1
103.0
100.3

96.3
96.1
95.9
95.9

97.0
97.5
98.5
98.7

103.8
103.7
105.8
107.4

101.3
99.4
99.4
98.7

NA:

1955

Not Available

Note: The data relate to all employed persons (wage and salary earners and self-employed workers) in the United States and
Canada, and all employees (wage and salary earners) in the other countries.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.

Table 7. Hourly compensation in manufacturing, national currency basis, 12 countries, 1950-1993
(Indexes: 1982=100)

Year

United
States

Canada

Italy

Netherlands

1950

NA

9.0

2.7

NA

4.2

2.8

5.6

2.1

4.3

4.6

4.2

3.7

1955

NA

12.7

4.8

NA

5.7

5.0

8.3

3.0

6.3

7.0

6.7

5.3

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

16.4
16.9
17.4
18.1
18.9
19.9
21.5
22.8
24.6
26.6

6.6
7.6
8.7
9.7
11.0
12.3
13.6
15.2
17.7
21.0

9.1
9.7
10.4
11.5
13.0
14.4
15.9
17.4
18.6
20.3

7.7
8.7
9.5
10.3
11.2
12.4
14.1
15.8
17.4
19.5

7.5
8.3
9.2
10.0
10.8
11.8
12.4
13.4
15.2
16.1

13.5
15.1
17.1
18.3
19.8
21.8
23.6
24.9
26.8
29.3

3.9
4.4
5.1
6.1
6.5
6.9
7.4
8.2
8.7
9.6

8.9
10.1
10.8
11.9
13.8
15.5
17.3
19.2
21.4
24.2

9.9
10.8
11.8
12.6
13.5
14.9
16.3
18.2
20.1
22.1

9.3
10.2
11.4
12.6
13.7
15.1
16.6
18.4
20.0
21.7

7.1
7.6
8.0
8.3
8.9
9.7
10.5
10.9
11.6
12.7

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
62.8
67.9
74.4

28.7
30.9
33.2
35.9
41.3
47.3
54.1
59.9
64.4
71.0

25.0
28.9
33.3
40.7
53.3
62.1
66.9
73.8
78.7
83.7

23.2
26.5
30.6
35.5
43.2
52.4
59.4
66.3
71.5
77.9

22.3
25.6
28.4
34.5
41.7
49.7
55.5
61.4
67.6
75.6

18.1
20.4
22.5
25.9
30.9
37.9
43.5
49.4
55.7
63.1

34.5
38.6
42.7
48.2
54.9
60.4
65.2
71.2
76.7
82.3

11.6
13.4
15.0
17.7
23.1
29.2
36.2
42.9
49.4
59.8

27.8
31.8
36.3
43.4
51.6
59.0
66.1
71.8
77.9
84.0

24.6
28.1
31.3
35.3
41.4
49.6
57.3
64.2
70.9
74.7

24.4
27.4
30.6
34.3
40.3
49.4
57.8
63.2
70.4
76.0

14.7
17.0
19.8
22.5
26.9
36.0
41.7
47.0
54.7
64.8

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

83.3
91.5
100.0
102.7
106.0
111.3
115.8
118.4
123.1
127.9

78.6
90.4
100.0
106.1
111.1
116.8
121.3
125.0
130.5
135.4

89.0
95.3
100.0
102.7
105.8
110.1
115.8
118.6
120.6
128.2

86.3
95.9
100.0
106.0
114.8
122.0
127.0
130.0
132.7
139.6

83.4
91.9
100.0
106.9
113.0
120.6
123.1
134.6
139.4
147.3

72.7
84.2
100.0
110.4
119.8
129.7
135.2
140.2
145.5
153.3

89.2
94.9
100.0
105.0
110.0
116.3
121.2
126.9
131.8
138.2

70.2
84.8
100.0
117.0
134.3
150.9
157.1
166.0
172.5
189.5

88.5
93.5
100.0
104.5
106.6
111.5
115.4
118.8
119.5
120.1

81.2
90.3
100.0
110.3
120.9
132.2
145.0
165.6
175.7
183.4

84.5
93.2
100.0
110.2
119.6
131.8
142.4
151.9
161.8
179.0

78.5
90.8
100.0
107.1
115.4
126.4
133.8
145.9
153.1
173.7

1990
1991

134.7
141.9

143.0
151.1

138.3
146.2

147.8
157.2

156.5
162.2

161.5
168.5

147.9
157.7

210.8
233.1

123.3
129.2

193.7
202.8

197.5
215.1

179.6
199.6

Japan Belgium Denmark France* Germany

United
Norway Sweden* Kingdom*

1992
1993

147.9
153.3

157.8
158.4

153.0
157.1

164.6
NA

167.2
171.4

174.3
180.5

165.1
176.9

249.7
267.9

136.6
140.5

208.4
210.4

222.3
219.0

215.8
227.4

NA: Not Available
Note: The data relate to all employed persons (wage and salary earners and self-employed workers) in the United States and
Canada, and all employees (wage and salary earners) in the other countries.
* Compensation adjusted to include changes in employment taxes that are not compensation to employees, but are labor
costs to employers.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.

Table 8. Hourly compensation in manufacturing, U.S. dollar basis, 12 countries, 1950-1993
(Indexes: 1982=100)

Year

United
States

Canada

Italy

Netherlands

1950

NA

10.1

1.9

NA

5.0

5.3

3.2

4.5

3.0

4.2

5.1

6.0

1955

NA

15.9

3.3

NA

6.9

9.4

4.8

6.5

4.4

6.3

8.1

8.5

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

20.9
20.6
20.1
20.7
21.6
22.8
24.7
26.1
28.2
30.4

4.5
5.3
6.0
6.7
7.5
8.5
9.3
10.5
12.2
14.6

8.4
8.9
9.6
10.5
11.9
13.3
14.6
16.0
17.0
18.6

9.3
10.5
11.5
12.5
13.5
14.9
17.0
18.9
19.4
21.7

10.1
11.1
12.3
13.4
14.6
15.8
16.7
17.9
20.2
20.5

7.9
9.2
10.4
11.1
12.1
13.2
14.3
15.2
16.3
18.1

8.6
9.5
11.2
13.2
14.1
15.1
16.0
17.7
18.9
20.6

6.3
7.4
8.0
8.8
10.2
11.5
12.8
14.2
15.8
17.9

8.9
9.7
10.7
11.4
12.2
13.5
14.7
16.4
18.1
20.0

11.3
12.4
13.9
15.2
16.7
18.4
20.2
22.4
24.3
26.4

11.4
12.2
12.8
13.4
14.2
15.6
16.8
17.1
15.9
17.4

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
62.8
67.9
74.4

33.9
37.7
41.3
44.3
52.2
57.3
67.7
69.5
69.8
74.8

17.4
20.7
27.3
37.4
45.6
52.1
56.2
68.6
94.0
95.5

21.3
25.0
31.8
41.8
50.9
65.4
70.5
84.7
104.2
121.6

24.8
28.9
34.1
47.7
57.2
72.3
76.6
85.3
102.5
119.9

21.6
24.4
29.4
38.4
42.1
58.2
59.9
66.1
81.4
97.5

22.9
27.0
32.5
44.2
51.6
59.7
62.9
74.5
92.8
109.1

25.1
29.4
34.9
41.2
48.1
60.5
59.0
65.7
78.8
97.4

20.6
24.3
30.2
41.7
51.4
62.5
66.8
78.2
96.3
111.9

22.2
25.8
30.7
39.7
48.5
61.4
67.7
77.9
87.3
95.2

29.5
33.7
40.4
49.4
57.1
75.0
83.4
88.9
98.0
111.3

20.1
23.7
28.3
31.6
36.1
45.8
43.1
46.9
60.0
78.7

1980
1981
1982

83.3
91.5
100.0

83.0
93.1
100.0

98.3
107.6
100.0

135.4
118.5
100.0

123.7
107.4
100.0

113.3
101.8
100.0

119.3
102.2
100.0

111.1
100.9
100.0

119.1
100.4
100.0

106.2
101.6
100.0

125.5
115.6
100.0

104.4
105.1
100.0

Japan Belgium Denmark France* Germany

United
Norway Sweden* Kingdom*

1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

102.7
106.0
111.3
115.8
118.4
123.1
127.9

106.2
105.9
105.6
107.8
116.3
130.9
141.2

107.7
111.0
115.0
171.2
204.2
234.4
231.2

94.9
91.0
94.2
130.2
159.3
165.1
162.2

97.5
91.0
95.0
126.9
164.1
172.6
167.9

95.3
90.2
95.0
128.4
153.4
160.6
158.1

99.9
93.9
96.0
135.6
171.4
182.1
178.4

104.3
103.5
107.0
142.7
173.3
179.3
187.0

97.8
88.8
89.7
125.9
156.7
161.4
151.2

97.5
95.7
99.3
126.5
158.7
173.9
171.3

90.2
90.9
96.3
125.6
150.4
165.7
174.3

92.9
88.2
93.8
112.3
136.9
156.0
162.8

1990
1991
1992
1993

134.7
141.9
147.9
153.3

151.2
162.8
161.2
151.5

237.5
270.6
300.5
352.2

202.5
210.5
234.3
NA

211.0
211.4
231.0
220.5

195.1
196.3
216.6
209.5

222.2
230.5
256.7
259.6

238.1
254.3
274.4
230.5

180.8
184.4
207.5
202.0

200.0
201.7
216.6
191.4

209.5
223.3
239.8
176.5

183.3
201.8
218.1
195.4

NA: Not Available
Note: The data relate to all employed persons (wage and salary earners and self-employed workers) in the United States and
Canada, and all employees (wage and salary earners) in the other countries.
* Compensation adjusted to include changes in employment taxes that are not compensation to employees, but are labor
costs to employers.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.

Table 9. Unit labor costs in manufacturing, national currency basis, 12 countries, 1950-1993
(Indexes: 1982=100)

Year

United
States

Canada

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

1950

NA

25.3

35.5

NA

17.0

14.2

30.0

12.6

25.8

13.4

16.4

9.1

1955

NA

29.2

37.5

NA

21.3

20.3

31.3

12.9

30.1

18.4

23.7

12.0

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

31.9
31.0
29.9
30.0
29.9
30.1
31.8
33.1
33.3
34.1

35.3
36.2
39.7
41.0
40.7
43.9
44.0
42.9
44.4
45.5

37.7
39.4
40.3
42.8
45.5
48.0
49.7
51.3
50.5
50.6

23.8
25.3
26.3
27.7
27.7
29.3
31.7
33.2
33.5
36.2

24.0
25.1
26.2
27.2
27.5
27.9
27.4
27.8
28.5
28.6

34.9
37.5
39.8
40.8
40.8
42.4
44.2
43.8
43.7
44.9

13.5
13.9
14.7
17.0
18.0
17.3
16.9
17.8
17.6
18.6

33.4
36.2
37.5
39.9
42.5
44.8
47.2
48.9
48.7
50.5

20.6
21.9
24.0
24.4
24.7
25.7
27.0
29.1
30.2
30.5

25.7
26.9
28.0
29.2
29.4
30.3
31.9
32.6
32.4
32.8

14.1
15.1
15.5
15.4
15.4
16.4
17.2
16.9
16.9
18.0

1970
1971
1972
1973

NA
NA
NA
NA

37.3
37.5
38.4
39.1

48.0
52.8
55.0
61.6

52.2
56.4
58.5
61.3

39.0
42.0
43.0
47.4

30.4
32.5
34.4
37.1

51.4
55.4
57.8
61.6

21.3
24.1
24.9
27.1

52.7
57.1
60.0
64.5

33.0
36.5
38.5
40.9

35.3
38.1
40.5
42.3

20.3
22.4
24.5
26.1

Japan Belgium Denmark

France Germany

United
Sweden Kingdom

NA
NA
NA
65.3
70.5
78.4

44.3
52.4
56.1
58.8
62.6
68.4

79.7
89.3
89.7
94.7
95.6
94.3

70.8
82.5
84.9
90.3
91.8
94.8

55.5
60.2
64.8
70.3
76.4
81.4

43.4
51.3
55.6
59.8
64.6
70.0

67.7
71.5
72.0
76.5
79.6
82.0

33.1
43.3
47.3
54.8
59.3
65.6

70.8
82.8
83.3
86.8
88.4
90.4

46.1
55.9
62.7
70.8
76.9
76.5

47.7
57.7
66.5
73.9
80.1
80.1

30.8
41.9
46.6
52.1
60.0
70.7

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

89.7
95.1
100.0
100.5
102.4
104.2
105.8
101.6
103.2
106.7

78.7
86.3
100.0
98.9
95.5
97.6
102.9
105.0
109.2
112.8

96.7
99.8
100.0
100.8
99.7
98.4
104.9
99.2
95.4
94.8

98.7
101.7
100.0
95.6
99.1
104.1
107.5
108.2
106.0
106.5

85.1
92.2
100.0
101.9
108.3
114.9
124.5
136.8
136.5
139.5

80.3
90.3
100.0
107.6
114.9
119.9
122.8
125.1
121.6
122.0

90.6
94.5
100.0
99.5
100.8
102.6
106.3
113.0
113.3
114.9

73.5
86.8
100.0
111.2
116.1
123.4
127.1
130.5
132.6
141.4

94.2
95.9
100.0
98.1
92.7
93.9
96.1
98.4
96.0
93.5

84.3
93.6
100.0
104.8
107.4
114.0
126.5
137.6
146.7
145.6

87.7
96.8
100.0
103.1
106.8
116.4
123.7
129.2
136.0
145.7

86.3
95.5
100.0
99.9
102.6
108.6
110.9
115.0
114.7
125.5

1990
1991
1992
1993

110.4
114.0
114.6
114.0

116.7
121.5
122.2
120.2

95.7
96.6
101.6
105.0

110.4
114.9
115.3
NA

148.3
153.8
155.1
150.5

126.6
131.8
133.3
136.5

117.9
122.1
128.8
135.0

151.3
162.1
165.6
167.2

94.7
98.3
103.3
105.1

150.0
155.8
157.4
155.7

158.1
170.1
164.1
148.0

128.2
137.2
141.8
142.1

NA:

1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

Not Available

Note: The data relate to all employed persons (wage and salary earners and self-employed workers) in the United States and
Canada, and all employees (wage and salary earners) in the other countries.
Source:
Table 10.
(Indexes:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.
Unit labor costs in manufacturing, U.S. dollar basis, 12 countries, 1950-1993
1982=100)

Year

United
States

Canada

1950

NA

28.5

24.6

NA

20.6

26.6

1955

NA

36.6

26.0

NA

25.8

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

40.6
37.8
34.6
34.3
34.2
34.4

24.4
25.0
27.4
28.3
28.0
30.3

34.6
36.2
37.0
39.3
41.9
44.3

28.8
30.5
31.8
33.5
33.4
35.4

Japan Belgium Denmark

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

17.4

27.2

18.1

12.1

19.9

14.5

38.2

18.1

27.9

21.1

16.6

28.8

19.2

32.2
33.6
35.1
36.5
36.9
37.4

20.3
22.7
24.2
24.8
24.9
25.8

29.5
30.2
32.2
37.1
38.9
37.4

23.7
26.7
27.8
29.6
31.5
33.3

18.7
19.8
21.7
22.0
22.3
23.2

31.3
32.7
34.1
35.4
35.9
36.9

22.7
24.2
24.9
24.7
24.6
26.2

France Germany

United
Sweden Kingdom

NA
NA
NA
NA

36.5
37.9
38.1
39.1

30.2
29.5
30.7
31.6

45.6
47.3
46.3
46.2

38.3
39.7
37.3
40.1

36.7
37.1
37.8
36.3

26.9
26.7
26.6
27.8

36.7
38.6
38.2
40.2

34.8
36.2
35.9
37.2

24.4
26.3
27.3
27.6

38.8
39.7
39.4
39.9

27.4
26.6
23.1
24.6

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
65.3
70.5
78.4

44.1
45.8
47.9
48.2
55.9
63.6
70.2
68.3
67.8
72.1

33.4
37.9
45.2
56.6
68.1
74.9
75.4
88.1
114.2
107.6

48.2
53.2
60.8
72.3
83.3
102.9
100.7
115.4
133.7
148.0

43.4
47.3
51.6
65.7
76.2
87.6
89.5
97.8
115.7
129.1

36.2
38.8
44.9
55.0
59.1
78.8
76.7
80.1
94.4
108.2

34.2
38.7
44.0
56.4
63.7
70.7
69.5
80.1
96.4
108.6

46.0
52.9
57.8
63.1
69.0
89.8
77.2
84.1
94.6
106.9

38.9
43.7
49.9
62.0
70.5
87.7
84.2
94.5
109.3
120.4

29.8
33.4
37.7
46.0
53.9
69.2
74.1
85.9
94.7
97.5

42.8
46.9
53.5
61.0
67.7
87.5
95.9
103.9
111.5
117.5

27.9
31.4
35.1
36.6
41.3
53.2
48.1
52.0
65.8
85.9

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

89.7
95.1
100.0
100.5
102.4
104.2
105.8
101.6
103.2
106.7

83.1
88.9
100.0
99.0
91.0
88.2
91.4
97.8
109.5
117.6

106.7
112.6
100.0
105.7
104.6
102.7
155.2
170.8
185.3
171.1

154.7
125.8
100.0
85.6
78.6
80.3
110.2
132.6
131.9
123.7

126.2
107.8
100.0
92.9
87.3
90.4
128.3
166.7
169.0
159.0

125.2
109.2
100.0
92.9
86.5
87.8
116.7
136.9
134.2
125.8

121.2
101.7
100.0
94.6
86.0
84.6
118.9
152.6
156.5
148.3

116.3
103.2
100.0
99.1
89.5
87.5
115.4
136.3
137.9
139.5

126.8
103.0
100.0
91.8
77.2
75.6
104.8
129.8
129.8
117.7

110.2
105.2
100.0
92.7
85.0
85.7
110.4
131.8
145.2
136.0

130.3
120.0
100.0
84.4
81.1
85.0
109.0
127.9
139.2
141.9

114.8
110.6
100.0
86.6
78.5
80.6
93.1
107.9
116.8
117.6

1990
1991
1992
1993

110.4
114.0
114.6
114.0

123.4
130.9
124.8
115.0

164.4
178.7
199.7
235.4

151.2
153.8
164.2
NA

200.0
200.4
214.4
193.6

152.9
153.6
165.7
158.4

177.1
178.5
200.3
198.1

170.9
176.8
182.0
143.8

138.9
140.3
157.0
151.0

154.9
155.0
163.5
141.6

167.7
176.6
176.9
119.3

130.8
138.7
143.3
122.0

NA:

1966
1967
1968
1969

Not Available

Note: The data relate to all employed persons (wage and salary earners and self-employed workers) in the United States and
Canada, and all employees (wage and salary earners) in the other countries.
Source:
Table 11.
(Indexes:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.
Exchange rates, 12 countries, 1950-1993 (Value of foreign currency relative to U.S. dollar)
1982=100)

Year

United
States

Canada

1950

100.0

112.9

Japan Belgium Denmark
69.2

NA

120.9

France Germany
188.0

57.9

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

216.8

70.1

90.5

United
Sweden Kingdom
121.5

160.2

100.0

125.2

69.2

NA

120.8

187.9

57.7

216.6

70.1

90.4

121.5

159.7

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

127.3
121.9
115.5
114.4
114.4
114.5
114.6
114.4
114.6
114.6

69.2
69.0
69.0
68.9
68.8
68.9
68.7
68.8
69.1
69.5

91.8
91.8
92.0
91.8
92.0
92.2
91.9
92.1
91.7
91.3

121.0
120.8
120.9
120.9
120.7
120.7
120.8
119.5
111.5
111.0

134.1
134.1
134.3
134.2
134.2
134.2
133.9
133.7
132.8
127.0

58.2
60.5
60.7
60.9
61.1
60.8
60.7
60.9
60.8
61.9

218.0
218.0
218.1
217.8
216.8
216.7
216.8
216.9
217.2
215.8

70.8
73.6
74.2
74.2
74.1
74.2
73.8
74.2
73.8
73.7

90.5
90.4
90.5
90.3
90.2
90.3
90.3
90.3
90.4
90.4

121.6
121.6
121.9
121.1
122.0
121.8
121.6
121.7
121.6
121.5

160.6
160.3
160.6
160.2
159.7
159.9
159.8
157.3
136.9
136.7

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

118.3
122.2
124.6
123.4
126.2
121.3
125.2
116.2
108.3
105.4

69.5
71.7
82.2
91.9
85.4
83.9
84.0
93.0
119.5
114.2

92.2
94.3
104.0
117.9
117.7
124.8
118.7
127.8
145.6
156.1

111.3
112.7
120.0
138.5
137.2
145.5
138.1
139.0
151.5
158.6

119.0
119.4
130.4
148.3
136.2
153.7
137.8
133.9
146.2
154.6

66.6
69.8
76.2
91.7
94.0
98.9
96.5
104.6
121.1
132.5

215.9
219.0
232.0
232.8
208.1
207.5
163.1
153.4
159.5
162.9

73.9
76.5
83.2
96.1
99.6
105.9
101.1
108.9
123.7
133.2

90.3
91.7
98.0
112.4
117.0
123.8
118.3
121.3
123.2
127.5

121.2
123.1
132.1
144.3
141.8
151.7
144.3
140.6
139.1
146.6

137.1
139.8
143.1
140.2
133.9
127.1
103.2
99.8
109.7
121.4

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

105.6
103.0
100.0
100.2
95.3
90.4
88.8
93.1
100.3
104.2

110.4
112.9
100.0
104.8
104.9
104.4
147.9
172.2
194.3
180.4

156.8
123.6
100.0
89.5
79.3
77.2
102.5
122.5
124.5
116.2

148.2
116.9
100.0
91.2
80.6
78.7
103.1
121.9
123.8
114.0

155.9
121.0
100.0
86.3
75.3
73.3
95.0
109.4
110.4
103.1

133.8
107.7
100.0
95.1
85.3
82.5
111.9
135.0
138.2
129.1

158.3
118.9
100.0
89.1
77.1
70.9
90.8
104.4
104.0
98.7

134.6
107.4
100.0
93.6
83.3
80.5
109.1
131.9
135.1
125.9

130.8
112.4
100.0
88.4
79.1
75.1
87.3
95.8
99.0
93.4

148.6
124.0
100.0
81.9
76.0
73.0
88.2
99.0
102.4
97.3

133.1
115.8
100.0
86.7
76.5
74.2
84.0
93.8
101.9
93.7

1990
1991
1992
1993

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

105.8
107.7
102.1
95.7

171.8
185.1
196.5
224.2

137.0
133.9
142.4
132.4

134.8
130.3
138.2
128.6

120.8
116.5
124.3
116.1

150.2
146.2
155.5
146.8

113.0
109.1
109.9
86.0

146.7
142.7
151.9
143.8

103.2
99.5
103.9
91.0

106.1
103.8
107.9
80.6

102.1
101.1
101.0
85.9

NA:

1955

Not Available

Source:
Table 12.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.
Avg. annual compensation in manufacturing, nat. currency basis, 12 countries, 1950-1993

(Indexes:

1982=100)

Year

United
States

Canada

Italy

Netherlands

1950

NA

10.0

2.9

NA

5.6

3.4

7.7

2.4

5.4

5.8

5.9

4.4

1955

NA

13.7

5.4

NA

7.6

5.9

11.5

3.5

7.9

8.8

9.2

6.3

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

17.6
17.9
18.7
19.5
20.4
21.6
23.1
24.4
26.4
28.4

7.7
8.8
9.8
10.9
12.1
13.4
14.9
16.7
19.3
22.6

11.5
12.1
13.0
14.4
16.2
17.7
19.4
20.9
22.4
24.3

9.7
10.6
11.7
12.5
13.6
15.1
16.9
18.7
20.1
22.3

9.0
10.0
11.0
12.0
12.9
13.9
14.8
15.8
17.3
18.9

16.7
18.4
20.3
21.3
23.1
25.3
27.1
27.7
30.2
33.2

4.6
5.1
5.8
6.9
7.3
7.6
8.2
9.2
9.8
10.7

11.3
12.3
13.1
14.4
16.5
18.4
20.5
22.7
24.8
27.7

11.9
12.9
14.1
15.0
16.1
17.3
19.0
21.0
22.6
24.4

12.1
13.2
14.6
15.9
17.2
18.8
20.6
22.5
23.9
25.6

8.3
8.7
9.1
9.5
10.2
11.0
11.7
11.9
12.9
14.1

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
65.1
70.4
76.7

30.4
32.5
35.0
37.7
43.1
48.7
55.7
61.8
66.7
72.9

26.5
30.2
34.5
41.9
52.5
59.5
66.1
73.2
78.5
84.5

26.9
30.3
34.2
38.7
45.9
52.7
60.8
67.6
72.8
79.3

24.7
28.3
30.6
35.2
43.4
50.1
56.2
61.6
67.1
74.9

21.0
23.4
25.6
29.0
34.2
40.6
46.9
52.8
59.0
66.7

38.8
42.4
46.5
52.2
58.2
62.5
69.2
74.4
79.0
84.5

12.7
14.3
15.9
18.9
23.9
29.6
36.8
43.3
49.7
59.8

31.2
35.4
39.8
46.6
53.8
60.3
67.4
72.9
78.3
83.5

26.9
30.5
33.6
37.9
44.0
52.8
59.5
65.6
71.7
74.5

28.1
31.5
34.3
37.7
43.8
52.6
60.8
66.0
71.6
76.0

16.0
18.1
20.9
24.1
27.9
37.2
43.4
49.3
57.1
67.3

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

84.8
93.2
100.0
105.5
110.5
116.0
120.7
124.1
130.4
135.4

80.4
91.4
100.0
107.4
113.7
119.6
124.1
128.8
134.8
138.9

89.8
95.5
100.0
103.3
107.7
111.5
116.3
119.6
123.0
129.3

86.5
93.9
100.0
103.4
111.3
120.0
125.0
129.0
133.9
140.2

83.3
90.5
100.0
108.4
114.2
117.8
123.1
131.5
136.2
142.2

76.9
88.0
100.0
109.7
119.2
128.3
133.9
139.7
145.6
153.0

90.5
95.0
100.0
104.7
109.7
114.1
118.0
122.9
127.4
131.9

70.3
85.0
100.0
117.0
134.3
149.6
159.7
171.8
184.7
202.6

88.5
93.0
100.0
104.4
105.8
108.1
111.8
114.8
115.3
115.7

81.5
90.5
100.0
110.8
120.8
131.2
143.5
159.2
169.4
178.0

83.6
92.8
100.0
111.5
123.4
135.1
145.2
156.8
166.7
183.8

78.9
89.9
100.0
107.4
116.7
127.9
135.0
148.3
156.4
177.2

1990
1991
1992
1993

141.6
148.2
156.3
163.3

146.5
154.7
162.7
166.7

137.3
141.9
144.0
144.1

150.2
157.1
164.4
NA

149.3
155.2
160.4
163.2

160.5
166.9
172.9
178.5

138.9
146.6
155.1
160.7

219.9
240.4
257.3
268.8

118.7
124.1
131.0
134.8

187.9
197.6
205.3
207.8

205.1
223.1
235.2
235.3

181.8
198.4
214.6
224.5

Japan Belgium Denmark France* Germany

United
Norway Sweden* Kingdom*

NA:

Not Available

Note: The data relate to all employed persons (wage and salary earners and self-employed workers) in the United States and
Canada, and all employees (wage and salary earners) in the other countries.
* Compensation adjusted to include changes in employment taxes that are not compensation to employees, but are labor
costs to employers.
Source:
Table 13.
(Indexes:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.
Real hourly compensation in manufacturing, CPI basis, 12 countries, 1950-1993
1982=100)

Year

United
States

Canada

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

1950

NA

39.4

17.9

NA

31.9

22.9

15.7

22.4

19.8

31.4

29.7

36.1

1955

NA

49.5

23.2

NA

35.5

30.9

21.3

26.0

24.5

35.1

35.9

39.5

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

58.1
59.1
60.2
61.6
63.0
64.9
67.6
69.3
71.7
74.1

29.5
32.6
34.8
36.2
39.2
41.0
43.0
46.3
51.1
57.6

29.3
30.7
32.5
35.2
38.1
40.7
43.1
45.8
47.7
50.3

43.1
46.5
47.4
48.9
51.0
53.2
56.7
59.1
60.2
65.5

34.9
37.3
39.4
41.0
43.1
45.6
47.0
49.3
53.7
55.1

31.5
34.5
38.0
39.3
41.6
44.2
46.4
48.3
51.2
54.9

29.9
32.2
36.1
39.8
40.0
41.1
42.9
46.3
48.8
52.1

30.5
34.4
35.9
38.3
41.9
45.2
47.9
51.3
55.0
58.1

43.4
46.2
48.1
50.1
50.7
53.7
56.8
60.8
64.7
69.2

41.5
44.6
47.5
51.0
53.8
56.5
58.1
61.8
65.9
69.2

46.3
47.9
48.2
49.4
51.1
53.3
55.5
56.8
58.3
60.1

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
100.0
100.4
98.9

77.4
81.1
83.1
83.7
86.8
89.6
95.3
97.7
96.5
97.5

63.6
69.3
76.0
83.2
88.5
92.3
90.8
92.6
94.8
97.2

55.1
60.5
66.2
71.8
77.6
83.4
86.6
90.3
93.3
97.2

70.1
76.2
79.2
87.9
92.3
100.4
102.8
102.3
102.5
104.5

59.2
62.8
65.2
69.5
72.7
79.3
82.9
86.0
88.7
90.9

62.6
66.7
70.0
74.1
78.9
81.9
84.6
89.4
93.8
97.0

60.3
66.3
70.3
74.9
82.0
88.3
94.1
93.3
95.6
100.0

63.9
67.9
71.9
79.5
86.3
89.5
92.1
93.8
97.8
101.2

69.5
75.0
77.8
81.7
87.6
93.8
99.3
102.1
104.2
104.8

72.6
75.3
79.3
82.0
87.9
98.3
103.9
101.2
104.5
105.6

65.0
68.5
74.5
77.5
80.0
86.4
85.9
83.3
89.1
92.9

1980
1981
1982

97.5
97.1
100.0

97.9
100.2
100.0

96.0
97.9
100.0

101.0
104.2
100.0

102.6
101.2
100.0

92.2
94.2
100.0

99.9
99.9
100.0

96.9
98.7
100.0

100.0
99.1
100.0

102.7
100.6
100.0

103.0
101.5
100.0

95.6
99.3
100.0

Japan Belgium Denmark

France Germany

United
Sweden Kingdom

99.5
98.4
99.8
102.0
100.6
100.4
99.5

100.3
100.6
101.8
101.6
100.2
100.5
99.4

100.8
101.6
103.6
108.2
110.8
111.9
116.3

98.5
100.3
101.6
104.4
105.2
106.1
108.4

100.0
99.4
101.4
99.8
105.0
104.0
104.8

100.7
101.7
103.9
105.5
106.1
107.3
109.1

101.8
104.1
107.9
112.7
117.9
121.1
123.3

101.8
105.6
109.3
107.2
108.3
107.2
110.5

101.7
100.4
102.7
106.2
109.9
109.7
108.9

101.7
105.0
108.6
111.1
116.4
116.1
115.8

99.2
100.1
102.6
106.2
108.6
110.6
115.4

102.5
104.9
108.4
110.9
116.1
116.1
122.2

1990
1991
1992
1993

99.5
100.5
101.7
102.4

100.1
100.2
103.1
101.6

121.7
124.6
128.2
129.8

110.9
114.1
116.6
NA

108.6
109.8
110.9
112.3

111.3
112.4
113.6
115.2

128.6
132.4
133.3
137.6

115.9
120.3
122.3
125.8

109.2
110.1
112.3
113.2

117.6
119.0
119.5
117.9

114.4
114.2
115.7
110.6

115.5
121.2
126.3
131.1

NA:

1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

Not Available

Note: The data relate to all employed persons (wage and salary earners and self-employed workers) in the United States and
Canada, and all employees (wage and salary earners) in the other countries.
Source:
Table 14.
(Indexes:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.
Real average annual compensation in manufacturing, CPI basis, 12 countries, 1950-1993
1982=100)

Year

United
States

Canada

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

1950

NA

43.9

19.2

NA

43.0

27.5

21.6

25.4

24.9

39.5

41.2

42.3

1955

NA

53.2

26.1

NA

47.1

36.8

29.3

30.3

30.9

44.2

49.4

46.9

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

62.0
62.7
64.7
66.4
68.2
70.3
72.7
74.2
76.9
79.1

34.6
37.5
39.2
40.3
43.4
44.5
46.9
50.7
55.8
61.9

36.8
38.5
40.8
44.1
47.7
50.0
52.6
55.1
57.5
60.0

54.3
56.8
58.3
59.3
62.3
64.9
67.9
70.0
69.7
74.8

41.8
44.9
47.4
49.3
51.5
54.0
55.9
58.0
61.3
64.5

39.0
42.0
45.0
45.8
48.5
51.4
53.2
53.7
57.8
62.2

35.2
37.5
40.7
45.1
45.4
45.1
47.5
52.0
54.8
58.2

38.8
42.0
43.5
46.2
50.1
53.9
56.7
60.5
63.8
66.4

52.5
55.1
57.2
59.4
60.6
62.5
66.3
70.3
73.0
76.3

54.2
57.5
60.9
64.6
67.5
70.3
72.4
75.7
79.0
81.5

53.8
55.0
54.8
56.1
58.4
60.1
61.5
62.5
64.7
66.6

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

82.0
85.4
87.6
87.8
90.5

67.5
72.3
78.9
85.7
87.1

64.0
69.2
74.1
78.3
82.5

77.6
84.0
85.4
89.8
96.1

68.5
72.1
74.2
77.9
80.4

70.4
73.3
76.2
80.2
83.6

66.1
70.6
74.4
80.2
84.7

71.7
75.5
78.8
85.4
89.9

76.0
81.3
83.5
87.6
93.1

83.7
86.7
88.9
90.1
95.5

70.9
73.1
78.7
83.0
82.9

Japan Belgium Denmark

France Germany

United
Sweden Kingdom

NA
NA
103.7
104.2
102.0

92.3
98.1
100.9
99.9
100.1

88.4
89.8
91.9
94.6
98.1

83.9
88.7
92.1
94.9
98.9

101.2
104.2
102.8
101.7
103.6

85.0
89.3
91.9
94.0
96.1

84.6
89.8
93.4
96.6
99.5

89.6
95.5
94.3
96.3
100.0

91.5
94.0
95.3
98.4
100.6

99.9
103.2
104.3
105.4
104.6

104.7
109.3
105.9
106.3
105.7

89.1
89.4
87.4
93.0
96.6

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

99.3
98.9
100.0
102.2
102.6
104.1
106.3
105.4
106.3
105.3

100.2
101.3
100.0
101.6
103.0
104.2
103.9
103.3
103.9
102.0

96.8
98.2
100.0
101.4
103.4
104.9
108.7
111.7
114.1
117.3

101.3
102.0
100.0
96.0
97.2
99.9
102.8
104.5
107.1
108.8

102.4
99.7
100.0
101.4
100.5
99.0
99.8
102.5
101.6
101.2

97.6
98.4
100.0
100.1
101.3
102.8
104.5
105.7
107.4
108.9

101.3
100.0
100.0
101.4
103.7
105.9
109.7
114.2
117.0
117.7

97.1
98.9
100.0
101.8
105.6
108.3
109.0
112.1
114.8
118.1

100.0
98.5
100.0
101.6
99.7
99.7
102.9
106.1
105.8
104.9

103.1
100.7
100.0
102.2
104.9
107.8
110.0
111.9
111.9
112.4

102.0
101.0
100.0
100.5
103.3
105.1
108.3
112.1
113.9
118.4

96.1
98.3
100.0
102.8
106.1
109.6
111.9
118.0
118.7
124.7

1990
1991
1992
1993

104.5
105.0
107.5
109.1

102.6
102.6
106.3
107.0

120.8
120.9
120.6
119.1

112.7
114.0
116.5
NA

103.5
105.1
106.4
106.9

110.6
111.3
112.7
113.9

120.8
123.1
125.2
124.9

120.9
124.1
126.0
126.3

105.2
105.8
107.8
108.6

114.0
116.0
117.6
116.4

118.8
118.5
122.4
118.9

116.9
120.5
125.6
129.4

NA:

1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

Not Available

Note: The data relate to all employed persons (wage and salary earners and self-employed workers) in the United States and
Canada, and all employees (wage and salary earners) in the other countries.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.

Table 15.

Korea:

Output and unit labor costs, all employees in manufacturing, 1970-1993

(Indexes:

1982=100)
Unit Labor Costs

Year

Output

Compensation

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976

20.2
23.8
27.0
34.8
40.4
45.2
55.9

3.1
3.9
4.9
7.4
10.7
13.8
21.6

National
currency
basis
15.2
16.2
18.0
21.4
26.5
30.4
38.6

U.S.
dollar
basis
35.7
34.1
33.4
39.3
47.9
46.0
58.4

Exchange
rate*
235.4
210.6
186.1
183.5
180.8
151.1
151.1

1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993

64.3
77.8
85.9
85.3
93.7
100.0
115.4
135.4
145.0
171.6
203.7
231.1
240.9
264.3
288.3
303.0
318.1

29.1
42.1
56.5
70.6
89.1
100.0
121.9
144.0
152.9
178.5
222.7
280.9
353.0
423.1
486.9
544.2
580.8

45.2
54.1
65.8
82.8
95.1
100.0
105.6
106.3
105.4
104.0
109.3
121.5
146.5
160.1
168.9
179.6
182.6

68.3
81.8
99.3
99.7
102.1
100.0
99.6
96.4
88.6
86.3
97.2
121.5
159.5
165.3
168.3
168.2
166.3

151.1
151.1
151.1
120.4
107.4
100.0
94.2
90.7
84.0
82.9
88.9
99.9
108.9
103.3
99.7
93.7
91.1

*Value of foreign currency relative to U.S. dollar.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.

Table 16.

Taiwan:

(Indexes:

1982=100)

Output and unit labor costs, all employees in manufacturing, 1970-1993

Unit Labor Costs

Year

Output

Compensation

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980

26.9
32.8
39.4
46.1
43.6
45.7
55.8
63.0
75.7
81.6
90.2

8.1
10.3
12.6
17.2
24.5
26.0
33.0
38.8
47.1
57.8
73.4

National
currency
basis
30.0
31.6
32.0
37.2
56.3
57.0
59.0
61.6
62.3
70.8
81.4

U.S.
dollar
basis
29.3
30.9
31.3
38.1
58.0
58.7
60.8
63.4
65.8
76.8
88.4

Exchange
rate*
97.8
97.8
97.8
102.3
103.0
103.0
103.0
103.0
105.6
108.5
108.6

1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993

97.6
100.0
110.8
126.8
131.5
152.5
172.0
178.2
184.8
184.4
196.5
203.3
208.9

91.7
100.0
109.3
130.5
140.4
167.7
189.2
202.3
219.0
233.9
253.1
273.2
289.3

93.9
100.0
98.6
102.9
106.8
109.9
110.0
113.5
118.5
126.9
128.8
134.4
138.4

99.7
100.0
96.3
101.7
104.8
113.7
135.6
155.3
175.6
184.4
188.4
209.0
205.0

106.2
100.0
97.7
98.8
98.2
103.4
123.3
136.9
148.2
145.3
146.2
155.5
148.1

*Value of foreign currency relative to U.S. dollar.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 1994.