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USDL: 99-63
For Release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Tuesday, March 16, 1999

INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS OF MANUFACTURING PRODUCTIVITY
AND UNIT LABOR COST TRENDS, 1997 REVISED DATA
Labor productivity in manufacturing increased during 1997 in all of the
11 countries for which comparable data are available, with the increases
ranging from 0.5 percent in the United Kingdom to 6.8 percent in France.
(See table A and chart 1.) Labor productivity (output per hour) in U.S.
manufacturing increased 4.2 percent during 1997. Canada and the U.K.
reversed the productivity declines they had experienced in 1996. (See table
B.)
These estimates represent revisions to the preliminary estimates
contained in a September 1998 news release (USDL: 98-393). The revisions are
based on data not available for the earlier news release. The U.S. output
series used for international comparisons differs from the manufacturing
series that BLS publishes on quarterly measures of U.S. productivity and
costs.

PRINTED COPY CONTAINS CHART AT THIS POINT:
CHART 1. Percent change in manufacturing output per hour, 1997

Unit labor costs - the costs of labor input required to produce one
unit of output - is computed as the ratio of labor costs in nominal terms
divided by real output. It also can be expressed as the ratio of hourly
compensation to labor productivity. An increase in productivity represents a
decrease in the amount of labor input needed to produce a unit of output;
thus, an increase in productivity can offset an increase in compensation per
hour in its effects on unit labor costs.
In 1997, unit labor costs, expressed in national currency units, in
manufacturing declined in 10 of the 14 countries being compared and rose in
4. (See table A.) Unit labor costs in U.S. manufacturing were essentially
unchanged in 1997.
In order to properly assess international competitiveness trends in
manufactured products, it is essential to take into account changes in

exchange rates. During 1997, the currencies of 12 of the 13 foreign
countries being compared lost value against the U.S. dollar; the losses in
value ranged from a -1.5 percent drop in the Canadian dollar to a -15.4
percent decline in the Korean won. (See table A.)
Thus, when expressed in U.S. dollar terms, only the U.K. recorded a
1997 increase in unit labor costs in manufacturing. The British pound
appreciated by 4.9 percent against the dollar in 1997, resulting in an 8.7
percent jump in unit labor costs in dollar terms. Manufacturing unit labor
costs in all the other countries declined in U.S. dollar terms, from -1.6
percent in Canada to -19.4 percent in Korea. (See chart 2.)

PRINTED COPY CONTAINS CHART AT THIS POINT:
CHART 2. Percent change in manufacturing unit labor costs (U.S. dollar
basis), 1997

The 1997 measures of changes in manufacturing productivity, unit labor
costs, and related variables are summarized in table A below. Output and
unit labor cost data are presented for all 14 economies. Comparable
productivity data are not available for Korea and Taiwan. Productivity data
for Denmark are not shown because the Danish national statistical agency has
not produced recent data on hours worked. (See technical notes.)

Table A. Manufacturing productivity and labor costs in 14 countries or areas
Percent change, 1996-97
Unit
labor costs
Hourly National U.S.
Average compen- curr- dollhours
sation
ency
ars

Output
per
hour

Output

Hours

Employment

United States

4.2

5.9

1.6

0.9

0.7

4.2

- 0.1

- 0.1

---

Canada
Japan
Korea (2)
Taiwan (2)
Belgium
Denmark (3)
France

2.7
4.9
NA
NA
6.1
NA
6.8

6.1
4.0
6.2
6.7
4.6
2.3
5.0

3.3
- 0.8
NA
NA
- 1.4
NA
- 1.7

3.2
- 0.2
NA
NA
- 1.5
1.6
- 1.3

0.1
- 0.6
NA
NA
0.1
NA
- 0.5

2.7
3.1
NA
NA
2.2
NA
2.9

-

- 1.6
-11.7
-19.4
- 6.0
-16.7
- 9.5
-15.6

- 1.5
-10.1
-15.4
- 4.5
-13.5
-12.2
-12.4

Country
or area

0.1
1.7
4.7
1.6
3.7
3.2
- 3.6

Exchange
rate(1)

Germany (4)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

5.9
2.7
4.6
0.6
6.5
0.5

3.6
2.3
5.0
3.1
5.5
1.0

- 2.2
- 0.3
0.4
2.4
- 1.0
0.5

- 2.3
- 0.7
0.4
2.7
- 1.1
0.4

0.2
0.4
0.0
- 0.3
0.1
0.1

2.3
4.9
2.8
4.5
4.3
4.0

- 3.4
2.1
- 1.8
3.9
- 2.1
3.6

-16.2
- 7.5
-15.1
- 5.3
-14.1
8.7

-13.3
- 9.5
-13.6
- 8.8
-12.2
4.9

(1) Value of foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar.
(2) Productivity not available because adequate labor input measures have not been developed.
(3) Labor input data have not been produced for 1994-1997 by the Danish national statistical agency.
(4) Data relate to the former West Germany.
NA=Not Available

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.
Table B (pages 6-10) shows average annual percent changes for selected
periods beginning in 1979. Annual indexes of the data are in tables 1-14
(pages 16-29).

BOX: NOTES ABOUT THE MEASURES
The measures in this news release are based on data available to BLS as of
January 1999. Revisions for 1997 and some earlier years were made to the
measures for several countries to incorporate data not available at the time
of the September 1998 news release (USDL: 98-393).
The U.S. manufacturing output measure
The output measure for the United States is the chain-weighted index of real
gross product originating (deflated value-added), introduced by the Bureau of
Economic Analysis (BEA) in August 1996. This series is based on annually
changing price weights.
The U.S. output data through 1997 were published by BEA in November 1998.
The data incorporate the results of the comprehensive revision of the
national income and product accounts (NIPA's) released in May 1997; the
estimates for 1995-97 also incorporate the results of the annual NIPA

revisions released in July 1998.
The U.S. output series used for international comparisons differs from the
manufacturing series that BLS publishes in its news releases on quarterly
measures of U.S. productivity and costs. (See technical notes.) While both
series are based on annually-changing price weights, the quarterly U.S.
manufacturing series is on a "sectoral" output basis rather than on a value
added basis. Sectoral output is gross output less intra-sector transactions.
(See William Gullickson, "Measurement of productivity growth in U.S.
manufacturing," Monthly Labor Review, July 1995, pp. 13-28.)
END OF BOX (NOTES ABOUT THE MEASURES)

Productivity, output, and labor input
The U.S. productivity growth rate of 4.2 percent in 1997 reflects a 5.9
percent increase in output, offset by a 1.6 percent increase in hours worked.
The 4.2 percent U.S. productivity increase is less than the preliminary
estimate of 4.6 percent growth reported in September 1998. The change is the
result of an upward revision to the estimated increase in hours worked which
more than offset a small upward revision in output growth.
The 1997 growth rate of Japanese labor productivity also was revised
downward to 4.9 percent from a preliminary estimate of 6.1 percent, due to a
1.3 percentage point downward revision in the estimate of output growth. The
downward revision of 0.4 percentage points to the estimate of productivity
growth for the U.K. was due to a downward revision in output growth; for
Belgium, the upward revision of half a percentage point in productivity
growth was due to a revision in hours.
Manufacturing labor productivity increased during 1997 in all of the 11
countries for which comparable data are available, with the increases ranging
from 0.5 percent in the United Kingdom to 6.8 percent in France. This was
fueled by increased manufacturing output, which went up during 1997 in all of
the countries being compared, ranging from a 1.0 percent increase in the U.K
to 6.7 percent growth in Taiwan. The U.S. output growth of 5.9 percent was
above the average. This is the sixth consecutive year that manufacturing
output has grown in the U.S. Among the countries being compared, the U.S.
string of consecutive increases is only surpassed by Korea and Taiwan and
matched by Canada and Norway. (See table 3.)
Labor input is measured by the total hours worked in manufacturing. In
1997, hours worked increased only in the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands,
Norway, and the U.K. In all the other countries, manufacturing labor hours
declined between 1996 and 1997, resulting in labor productivity growth rates

larger than the growth rates in output.
Of the two factors determining changes in aggregate hours worked changes in employment and average hours - the employment effect is the
predominant one in the foreign countries studied, with the exception of
Japan. For the U.S., employment and average hours grew at about the same
rate. (See table A.)
Hourly compensation and unit labor costs
Hourly compensation costs in manufacturing include wages and salaries,
supplements, and employer payments for social security and other employerfinanced benefit plans. Increases in hourly compensation are offset by
increases in productivity when determining changes in unit labor costs. In
1997, hourly compensation in U.S. manufacturing went up 4.2 percent, while
labor productivity increased the same amount, leaving unit labor costs
essentially unchanged.
In 1997, manufacturing unit labor costs, expressed in national currency
units, declined in 10 of the 14 countries being compared and rose in 4. This
occurred despite the fact that hourly compensation in manufacturing,
expressed in national currency units, rose in all the countries. In 1997,
increases in hourly compensation averaged between 2 and 5 percent, with the
4.2 percent U.S. increase falling into the upper half of this range.
Positive labor productivity growth in all the countries reduced the amount of
unit labor cost increases and caused them to decline in most countries. (See
table A.)
Unit labor costs in U.S. dollars
Changes in currency values relative to the U.S. dollar can have an
important effect on changes in competitiveness, as measured by U.S. dollarbased unit labor costs. In 1997, the currencies of 12 of the 13 countries
being compared lost value against the U.S. dollar, from a 1.5 percent drop in
the Canadian dollar to a 15.4 percent decline in the Korean won.
In absolute value terms, changes in exchange rates exceeded the changes
in unit labor costs in all countries - in most cases by a large amount.
Thus, the change in exchange rates was the predominant factor leading to
changes in unit labor costs expressed in U.S. dollars. In most countries,
these exchange rate movements reinforced reductions in unit labor costs. In
three countries, the exchange rate changes offset unit labor cost increases.
In U.S. dollar terms, manufacturing unit labor costs declined in all the
countries except the U.K.; the declines ranged from 1.6 percent in Canada to
19.4 percent in Korea. (See table A.)

Note: 1997 unit labor costs in national currencies have been revised
from the estimates in September 1998 for the United States (upward by 0.9
percentage points), Japan (upward by 1.2 percentage points), Taiwan (downward
by 0.5 percentage points), Belgium (downward 0.4 percentage points), Denmark
(upward 2.2 percentage points), and the United Kingdom (upward by 0.7
percentage points).

Table B. Output per hour, hourly compensation, unit labor costs, and related measures
Manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1979-97
Average annual rates of change (1)
Country
or area

1979-97 1979-85 1985-90 1990-97 1994

1995

1996

1997

Output per hour
United States

3.0

3.3

2.2

3.2

6.1

6.1

2.1

4.2

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

1.9
3.5
NA
NA
3.7
NA
3.3

2.3
3.5
NA
NA
6.1
2.1
3.0

1.2
4.3
NA
NA
2.3
.5
3.4

2.0
3.0
NA
NA
2.7
NA
3.5

2.3
1.3
NA
NA
5.7
NA
8.5

2.5
7.4
NA
NA
-1.0
NA
3.6

-1.6
2.3
NA
NA
1.0
NA
3.1

2.7
4.9
NA
NA
6.1
NA
6.8

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

2.5
3.7
3.6
1.6
3.4
3.8

2.0
4.9
4.4
2.4
3.0
4.4

2.2
2.6
1.9
1.4
1.8
4.6

3.0
3.4
4.1
.9
5.0
2.6

7.2
2.8
12.0
.8
8.8
3.4

3.0
6.0
5.0
.5
5.4
-1.7

3.5
.4
3.8
.6
2.5
-1.2

5.9
2.7
4.6
.6
6.5
.5

Continued on next page

Table B. Output per hour, hourly compensation, unit labor costs, and related measures
Manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1979-97--continued
Average annual rates of change (1)

Country
or area

1979-97 1979-85 1985-90 1990-97 1994

1995

1996

1997

Output
United States

2.6

2.0

2.2

3.3

8.4

6.6

1.7

5.9

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

2.0
3.5
9.6
6.6
2.0
1.9
1.1

1.4
4.7
8.8
8.1
2.6
2.9
- .4

1.8
4.8
13.2
7.0
2.5
- .2
2.6

2.5
1.6
7.7
5.0
1.1
2.5
1.2

6.4
- .7
10.5
5.7
4.5
10.4
5.3

4.9
5.5
10.8
6.0
2.7
5.3
3.9

1.1
2.6
7.5
4.5
.0
3.4
2.1

6.1
4.0
6.2
6.7
4.6
2.3
5.0

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

.5
2.1
2.3
.5
2.4
.8

.2
1.7
1.8
.6
2.2
-1.2

2.3
4.0
3.0
-1.6
1.2
3.4

- .5
1.1
2.1
2.0
3.5
.5

1.8
5.4
6.1
3.9
14.1
4.7

.2
5.6
3.5
2.1
12.5
1.5

-1.3
-1.3
2.6
2.3
2.2
.4

3.6
2.3
5.0
3.1
5.5
1.0

Total hours
United States

-0.4

-1.2

0.0

0.1

2.2

0.4

-0.4

1.6

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

.1
.0
NA
NA
-1.6
NA
-2.2

- .8
1.1
NA
NA
-3.3
.8
-3.3

.6
.5
NA
NA
.2
- .6
- .8

.5
-1.4
NA
NA
-1.6
NA
-2.2

4.0
-2.0
NA
NA
-1.1
NA
-2.9

2.4
-1.8
NA
NA
3.7
NA
.3

2.7
.2
NA
NA
-1.0
NA
- .9

3.3
- .8
NA
NA
-1.4
NA
-1.7

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

-1.9
-1.5
-1.3
-1.0
-1.0
-2.9

-1.8
-3.1
-2.5
-1.8
- .8
-5.3

.2
1.3
1.1
-2.9
- .5
-1.2

-3.4
-2.2
-1.8
1.0
-1.5
-2.0

-5.0
2.6
-5.3
3.1
4.9
1.2

-2.7
- .4
-1.4
1.5
6.7
3.2

-4.7
-1.7
-1.2
1.7
- .3
1.6

-2.2
- .3
.4
2.4
-1.0
.5

Continued on next page

Table B. Output per hour, hourly compensation, unit labor costs, and related measures
Manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1979-97--continued
Average annual rates of change (1)
Country
or area

1979-97 1979-85 1985-90 1990-97 1994

1995

1996

1997

Employment
United States

-0.6

-1.4

-0.1

-0.3

1.3

1.1

-0.3

0.9

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

- .1
.4
NA
NA
-1.6
.0
-1.8

- .8
1.2
NA
NA
-2.7
1.0
-2.3

.4
.8
NA
NA
- .4
- .2
- .9

.3
- .5
NA
NA
-1.4
- .9
-2.1

3.4
-2.0
NA
NA
-3.7
.3
-2.8

2.8
-2.5
NA
NA
4.8
2.0
- .1

2.5
- .6
NA
NA
-1.4
-1.2
-1.2

3.2
- .2
NA
NA
-1.5
1.6
-1.3

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

-1.1
-1.7
-1.1
-1.0
-1.7
-2.7

-1.1
-2.9
-2.3
-1.8
-1.2
-4.9

1.1
.3
1.3
-2.7
- .8
-1.2

-2.7
-2.1
-1.8
.9
-2.7
-2.0

-5.1
- .2
-5.3
2.8
1.8
.6

-2.2
- .5
-1.7
2.4
4.8
2.4

-3.1
- .9
-1.1
2.0
- .7
1.3

-2.3
- .7
.4
2.7
-1.1
.4

Average hours
United States

0.3

0.2

0.1

0.4

0.9

-0.7

-0.1

0.7

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

.1
- .5
NA
NA
- .1
NA
- .3

.0
.0
NA
NA
- .6
- .3
-1.0

.2
- .3
NA
NA
.7
- .5
.1

.2
- .9
NA
NA
- .1
NA
.0

.5
.1
NA
NA
2.7
NA
- .2

- .4
.7
NA
NA
-1.1
NA
.4

.2
.8
NA
NA
.4
NA
.3

.1
- .6
NA
NA
.1
NA
- .5

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands

- .8
.2
- .2

- .7
- .1
- .3

-1.0
1.0
- .2

- .7
- .1
.0

.0
2.8
.0

- .5
.1
.3

-1.6
- .8
- .1

.2
.4
.0

Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

.0
.7
- .2

.0
.4
- .5

- .2
.3
.0

.1
1.2
.0

.2
3.1
.6

- .9
1.8
.8

- .3
.4
.2

- .3
.1
.1

Continued on next page

Table B. Output per hour, hourly compensation, unit labor costs, and related measures
Manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1979-97--continued
Average annual rates of change (1)
Country
or area

1979-97 1979-85 1985-90 1990-97 1994

Hourly compensation (3):

1995

1996

1997

National currency basis

United States

4.8

7.1

3.9

3.4

2.8

2.4

2.2

4.2

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

5.3
4.1
NA
NA
5.1
NA
6.6

8.3
4.7
NA
NA
7.8
8.1
12.8

5.1
4.6
NA
NA
3.8
5.3
4.5

2.8
3.3
NA
NA
3.8
NA
3.0

.6
2.1
NA
NA
3.3
NA
2.5

3.2
2.6
NA
NA
3.0
NA
1.4

2.2
1.0
NA
NA
2.2
NA
1.6

2.7
3.1
NA
NA
2.2
NA
2.9

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

5.3
9.7
3.6
6.9
7.2
8.4

5.9
16.7
4.9
10.0
9.6
11.8

5.0
6.9
2.1
7.8
8.5
8.9

5.1
5.9
3.7
3.8
4.4
5.1

5.5
- .5
4.4
2.9
3.1
3.1

5.3
5.4
2.2
4.6
5.0
1.6

5.1
6.3
3.0
4.8
6.8
1.2

2.3
4.9
2.8
4.5
4.3
4.0

Unit labor costs:

National currency basis

United States

1.7

3.7

1.6

0.2

-3.1

-3.5

0.1

-0.1

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan

3.3
.6
4.7
3.7

5.9
1.2
9.2
7.3

3.8
.3
6.0
3.5

.8
.3
.1
.9

-1.7
.8
- .7
1.1

.7
-4.5
- .2
.1

3.9
-1.3
2.7
- .2

- .1
-1.7
-4.7
-1.6

Belgium
Denmark
France

1.3
3.4
3.2

1.5
5.9
9.5

1.5
4.8
1.0

1.1
.3
- .5

-2.2
-7.1
-5.5

4.0
.5
-2.1

1.2
-1.1
-1.4

-3.7
3.2
-3.6

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

2.8
5.8
.1
5.3
3.7
4.5

3.8
11.2
.5
7.4
6.4
7.1

2.7
4.2
.2
6.4
6.6
4.1

2.0
2.4
- .3
2.8
- .6
2.5

-1.6
-3.2
-6.9
2.1
-5.2
- .2

2.2
- .5
-2.6
4.0
- .3
3.3

1.6
5.9
- .8
4.2
4.2
2.4

-3.4
2.1
-1.8
3.9
-2.1
3.6

Continued on next page

Table B. Output per hour, hourly compensation, unit labor costs, and related measures
Manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1979-97--continued
Average annual rates of change (1)
Country
or area

1979-97 1979-85 1985-90 1990-97 1994

Unit labor costs:

1995

1996

1997

U.S. dollar basis

United States

1.7

3.7

1.6

0.2

-3.1

-3.5

0.1

-0.1

Canada
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Belgium
Denmark
France

2.4
3.9
.9
5.0
.2
2.1
1.4

3.2
- .3
- .9
5.5
-9.7
-5.8
-3.3

7.1
10.8
10.5
12.0
13.8
16.6
11.7

-1.6
2.9
-4.0
- .1
.1
- .7
-1.5

-7.2
9.5
- .8
.9
1.1
-5.2
-3.4

.3
3.8
3.9
- .1
17.9
14.0
8.9

4.5
-14.8
-1.5
-3.7
-3.7
-4.6
-3.9

-1.6
-11.7
-19.4
-6.0
-16.7
-9.5
-15.6

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

3.1
1.6
.2
3.3
.4
3.0

-4.1
-3.2
-7.6
-1.7
-5.2
-1.3

15.8
14.3
12.9
13.3
14.8
10.9

1.0
-2.6
-1.3
1.0
-4.2
1.3

.4
-5.5
-4.8
2.7
-4.3
1.8

15.7
-1.6
10.4
15.8
7.7
6.4

-3.3
11.8
-5.7
2.2
10.9
1.2

-16.2
-7.5
-15.1
-5.3
-14.1
8.7

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

- .9
3.3
-3.7
1.3
-1.1
-1.3
-1.7

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

3.2
10.5
4.2
8.2
12.2
11.4
10.5

-2.4
2.6
-4.1
- .9
-1.0
- .9
-1.0

-5.6
8.7
- .1
- .2
3.5
2.0
2.2

- .4
8.7
4.2
- .1
13.4
13.5
11.2

.6
-13.6
-4.1
-3.5
-4.8
-3.5
-2.5

-1.5
-10.1
-15.4
-4.5
-13.5
-12.2
-12.4

Germany (2)
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom

.3
-3.9
.2
-1.8
-3.2
-1.4

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

12.7
9.8
12.7
6.6
7.8
6.6

-1.0
-4.9
-1.0
-1.8
-3.6
-1.2

2.0
-2.4
2.2
.6
1.0
2.0

13.2
-1.1
13.4
11.4
8.1
3.0

-4.8
5.6
-4.9
-1.9
6.4
-1.1

-13.3
-9.5
-13.6
-8.8
-12.2
4.9

(1) Rates of change based on the compound rate method.
(2) Data relate to the former West Germany.
(3) Adjusted to include employment taxes that are not compensation to employees
but are labor costs to employers.
(4) Value of foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar.
NA = Not available.

Trade-weighted unit labor costs
Because the economies covered by the BLS comparative data differ
greatly in their relative importance to U.S. trade in manufactured goods, BLS
constructs indexes of U.S. unit labor cost trends relative to a tradeweighted average of unit labor cost trends in the other economies. (See chart
3.)
The construction of the indexes shown in chart 3 is a three-step
process. First, the indexes of unit labor costs for all economies are
rebased to a common year (in this case 1979=100). Second, for each year, a
"competitors" index is calculated as the weighted geometric mean of the
indexes for all competitor economies. Finally, the U.S. index number for
each year is divided by the competitors index number (and multiplied by 100)
to obtain a relative ratio of the United States to the competitors. This
process is used to calculate the relative trade-weighted unit labor cost
indexes on both a national currency and a U.S. dollar basis.

Chart 3 relates the growth of U.S. unit labor costs to the growth of
foreign competitors' costs. The solid line indicates that U.S. unit labor
costs rose faster than competitors' costs between 1979 and 1985 on a U.S.
dollar basis. In most years between 1985 and 1995, U.S. costs either rose at
a slower rate than the competitors' costs or fell at a faster rate. Since
1995, however, the strength of the U.S. dollar has once again caused relative
U.S. unit labor costs to rise.
The data underlying this chart are shown in table C.

PRINTED COPY CONTAINS CHART AT THIS POINT:
CHART 3. U.S. manufacturing unit labor costs relative to 13
competitors, 1979-97

Table C. U.S. manufacturing unit labor costs relative to 13 competitors, 1979-97

Year

1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997

Unit Labor Costs
National Currency Basis
Own
Competitors'
Index
Index
Ratio

Unit Labor Costs
U.S. Dollar Basis
Own
Competitors'
Index
Index
Ratio

100.0
112.3
117.6
125.1
122.8
122.2
124.2
128.9
124.1
124.3
129.4
134.6
141.0
144.7
145.9
141.3
136.4
136.5
136.4

100.0
112.3
117.6
125.1
122.8
122.2
124.2
128.9
124.1
124.3
129.4
134.6
141.0
144.7
145.9
141.3
136.4
136.5
136.4

100.0
111.8
120.9
129.2
131.1
131.6
132.9
138.4
140.3
141.5
145.2
151.0
157.2
161.6
163.2
161.4
160.1
162.2
160.3

100.0
100.4
97.3
96.9
93.7
92.8
93.4
93.2
88.4
87.8
89.2
89.2
89.7
89.5
89.4
87.6
85.2
84.1
85.1

100.0
110.4
109.7
106.2
104.7
99.3
97.1
121.6
139.5
151.9
151.4
162.9
172.2
180.4
177.7
178.4
187.0
179.9
164.3

100.0
101.7
107.2
117.8
117.3
123.1
127.9
106.0
88.9
81.8
85.5
82.7
81.9
80.2
82.1
79.2
72.9
75.9
83.0

Table 1. Output per hour in manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1950-1997
(Indexes: 1992=100)
United
Year States

Canada

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Belgium

Denmark

France

Germany

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden

United
Kingdom

1950

NA

28.0

NA

NA

NA

NA

22.6

13.9

13.2

11.2

12.3

24.5

19.7

24.7

1955

NA

34.3

8.7

NA

NA

NA

24.6

17.6

19.7

15.6

15.4

28.5

21.6

26.6

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

40.7
42.9
46.3
48.1
50.4
52.9
53.7
54.3
57.6
60.5

14.0
15.8
16.6
18.0
20.4
21.2
23.3
26.3
29.5
33.8

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

17.9
18.1
19.0
19.8
21.0
22.1
23.6
24.9
27.1
29.6

29.9
31.6
33.2
34.3
37.1
38.9
40.8
43.8
47.8
49.8

23.0
24.5
26.1
27.5
29.7
31.8
34.4
36.5
40.3
42.9

29.2
30.6
32.7
34.1
37.0
39.3
40.9
43.4
47.1
50.4

19.6
21.2
23.4
24.1
24.3
27.1
29.4
30.9
33.3
34.5

19.5
20.6
21.2
21.9
23.9
25.4
27.0
28.9
32.3
35.3

36.7
38.0
38.0
40.0
42.2
44.7
46.6
48.3
51.3
56.1

27.6
29.0
31.3
33.1
36.0
38.7
40.3
43.7
47.8
51.5

30.2
30.2
30.9
32.5
34.7
35.7
36.9
38.6
41.4
42.4

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
70.6
71.1
72.1

59.2
62.7
65.6
69.6
70.8
68.1
73.0
77.1
78.4
78.3

38.0
40.2
44.1
48.1
49.3
50.7
53.8
55.9
58.1
62.9

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

32.7
34.6
38.6
42.7
45.0
46.8
51.6
54.1
57.4
60.6

52.7
56.3
60.8
66.9
69.1
76.1
78.8
80.4
81.6
85.6

45.5
48.2
50.4
53.9
55.1
57.0
60.5
64.1
67.0
70.1

52.1
54.1
57.4
61.1
63.3
65.9
70.7
73.0
75.4
78.8

36.8
37.4
40.5
43.9
46.7
45.2
51.4
52.4
55.8
61.2

38.6
40.9
44.1
48.8
52.4
51.6
57.1
61.8
65.9
69.2

57.8
60.1
63.6
67.6
70.6
69.7
71.9
71.5
72.8
78.1

52.8
55.1
57.9
62.1
64.8
65.8
66.8
65.8
67.6
72.9

43.3
45.4
47.9
51.4
52.2
51.1
53.3
53.8
54.5
55.0

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

71.9
75.5
77.8
81.4
84.6
87.8
88.3
94.4
98.0
97.1

75.2
77.0
75.2
79.7
86.5
89.7
89.2
91.1
91.0
92.4

63.9
66.0
68.7
69.6
71.9
77.3
76.9
81.2
84.8
89.5

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

64.5
68.9
73.0
80.6
84.6
86.6
87.8
88.9
92.0
96.9

90.3
91.8
92.1
96.6
96.1
96.7
91.1
90.6
94.1
99.6

70.5
72.6
77.7
79.4
80.7
83.8
85.2
86.7
92.7
97.4

77.3
78.9
78.6
82.6
85.5
88.9
89.6
88.4
91.6
94.5

64.0
65.5
66.6
70.2
77.1
81.5
82.6
85.0
86.6
89.4

69.8
71.4
72.7
78.4
86.1
89.7
91.0
91.7
93.8
97.2

76.7
76.5
79.7
82.4
87.4
90.2
89.0
93.3
92.1
94.6

74.0
73.5
76.7
81.8
85.6
87.1
88.5
90.1
90.8
93.8

54.4
57.2
60.3
65.0
68.5
71.1
73.9
78.1
82.6
86.2

1990 97.8
1991 98.3
1992 100.0

95.2
95.0
100.0

95.4
99.4
100.0

NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA

96.9
99.1
100.0

99.1
99.6
100.0

99.1
98.7
100.0

99.0
101.9
100.0

92.8
95.3
100.0

98.6
99.6
100.0

96.6
97.5
100.0

95.0
95.0
100.0

89.2
93.9
100.0

1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
NA:

102.1
108.3
114.9
117.3
122.3

103.3
105.7
108.4
106.6
109.6

100.5
101.8
109.3
111.9
117.4

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

104.1
110.0
108.9
110.0
116.7

104.5
NA
NA
NA
NA

101.8
110.4
114.3
117.9
125.9

100.6
107.9
111.2
115.1
121.8

104.5
107.4
113.9
114.4
117.4

101.9
114.2
119.9
124.4
130.2

100.6
101.4
102.0
102.6
103.2

106.7
116.1
122.4
125.4
133.6

105.6
109.2
107.4
106.1
106.6

Not Available

Note: The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom,
and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other countries.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 1999.

Table 2. Output per employed person in manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1950-1997
(Indexes: 1992=100)

Year

United
States

Canada

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Belgium

Denmark

France

Germany

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden

United
Kingdom

1950

NA

30.0

NA

NA

NA

NA

31.8

17.0

19.2

12.3

16.0

32.0

25.6

29.0

1955

NA

35.5

10.4

NA

NA

NA

34.0

21.2

28.8

17.7

20.1

37.3

27.9

31.7

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

41.8
43.8
47.7
49.7
52.3
54.9
55.4
55.9
59.2
62.0

17.3
19.3
19.8
21.2
24.0
24.5
27.0
30.6
34.2
38.6

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

22.4
22.7
23.9
24.8
26.3
27.2
28.8
30.1
32.7
35.4

39.2
40.2
42.6
43.3
47.2
49.5
51.0
54.1
57.7
59.3

27.7
29.6
31.4
33.1
35.5
37.6
40.9
43.0
46.2
50.3

38.4
39.6
41.3
42.4
46.1
48.7
50.0
51.7
56.6
60.7

22.4
23.9
25.7
26.5
26.8
28.8
31.6
33.7
36.4
37.4

25.8
26.0
26.6
27.5
29.6
31.4
33.2
35.4
38.8
41.9

46.2
47.2
47.0
49.2
52.3
54.1
56.6
58.1
60.1
64.3

33.7
35.1
37.5
39.3
42.3
45.1
47.0
50.1
53.6
56.8

35.3
34.8
35.2
37.1
39.8
40.4
41.0
42.6
46.1
47.2

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
69.2
69.8
70.3

60.3
63.6
66.7
70.2
70.9
67.4
72.3
76.3
78.1
77.7

43.0
44.8
48.9
52.8
52.0
52.2
57.0
59.4
62.0
67.5

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

38.0
39.7
43.2
46.6
47.9
47.1
52.9
55.3
58.5
61.7

60.8
64.6
68.4
71.2
75.0
79.9
83.2
84.1
84.3
88.4

52.7
55.3
57.2
60.3
60.9
61.1
65.1
68.3
70.8
73.9

62.4
63.4
66.6
70.4
71.4
72.5
79.9
81.1
82.8
86.0

39.1
38.6
41.6
45.6
46.8
44.5
50.6
51.4
54.6
59.4

44.9
47.1
50.1
54.4
56.6
54.7
60.4
65.1
68.8
71.3

65.7
67.6
70.6
74.6
76.9
75.6
76.0
74.4
73.9
78.0

58.1
60.5
61.8
65.2
67.3
67.0
67.2
65.6
65.7
69.8

47.5
48.6
50.8
55.2
54.3
53.0
55.7
56.6
57.2
57.4

1980

69.3

74.0

68.6

NA

NA

64.7

93.9

74.3

83.5

62.2

72.4

77.1

70.1

54.9

1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

72.7
73.6
79.1
83.5
86.6
87.1
93.5
98.0
97.2

75.8
73.5
79.0
85.7
89.1
88.9
91.5
92.9
93.4

70.3
73.0
74.0
77.3
82.8
81.9
86.7
91.7
95.6

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

67.5
73.1
78.7
82.1
85.2
86.5
88.3
92.9
97.4

94.3
96.0
102.1
101.2
98.4
94.9
92.2
95.8
100.2

75.5
77.5
79.0
80.3
82.9
84.4
86.5
92.8
97.3

84.1
83.7
87.9
90.9
93.1
93.0
91.3
94.4
96.2

63.7
64.7
68.2
74.8
78.4
81.4
85.3
90.0
92.8

74.4
76.5
82.6
89.5
90.8
91.8
92.0
94.8
97.6

76.9
79.4
82.5
87.4
89.8
88.7
90.7
90.3
93.3

70.1
73.4
79.2
84.4
85.2
86.3
88.9
89.4
92.1

56.8
60.5
65.4
69.5
72.2
74.9
79.7
84.7
88.2

1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997

97.2
97.0
100.0
103.4
110.7
116.7
119.1
124.9

95.6
94.9
100.0
104.8
107.8
110.0
108.5
111.5

100.5
102.5
100.0
98.1
99.5
107.6
111.0
115.7

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

98.6
99.1
100.0
102.6
111.3
109.1
110.6
117.5

98.4
99.3
100.0
103.6
114.0
117.7
123.2
124.1

98.5
98.3
100.0
100.9
109.3
113.7
117.5
125.0

98.8
101.0
100.0
97.6
104.7
107.3
109.3
116.0

94.0
95.4
100.0
102.5
108.2
114.8
114.4
117.9

99.0
99.8
100.0
101.9
114.2
120.2
124.7
130.4

95.1
96.4
100.0
100.9
102.0
101.6
101.9
102.2

94.3
94.3
100.0
109.5
122.7
131.7
135.5
144.5

90.7
93.8
100.0
105.2
109.5
108.5
107.5
108.1

NA:

Not Available

Note: The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom,
and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other countries.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 1999.

Table 3. Output in manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1950-1997
(Indexes: 1992=100)
United
States

Canada

1950

NA

22.6

1955

NA

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

Year

Japan

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden

United
Kingdom

9.4

16.9

38.2

31.2

49.9

27.5

14.6

23.1

46.7

36.1

58.6

41.5
44.0
46.2
47.1
51.2
55.0
55.9
54.7
60.3
67.4

21.5
23.7
26.2
27.9
28.3
29.7
32.4
35.7
39.0
41.5

31.9
33.0
34.6
36.1
39.5
42.2
44.5
46.3
50.7
55.6

56.5
58.8
59.3
62.9
67.3
70.9
75.1
77.5
79.4
85.2

46.5
49.6
53.4
56.0
61.0
65.3
67.1
69.3
72.9
78.6

67.8
67.9
68.1
70.4
76.9
79.1
80.4
81.0
86.7
90.0

Korea

Taiwan

Belgium

Denmark

France

Germany

2.2

NA

NA

NA

26.8

19.2

14.5

29.3

4.9

NA

NA

NA

29.4

24.0

34.2
35.6
39.7
42.4
46.5
51.0
54.4
55.5
59.1
63.1

10.7
12.8
13.9
15.5
18.0
18.7
21.2
25.4
29.3
34.1

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

30.7
32.1
34.6
36.2
39.5
40.8
43.2
43.7
46.7
52.2

40.8
43.0
46.7
47.3
52.9
56.3
57.5
58.1
62.6
66.0

32.4
34.8
37.3
40.2
43.9
46.0
50.3
52.7
55.6
62.3

Italy

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
74.9
78.7
81.3

60.5
64.3
69.7
76.8
78.7
73.0
78.9
81.5
86.1
89.5

38.8
40.7
44.4
50.0
48.7
46.2
50.2
51.8
53.3
57.9

6.4
7.6
8.6
11.2
13.1
14.4
18.2
21.0
25.7
28.3

13.2
16.2
19.5
22.9
21.7
22.6
27.7
31.2
37.7
40.7

57.6
60.1
64.7
70.6
73.4
67.9
73.0
73.3
74.3
76.2

68.0
69.4
75.3
79.5
80.7
78.7
82.5
82.9
82.7
87.4

66.9
71.1
74.5
80.1
81.7
80.0
84.7
88.6
90.7
93.3

70.9
71.6
73.8
78.5
77.7
74.1
79.8
81.3
82.8
87.1

44.8
45.5
48.0
54.1
57.6
54.3
62.4
64.6
67.8
74.8

59.8
61.8
63.5
68.0
70.5
65.9
69.9
73.4
75.7
77.6

89.1
92.3
96.7
102.2
107.3
105.0
105.2
103.0
100.6
104.7

81.7
82.2
82.7
88.5
93.3
93.6
93.6
88.3
85.9
91.4

90.4
89.4
91.3
99.7
98.4
91.7
93.4
95.2
95.7
95.5

1980 77.3
1981 80.7
1982 76.2
1983 80.5
1984 89.1
1985 91.8
1986 91.0
1987 97.9
1988 104.5
1989 104.0

85.4
87.5
77.7
81.8
92.7
97.5
98.6
103.2
109.3
110.8

59.9
62.1
64.1
66.1
70.4
76.1
74.9
78.4
84.6
90.2

27.8
30.7
32.8
37.8
42.5
46.9
56.1
67.1
76.3
79.5

44.7
48.1
49.1
54.8
62.7
64.8
74.6
84.4
87.9
91.2

78.2
77.2
80.4
84.6
87.2
89.1
89.1
88.8
93.3
99.1

91.3
88.4
89.8
95.8
100.3
103.5
103.5
99.3
100.8
104.3

92.7
91.2
92.1
92.0
90.9
91.2
91.2
91.1
96.3
101.6

85.3
84.4
81.5
82.7
85.2
88.3
89.7
88.0
90.9
94.0

78.7
77.1
75.9
76.6
80.0
82.6
84.8
88.5
94.8
98.6

77.8
77.9
76.9
79.3
83.9
86.2
88.3
89.5
92.8
96.9

103.6
101.7
101.3
99.9
104.7
108.5
108.1
110.7
105.3
101.3

91.8
88.9
89.8
95.0
101.7
103.9
105.2
107.7
110.2
111.6

87.2
81.9
81.8
83.5
86.6
89.0
90.2
94.5
101.5
105.5

1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997

106.6
98.8
100.0
105.9
112.7
118.3
119.5
126.8

96.3
101.4
100.0
96.0
95.4
100.6
103.2
107.3

87.2
95.2
100.0
105.0
116.0
128.5
138.1
146.7

90.8
96.9
100.0
102.5
108.4
114.9
120.0
128.0

101.0
100.7
100.0
97.0
101.4
104.2
104.2
109.0

102.7
101.7
100.0
99.0
109.3
115.1
119.0
121.7

103.5
101.7
100.0
96.2
101.3
105.3
107.5
112.8

99.1
102.8
100.0
91.8
93.5
93.7
92.5
95.8

100.4
99.7
100.0
96.6
101.9
107.5
106.1
108.6

100.1
100.6
100.0
98.2
104.2
107.8
110.6
116.1

100.2
98.3
100.0
102.7
106.7
109.0
111.4
114.8

110.6
103.6
100.0
101.3
115.7
130.1
132.9
140.3

105.4
100.1
100.0
101.5
106.2
107.8
108.3
109.3

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden

United
Kingdom

NA:

102.5
98.7
100.0
103.5
112.2
119.6
121.6
128.8

Not Available

Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 1999.

Table 4. Total hours in manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1950-1997
(Indexes: 1992=100)
United
Year States

Canada

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Belgium

Denmark

France

Germany

Italy

1950

85.5

80.8

NA

NA

NA

NA

118.7

138.6

109.9

84.2

137.3

156.0

158.5

202.2

1955

94.6

85.2

55.9

NA

NA

NA

119.8

136.4

139.7

93.3

150.2

164.1

167.3

220.2

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

92.1
89.7
93.4
94.4
96.4
102.0
108.6
108.0
109.6
110.9

84.2
83.0
85.9
88.0
92.3
96.5
101.2
102.2
102.6
104.3

76.3
80.8
83.4
86.1
88.2
88.0
91.0
96.3
99.4
100.9

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

172.0
177.3
181.7
183.2
188.0
184.6
183.0
175.0
172.2
176.3

136.5
136.2
140.7
138.0
142.6
144.9
140.8
132.7
130.9
132.7

140.6
142.0
143.0
146.1
147.7
145.0
146.3
144.2
137.8
145.1

142.4
143.9
141.0
138.0
138.2
139.9
136.7
125.8
128.2
133.7

109.6
111.8
111.7
115.9
116.2
109.7
110.3
115.4
117.0
120.2

163.3
160.4
163.4
164.5
165.5
166.5
165.0
160.2
157.0
157.3

154.0
154.8
156.2
157.3
159.5
158.4
161.1
160.4
154.9
152.0

168.3
171.0
170.8
169.1
169.6
168.8
166.5
158.4
152.6
152.5

224.6
224.7
220.3
216.6
221.7
221.5
218.2
209.8
209.6
212.4

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

104.4
100.5
105.1
110.4
107.9
97.2
101.9
106.1
110.6
112.7

102.2
102.6
106.2
110.4
111.2
107.1
108.1
105.8
109.7
114.3

102.3
101.1
100.6
104.0
98.7
91.1
93.3
92.5
91.6
92.0

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

176.1
173.7
167.6
165.5
163.0
144.9
141.6
135.3
129.3
125.9

129.0
123.3
123.8
118.8
116.7
103.5
104.7
103.1
101.4
102.1

147.0
147.6
147.9
148.7
148.2
140.3
140.0
138.2
135.4
133.0

136.1
132.3
128.5
128.4
122.7
112.4
112.8
111.4
109.8
110.6

121.8
121.6
118.5
123.4
123.4
120.3
121.5
123.2
121.4
122.4

155.1
151.2
143.9
139.3
134.6
127.8
122.4
118.8
114.8
112.2

154.3
153.6
152.1
151.2
152.0
150.5
146.2
144.1
138.3
134.1

154.7
149.1
142.9
142.5
144.0
142.3
140.2
134.2
127.1
125.5

208.8
196.9
190.5
194.1
188.5
179.3
175.1
176.9
175.4
173.7

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

107.5
107.0
97.9
98.9
105.3
104.6
103.0
103.8
106.6
107.1

113.6
113.6
103.3
102.5
107.1
108.7
110.6
113.2
120.2
120.0

93.8
94.1
93.3
95.0
97.9
98.4
97.3
96.6
99.8
100.8

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

121.3
112.0
110.2
104.9
103.0
103.0
101.5
99.9
101.4
102.3

101.1
96.3
97.5
99.2
104.4
107.0
113.7
109.6
107.2
104.7

131.5
125.7
118.6
115.8
112.7
108.9
107.2
105.1
104.0
104.4

110.3
106.9
103.7
100.1
99.6
99.3
100.1
99.6
99.2
99.5

123.0
117.8
113.9
109.1
103.8
101.4
102.7
104.1
109.5
110.2

111.4
109.1
105.8
101.2
97.4
96.1
97.0
97.6
98.9
99.7

135.0
133.0
127.1
121.2
119.7
120.2
121.6
118.6
114.3
107.1

124.0
121.0
117.2
116.1
118.9
119.4
118.9
119.5
121.4
119.0

160.5
143.3
135.6
128.4
126.4
125.2
122.0
121.0
122.8
122.4

1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997

104.8
100.4
100.0
101.4
103.6
104.0
103.7
105.3

112.0
103.9
100.0
102.5
106.6
109.1
112.1
115.8

100.9
102.0
100.0
95.6
93.7
92.0
92.2
91.4

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

104.2
101.6
100.0
93.2
92.2
95.6
94.7
93.3

103.7
102.1
100.0
94.8
NA
NA
NA
NA

104.5
103.0
100.0
94.5
91.8
92.0
91.2
89.7

100.1
100.9
100.0
91.3
86.7
84.3
80.4
78.6

108.2
104.6
100.0
92.4
94.8
94.4
92.8
92.5

101.6
101.0
100.0
96.4
91.3
90.0
88.9
89.2

103.7
100.8
100.0
102.1
105.2
106.9
108.6
111.3

116.4
109.0
100.0
94.9
99.6
106.3
106.0
105.0

118.1
106.6
100.0
96.1
97.3
100.4
102.0
102.5

NA:

Not Available

Note: The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom,
and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other countries.

Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 1999.

Table 5. Employment in manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1950-1997
(Indexes: 1992=100)
United
States

Canada

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Belgium

Denmark

France

Germany

Italy

1950

84.3

75.2

NA

NA

NA

NA

84.4

113.5

75.2

1955

93.1

82.3

47.1

NA

NA

NA

86.7

113.1

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

92.6
90.0
92.8
93.5
94.9
99.3
105.4
106.7
108.5
110.6

81.9
81.2
83.4
85.2
88.9
93.0
98.3
99.2
99.8
101.8

61.7
66.4
70.0
72.8
75.0
76.1
78.3
82.8
85.7
88.2

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

136.8
141.3
144.5
145.9
150.1
150.0
149.8
145.2
142.8
147.6

104.1
107.0
109.7
109.3
112.0
113.9
112.8
107.5
108.5
111.4

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

106.3
102.2
105.0
110.5
110.1
100.6
104.2
108.2
112.7
115.6

100.3
101.1
104.5
109.5
111.0
108.3
109.1
106.9
110.2
115.2

90.3
90.7
90.8
94.6
93.7
88.5
88.0
87.1
85.9
85.7

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

151.5
151.6
149.7
151.6
153.3
144.0
138.1
132.6
127.0
123.6

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

111.6
111.0
103.5
101.8
106.8
106.0
104.5
104.7
106.6
107.0

115.5
115.4
105.7
103.5
108.1
109.5
111.0
112.8
117.7
118.7

87.4
88.3
87.9
89.3
91.1
91.9
91.4
90.4
92.4
94.3

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

120.9
114.3
110.0
107.4
106.2
104.6
103.1
100.6
100.4
101.7

Year

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden

United
Kingdom

76.4

105.4

119.3

122.0

171.7

95.5

82.5

115.0

125.2

129.7

184.7

116.6
117.5
118.7
121.2
123.5
122.3
122.9
122.4
120.3
123.8

108.1
111.3
111.8
111.0
111.0
113.0
111.8
105.8
106.6
111.0

95.9
98.9
102.0
105.3
105.6
103.1
102.5
105.9
107.3
110.9

123.8
126.8
130.1
131.4
133.5
134.7
134.2
130.9
130.5
132.7

122.2
124.8
126.3
127.8
128.8
130.9
132.8
133.5
132.0
132.6

137.8
141.3
142.2
142.4
144.3
144.8
143.0
138.3
136.0
138.4

192.2
194.9
193.1
190.0
193.0
195.5
196.0
190.0
188.2
190.7

111.9
107.3
110.1
111.6
107.6
98.5
99.2
98.5
98.0
98.8

127.0
128.6
130.1
132.9
134.3
130.9
130.2
129.7
128.2
126.2

113.6
112.9
110.8
111.5
108.9
102.2
99.9
100.3
100.0
101.2

114.6
117.6
115.4
118.7
123.1
122.1
123.3
125.7
124.1
126.1

133.3
131.2
126.7
125.0
124.7
120.6
115.7
112.8
110.1
108.9

135.6
136.4
136.9
136.9
139.5
138.7
138.4
138.5
136.1
134.2

140.6
135.9
133.8
135.8
138.7
139.8
139.4
134.5
130.7
131.0

190.4
183.9
179.6
180.6
181.3
173.1
167.5
168.1
167.4
166.4

97.2
93.8
93.6
93.9
99.1
105.2
109.1
107.7
105.3
104.1

124.7
120.7
118.8
116.5
113.1
110.0
108.1
105.4
103.9
104.4

102.2
100.3
97.4
94.1
93.7
94.9
96.4
96.4
96.3
97.6

126.4
121.1
117.3
112.4
106.9
105.4
104.1
103.7
105.3
106.3

107.5
104.7
100.5
96.0
93.7
94.9
96.2
97.3
97.9
99.2

134.5
132.3
127.5
121.0
119.8
120.7
122.0
122.0
116.6
108.7

130.9
127.0
122.4
119.9
120.5
122.0
121.9
121.1
123.3
121.2

159.0
144.0
135.1
127.5
124.6
123.3
120.4
118.7
119.8
119.6

1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
NA:

105.4
101.8
100.0
100.1
101.3
102.5
102.2
103.1

111.5
104.1
100.0
101.1
104.5
107.5
110.2
113.7

95.8
98.9
100.0
97.9
95.9
93.5
92.9
92.7

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

102.5
101.6
100.0
94.6
91.1
95.5
94.2
92.7

104.3
102.4
100.0
95.5
95.8
97.8
96.6
98.1

105.1
103.4
100.0
95.3
92.7
92.6
91.5
90.3

100.3
101.8
100.0
94.0
89.3
87.3
84.6
82.6

106.8
104.5
100.0
94.3
94.1
93.6
92.8
92.1

101.1
100.8
100.0
96.4
91.3
89.7
88.7
89.0

105.4
101.9
100.0
101.8
104.7
107.2
109.4
112.4

117.2
109.9
100.0
92.6
94.2
98.8
98.1
97.1

116.2
106.7
100.0
96.5
97.0
99.4
100.7
101.2

Not Available

Note: The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom,
and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other countries.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 1999.

Table 6. Average annual hours in manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1950-1997
(Indexes: 1992=100)

Year

United
States

Denmark

France

Germany

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden

United
Kingdom

NA

140.7

122.1

146.1

110.2

130.3

130.8

129.9

117.8

NA

NA

138.2

120.7

146.2

113.0

130.6

131.1

129.0

119.2

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

125.7
125.4
125.7
125.6
125.2
123.1
122.2
120.6
120.6
119.4

131.2
127.3
128.3
126.3
127.4
127.2
124.8
123.4
120.6
119.1

120.5
120.9
120.5
120.5
119.7
118.6
119.1
117.8
114.6
117.2

131.7
129.4
126.1
124.3
124.5
123.8
122.2
118.9
120.3
120.5

114.3
113.1
109.5
110.0
110.0
106.4
107.6
109.1
109.1
108.3

131.9
126.5
125.6
125.2
124.0
123.6
122.9
122.4
120.2
118.5

126.0
124.1
123.7
123.1
123.9
121.0
121.3
120.2
117.3
114.6

122.1
121.1
120.1
118.8
117.5
116.6
116.4
114.5
112.2
110.2

116.8
115.3
114.1
114.0
114.9
113.3
111.3
110.5
111.4
111.4

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

116.2
114.5
111.9
109.2
106.4
100.7
102.5
102.1
101.8

115.3
114.9
112.4
106.4
108.5
105.1
105.6
104.6
103.4

115.7
114.8
113.6
111.9
110.4
107.1
107.5
106.5
105.6

119.7
117.1
116.0
115.1
112.7
110.0
112.9
111.1
109.8

106.4
103.4
102.7
103.9
100.3
98.5
98.5
98.0
97.8

116.4
115.3
113.6
111.4
108.0
106.0
105.8
105.3
104.3

113.8
112.6
111.0
110.4
108.9
108.5
105.7
104.0
101.6

110.0
109.7
106.8
104.9
103.8
101.8
100.6
99.8
97.2

109.7
107.1
106.1
107.5
104.0
103.6
104.5
105.2
104.8

Canada

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Belgium

1950 101.4

107.4

NA

NA

NA

1955 101.5

103.4

118.7

NA

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

99.5
99.6
100.6
100.9
101.6
102.7
103.0
101.2
101.0
100.2

102.8
102.2
103.0
103.3
103.8
103.8
103.0
103.1
102.9
102.5

123.5
121.6
119.2
118.2
117.6
115.6
116.2
116.3
116.0
114.4

1970 98.2
1971 98.4
1972 100.0
1973 99.9
1974 98.0
1975 96.6
1976 97.7
1977 98.1
1978 98.1

101.8
101.5
101.6
100.8
100.1
98.9
99.0
98.9
99.5

113.3
111.4
110.8
109.9
105.3
103.0
106.0
106.2
106.7

1979

97.5

99.3

107.3

NA

NA

101.9

103.3

105.4

109.3

97.1

103.1

99.9

95.8

104.4

1980 96.3
1981 96.4
1982 94.6
1983 97.2
1984 98.6
1985 98.7
1986 98.6
1987 99.1
1988 100.0
1989 100.0

98.3
98.4
97.7
99.1
99.1
99.3
99.6
100.3
102.1
101.1

107.3
106.5
106.2
106.4
107.4
107.1
106.5
106.8
108.0
106.8

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

100.3
98.0
100.1
97.6
97.0
98.4
98.5
99.4
101.0
100.5

104.0
102.7
104.2
105.6
105.3
101.8
104.2
101.8
101.8
100.6

105.4
104.1
99.8
99.4
99.6
99.0
99.2
99.8
100.1
99.9

108.0
106.6
106.5
106.3
106.3
104.7
103.9
103.3
103.0
101.9

97.3
97.3
97.1
97.1
97.1
96.2
98.6
100.4
104.0
103.7

103.7
104.2
105.3
105.4
104.0
101.3
100.8
100.3
101.1
100.5

100.4
100.6
99.7
100.1
99.9
99.6
99.7
97.2
98.0
98.6

94.8
95.3
95.7
96.8
98.6
97.9
97.5
98.7
98.5
98.2

100.9
99.5
100.4
100.7
101.5
101.5
101.3
102.0
102.5
102.4

1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997

100.4
99.8
100.0
101.4
102.0
101.5
101.7
101.8

105.3
103.2
100.0
97.7
97.7
98.4
99.2
98.6

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

101.7
100.0
100.0
98.5
101.2
100.1
100.6
100.7

99.4
99.7
100.0
99.2
NA
NA
NA
NA

99.4
99.6
100.0
99.2
99.0
99.5
99.7
99.3

99.8
99.1
100.0
97.0
97.1
96.5
95.0
95.2

101.2
100.1
100.0
98.0
100.7
100.8
100.0
100.4

100.5
100.2
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.3
100.2
100.2

98.4
98.9
100.0
100.3
100.5
99.7
99.3
99.0

99.3
99.2
100.0
102.6
105.7
107.6
108.0
108.2

101.7
100.0
100.0
99.6
100.3
101.0
101.3
101.4

NA:

99.4
98.7
100.0
101.3
102.2
101.5
101.5
102.1

Not Available

Note: The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom,
and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other countries.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 1999.

Table 7. Hourly compensation in manufacturing, national currency basis, 14 countries or areas, 1950-1997
(Indexes: 1992=100)
United
States

Canada*

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Belgium

Denmark

France*

Germany

1950

8.7

5.7

NA

NA

NA

NA

2.5

1.6

3.4

1955

11.7

8.1

3.1

NA

NA

NA

3.4

2.9

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966

14.9
15.4
15.9
16.4
17.1
17.5
18.3

10.4
10.7
11.1
11.6
12.1
12.8
13.7

4.3
5.0
5.7
6.4
7.2
8.1
9.0

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

5.6
5.9
6.3
7.0
7.9
8.8
9.7

4.6
5.2
5.6
6.1
6.6
7.4
8.4

4.3
4.8
5.3
5.7
6.2
6.8
7.2

Year

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden*

United
Kingdom*

0.8

3.1

2.2

1.9

1.6

5.0

1.2

4.6

3.4

3.0

2.3

8.2
9.1
10.3
11.0
11.9
13.1
14.3

1.6
1.7
2.0
2.4
2.6
2.8
2.9

6.4
7.3
7.8
8.6
10.0
11.2
12.6

4.7
5.2
5.7
6.1
6.5
7.2
7.8

4.1
4.5
5.0
5.6
6.1
6.7
7.3

3.1
3.3
3.4
3.6
3.8
4.2
4.5

Italy

1967
1968
1969

19.3
20.7
22.2

14.5
15.4
16.6

10.0
11.7
13.8

NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA

10.6
11.3
12.4

9.4
10.3
11.6

7.7
8.7
9.3

15.0
16.2
17.7

3.2
3.5
3.8

13.9
15.5
17.6

8.7
9.6
10.6

8.1
8.8
9.6

4.7
5.0
5.5

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

23.8
25.3
26.6
28.7
31.8
35.7
38.7
42.0
45.4
49.9

17.8
18.9
20.2
22.0
25.5
29.2
33.4
37.0
39.8
43.2

16.5
19.0
21.9
26.8
35.1
40.9
44.0
48.6
51.8
55.1

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

14.1
16.2
18.7
21.7
26.4
32.0
36.3
40.5
43.7
47.5

13.3
15.2
16.9
20.5
24.8
29.6
33.0
36.5
40.2
45.0

10.5
11.7
13.0
14.9
17.7
21.6
24.7
28.1
31.6
35.9

20.8
23.3
25.8
29.1
33.1
36.5
39.3
43.0
46.3
49.7

4.6
5.3
6.0
7.0
9.2
11.6
14.4
17.1
19.7
23.8

20.3
23.3
26.7
31.8
38.0
43.4
48.4
52.8
57.2
61.4

11.8
13.5
15.1
17.0
19.9
23.8
27.5
30.9
34.1
35.8

10.8
12.1
13.5
15.2
17.8
21.9
25.6
28.0
31.2
33.6

6.3
7.2
8.3
9.5
11.4
15.1
17.5
19.8
23.1
27.4

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

55.8
61.3
67.3
69.1
71.5
75.3
78.7
80.9
84.2
86.9

47.7
53.3
59.9
63.7
66.1
69.9
72.5
75.3
77.9
82.5

58.6
62.7
65.8
67.6
69.7
72.5
76.1
77.9
79.2
84.2

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

52.7
58.5
61.0
64.7
70.1
74.5
77.6
79.3
81.0
85.2

49.6
54.6
59.5
63.6
67.2
71.7
73.2
80.1
82.9
87.7

41.3
47.9
56.9
62.7
68.1
73.7
76.8
79.7
82.7
87.2

53.9
57.3
60.4
63.4
66.4
70.2
73.1
76.6
79.6
83.4

27.9
33.8
39.8
46.6
53.5
60.1
62.6
66.1
68.7
75.5

64.7
67.6
71.7
74.9
77.8
81.9
85.1
87.8
87.7
88.5

39.0
43.3
48.2
52.9
57.9
63.4
69.1
78.5
83.3
87.2

37.4
41.3
44.3
48.8
53.0
58.4
63.1
67.3
71.7
79.4

33.1
38.4
42.3
45.4
49.0
53.6
58.2
64.7
68.9
73.6

1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997

91.0
95.8
100.0
102.9
105.8
108.3
110.7
115.3

89.5
94.7
100.0
99.8
100.4
103.7
106.0
108.8

90.7
95.9
100.0
104.6
106.7
109.5
110.5
114.0

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

89.9
95.5
100.0
104.9
108.4
111.6
114.1
116.5

92.7
95.9
100.0
104.6
NA
NA
NA
NA

91.8
96.3
100.0
103.6
106.2
107.7
109.4
112.6

89.4
95.1
100.0
105.9
111.7
117.7
123.7
126.6

84.0
93.1
100.0
107.1
106.6
112.3
119.4
125.2

90.8
95.2
100.0
103.7
108.2
110.6
113.9
117.0

92.3
97.5
100.0
101.5
104.4
109.2
114.4
119.6

87.6
95.4
100.0
98.0
101.1
106.2
113.4
118.3

82.2
92.1
100.0
105.9
109.2
110.9
112.2
116.8

NA:

Not Available

Note: The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom,
and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) 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 8.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 1999.
Hourly compensation in manufacturing, U.S. dollar basis, 14 countries or areas, 1950-1997

(Indexes:

1992=100)

United
States

Canada*

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Belgium

Denmark

France*

Germany

1950

8.7

6.3

NA

NA

NA

NA

2.2

2.5

1.3

1955

11.7

9.9

1.1

NA

NA

NA

3.0

4.3

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

14.9
15.4
15.9
16.4
17.1
17.5
18.3
19.3
20.7
22.2

13.0
12.7
12.5
13.0
13.5
14.3
15.4
16.2
17.3
18.7

1.5
1.8
2.0
2.3
2.5
2.8
3.1
3.5
4.1
4.9

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

3.6
3.8
4.1
4.5
5.1
5.7
6.3
6.9
7.3
8.0

4.0
4.5
4.9
5.4
5.8
6.4
7.3
8.1
8.3
9.3

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

23.8
25.3
26.6
28.7
31.8
35.7
38.7
42.0
45.4
49.9

20.6
22.6
24.7
26.5
31.5
34.7
40.9
42.1
42.2
44.6

5.8
6.9
9.2
12.5
15.3
17.5
18.8
23.0
31.5
32.0

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

9.1
10.7
13.6
17.9
21.8
28.0
30.2
36.3
44.7
52.1

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

55.8
61.3
67.3
69.1
71.5
75.3
78.7
80.9
84.2
86.9

49.3
53.7
58.6
62.5
61.7
61.8
63.0
68.7
76.5
84.2

32.9
36.1
33.5
36.1
37.2
38.5
57.3
68.3
78.4
77.3

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

1990 91.0
1991 95.8
1992 100.0
1993 102.9

92.7
99.9
100.0
93.5

79.3
90.3
100.0
119.3

NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA

Year

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden*

United
Kingdom*

1.6

1.4

1.9

2.1

2.5

1.9

2.3

2.1

2.9

3.3

3.6

4.7
5.1
5.7
6.2
6.7
7.3
7.7
8.3
9.3
9.5

3.1
3.6
4.0
4.3
4.7
5.1
5.6
5.9
6.3
7.0

3.1
3.4
4.1
4.8
5.1
5.5
5.8
6.4
6.8
7.5

3.0
3.6
3.8
4.2
4.9
5.5
6.1
6.8
7.5
8.5

4.1
4.5
4.9
5.3
5.6
6.2
6.8
7.6
8.4
9.2

4.7
5.1
5.7
6.3
6.9
7.6
8.3
9.2
10.0
10.8

4.9
5.2
5.5
5.7
6.0
6.6
7.2
7.3
6.8
7.4

10.7
12.4
14.7
20.5
24.6
31.1
32.9
36.7
44.1
51.6

10.0
11.3
13.6
17.7
19.4
26.6
27.4
30.2
37.2
44.6

8.9
10.5
12.6
17.2
20.0
23.2
24.4
28.9
36.0
42.4

9.1
10.6
12.6
14.9
17.4
21.9
21.4
23.8
28.5
35.3

9.9
11.7
14.6
20.1
24.9
30.2
32.2
37.9
46.5
53.8

10.3
11.9
14.2
18.4
22.4
28.4
31.3
36.0
40.4
43.9

12.1
13.8
16.6
20.3
23.5
30.8
34.2
36.5
40.2
45.7

8.5
9.9
11.7
13.1
15.0
19.0
17.9
19.5
25.1
33.0

58.0
50.8
42.9
40.7
39.0
40.4
55.8
68.3
70.8
69.5

53.2
46.2
43.0
42.0
39.2
40.9
54.6
70.6
74.3
72.3

51.8
46.6
45.7
43.6
41.3
43.5
58.7
70.2
73.5
72.3

46.3
39.7
38.9
38.7
36.4
37.3
52.6
66.5
70.8
69.3

40.3
36.6
36.2
37.8
37.5
38.8
51.7
62.8
65.0
67.8

57.3
47.8
47.2
46.2
42.6
43.4
61.1
76.2
78.0
73.4

49.0
46.9
46.4
45.0
44.1
45.8
58.1
72.3
79.3
78.4

51.5
47.5
41.1
37.1
37.3
39.5
51.6
61.8
68.1
71.7

43.6
44.0
41.9
38.9
37.1
39.4
48.4
60.0
69.5
68.3

86.4
89.7
100.0
97.6

90.4
90.5
100.0
97.4

89.2
90.3
100.0
96.8

86.4
89.4
100.0
100.0

86.3
92.5
100.0
83.9

87.7
89.4
100.0
98.1

91.7
93.3
100.0
88.8

86.2
91.8
100.0
73.3

83.0
92.1
100.0
90.0

Italy

1994
1995
1996
1997
NA:

105.8
108.3
110.7
115.3

88.8
91.3
93.9
94.9

132.4
147.7
128.8
119.4

NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA

104.3
121.8
118.4
104.6

NA
NA
NA
NA

101.4
114.3
113.2
102.1

107.6
128.3
128.4
114.0

81.5
84.9
95.4
90.6

104.6
121.2
118.8
105.4

92.0
107.1
110.0
104.9

76.3
86.6
98.5
90.1

94.7
99.1
99.2
108.3

Not Available

Note: The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom,
and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) 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, March 1999.

Table 9. Unit labor costs in manufacturing, national currency basis, 14 countries or areas, 1950-1997
(Indexes: 1992=100)
United
States

Canada

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Belgium

Denmark

France

Germany

1950

NA

20.3

NA

NA

NA

NA

11.0

11.7

25.6

1955

NA

23.5

36.1

NA

NA

NA

13.8

16.3

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

25.6
24.9
24.0
24.1
24.0
24.2
25.6
26.7
26.8
27.5

30.9
31.8
34.6
35.7
35.4
38.3
38.5
38.1
39.6
41.0

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

31.2
32.6
33.3
35.5
37.7
39.8
41.1
42.5
41.8
41.9

15.4
16.3
17.0
17.9
17.9
18.9
20.5
21.4
21.6
23.4

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
59.6
63.8
69.1

30.0
30.2
30.8
31.6
36.0
42.9
45.7
48.0
50.7
55.2

43.3
47.3
49.6
55.7
71.1
80.6
81.9
86.8
89.1
87.5

9.9
10.5
11.7
13.8
16.9
19.8
24.7
28.7
34.1
41.5

22.3
23.4
23.7
27.5
41.5
42.1
43.6
45.4
45.8
52.0

43.2
46.7
48.4
50.8
58.6
68.3
70.3
74.8
76.0
78.5

25.2
27.1
27.8
30.6
35.9
38.9
41.8
45.4
49.3
52.5

Year

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden

United
Kingdom

7.4

25.5

9.0

9.5

6.5

25.5

7.6

29.7

11.8

13.7

8.6

18.7
19.4
20.2
20.9
21.0
21.3
20.8
21.1
21.7
21.7

28.0
29.9
31.6
32.3
32.3
33.4
34.8
34.6
34.4
35.1

8.0
8.2
8.7
10.1
10.6
10.2
10.0
10.5
10.4
11.0

33.0
35.7
37.0
39.4
41.9
44.2
46.5
48.2
48.0
49.8

12.9
13.6
15.0
15.2
15.4
16.0
16.8
18.1
18.8
19.0

14.9
15.6
16.1
16.8
16.9
17.3
18.2
18.6
18.5
18.7

10.1
10.8
11.1
11.0
11.0
11.7
12.3
12.1
12.1
12.9

23.0
24.4
25.7
27.6
32.0
37.8
40.8
43.8
47.2
51.1

39.9
43.0
44.8
47.6
52.3
55.3
55.6
59.0
61.4
63.1

12.6
14.3
14.8
16.0
19.7
25.7
28.1
32.6
35.2
39.0

52.7
56.9
60.5
65.1
72.5
84.1
84.7
85.5
86.7
88.8

20.4
22.5
23.7
25.1
28.2
34.2
38.3
43.2
46.8
45.8

20.5
22.0
23.4
24.4
27.5
33.3
38.3
42.6
46.2
46.2

14.6
15.8
17.3
18.4
21.8
29.5
32.8
36.8
42.3
49.9

Italy

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

77.6
81.3
86.5
84.9
84.4
85.8
89.1
85.7
85.9
89.5

63.4
69.2
79.6
79.9
76.4
77.9
81.3
82.6
85.6
89.3

91.7
95.1
95.8
97.2
96.8
93.8
99.0
96.0
93.4
94.0

52.7
60.7
64.0
68.0
73.2
70.5
69.9
74.4
83.3
88.9

60.1
69.8
74.5
73.0
76.2
79.3
82.3
82.1
84.2
87.9

81.7
84.9
83.6
80.3
82.8
86.1
88.3
89.3
88.0
87.9

55.0
59.5
64.6
65.8
69.9
74.2
80.4
88.4
88.2
88.1

58.6
66.0
73.2
79.0
84.4
88.0
90.2
92.0
89.3
89.5

69.6
72.6
76.9
76.7
77.6
78.9
81.6
86.7
86.9
88.3

43.7
51.6
59.8
66.4
69.4
73.8
75.8
77.8
79.4
84.4

92.7
94.8
98.8
95.6
90.3
91.3
93.5
95.8
93.5
91.1

50.8
56.6
60.5
64.2
66.3
70.2
77.7
84.1
90.4
92.2

50.6
56.1
57.8
59.7
61.9
67.1
71.3
74.7
79.0
84.7

60.9
67.2
70.1
69.8
71.5
75.4
78.8
82.8
83.4
85.5

1990 93.1
1991 97.5
1992 100.0
1993 100.8
1994 97.7
1995 94.3
1996 94.3
1997 94.3

94.0
99.7
100.0
96.6
95.0
95.7
99.4
99.3

95.0
96.5
100.0
104.1
104.9
100.1
98.8
97.1

94.5
99.0
100.0
98.2
97.5
97.2
99.8
95.1

94.3
95.6
100.0
100.9
102.0
102.1
101.8
100.3

92.7
96.3
100.0
100.8
98.6
102.5
103.7
99.8

93.6
96.3
100.0
100.1
93.0
93.4
92.3
95.3

92.6
97.6
100.0
101.8
96.2
94.2
92.8
89.4

90.3
93.3
100.0
105.3
103.6
105.9
107.5
103.9

90.5
97.7
100.0
102.5
99.2
98.6
104.4
106.6

92.1
95.6
100.0
101.8
94.8
92.3
91.5
89.9

95.6
100.0
100.0
100.9
102.9
107.1
111.5
115.9

92.3
100.4
100.0
91.8
87.0
86.8
90.4
88.5

92.1
98.1
100.0
100.3
100.1
103.3
105.8
109.5

NA:

Not Available

Note: The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and
the United Kingdom, and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other countries.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 1999.

Table 10.
(Indexes:

Unit labor costs in manufacturing, U.S. dollar basis, 14 countries or areas, 1950-1997
1992=100)

United
States

Canada

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Belgium

Denmark

France

Germany

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden

United
Kingdom

1950

NA

22.4

NA

NA

NA

NA

9.6

17.7

9.5

14.6

11.8

7.8

10.7

10.3

1955

NA

28.8

12.7

NA

NA

NA

12.0

24.6

9.5

15.0

13.7

10.2

15.5

13.6

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

31.9
29.7
27.1
26.9
26.9
27.1
28.7
29.9

10.9
11.2
12.1
12.5
12.4
13.4
13.5
13.3

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

20.1
21.0
21.5
22.9
24.3
25.7
26.5
27.5

13.5
14.3
14.9
15.7
15.6
16.5
17.9
18.5

20.2
21.0
21.8
22.5
22.7
23.0
22.5
22.7

10.5
11.6
12.3
12.7
12.7
13.1
13.6
13.6

15.9
16.2
17.3
19.9
20.9
20.1
19.7
20.7

15.4
17.3
18.1
19.2
20.4
21.6
22.6
23.5

11.3
11.9
13.0
13.2
13.3
13.9
14.6
15.7

16.8
17.6
18.2
18.9
19.1
19.6
20.5
21.0

16.1
17.2
17.7
17.5
17.4
18.6
19.4
18.8

Year

1968
1969

NA
NA

30.0
30.9

13.9
14.5

NA
NA

NA
NA

26.9
26.9

17.4
18.8

23.2
22.1

13.4
14.0

20.5
21.6

23.3
24.1

16.4
16.5

20.9
21.0

16.4
17.4

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
59.6
63.8
69.1

34.8
36.1
37.6
38.1
44.5
51.0
56.0
54.6
53.8
56.9

15.3
17.3
20.8
26.1
30.9
34.5
35.0
41.1
54.2
50.9

25.0
23.7
23.2
27.1
32.6
32.0
39.8
46.3
55.0
67.0

14.0
14.7
14.9
18.1
27.5
27.9
28.9
30.1
31.1
36.3

28.0
30.9
35.3
42.1
48.4
59.8
58.6
67.1
77.7
86.0

20.3
22.1
24.1
30.7
35.6
40.9
41.8
45.7
54.1
60.3

22.0
23.4
27.0
32.9
35.1
46.7
45.3
47.2
55.6
63.6

17.1
19.3
22.0
28.1
31.7
35.2
34.5
39.7
47.8
53.8

24.7
28.5
31.2
34.0
37.3
48.6
41.7
45.5
51.1
57.8

25.6
28.7
33.1
41.2
47.5
58.6
56.4
61.2
70.6
77.9

17.8
19.9
22.3
27.2
31.7
40.7
43.6
50.4
55.5
56.2

23.0
25.1
28.7
32.7
36.2
46.8
51.3
55.5
59.5
62.8

19.7
21.9
24.5
25.5
28.8
37.2
33.6
36.3
45.9
60.0

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

77.6
81.3
86.5
84.9
84.4
85.8
89.1
85.7
85.9
89.5

65.6
69.7
77.9
78.4
71.3
68.9
70.7
75.3
84.1
91.1

51.5
54.6
48.8
51.8
51.7
49.9
74.5
84.2
92.4
86.3

67.7
69.5
68.3
68.4
70.9
63.3
61.9
70.6
88.9
103.3

42.0
47.6
47.9
45.9
48.4
50.1
54.7
65.1
74.1
83.8

90.0
73.7
58.7
50.5
46.1
46.6
63.6
76.8
76.9
71.7

58.9
50.4
46.7
43.4
40.8
42.3
60.0
77.9
79.0
72.6

73.5
64.2
58.9
54.9
51.2
51.9
69.0
81.0
79.3
74.3

59.9
50.3
49.5
46.9
42.6
41.9
58.7
75.3
77.2
73.3

62.9
55.9
54.4
53.8
48.7
47.6
62.6
73.9
75.1
75.8

82.1
67.0
65.0
58.9
49.5
48.4
67.1
83.1
83.1
75.5

63.9
61.3
58.3
54.7
50.5
50.8
65.3
77.5
86.1
82.9

69.6
64.6
53.6
45.3
43.6
45.4
58.3
68.5
75.0
76.4

80.1
77.0
69.4
59.9
54.1
55.4
65.5
76.9
84.1
79.3

1990 93.1
1991 97.5
1992 100.0
1993 100.8
1994 97.7
1995 94.3
1996 94.3
1997 94.3

97.3
105.1
100.0
90.5
84.0
84.2
88.1
86.7

83.1
90.9
100.0
118.8
130.1
135.1
115.1
101.7

104.2
105.4
100.0
95.5
94.7
98.4
96.9
78.1

88.2
89.9
100.0
96.1
97.0
96.9
93.3
87.7

89.2
90.6
100.0
93.7
94.8
111.8
107.6
89.6

91.3
90.8
100.0
93.2
88.3
100.7
96.1
87.0

90.0
91.5
100.0
95.1
91.8
100.0
96.1
81.1

87.3
87.8
100.0
99.4
99.8
115.5
111.6
93.5

93.0
97.0
100.0
80.3
75.8
74.6
83.4
77.1

88.9
89.8
100.0
96.3
91.6
101.2
95.4
81.0

95.0
95.7
100.0
88.3
90.7
105.0
107.3
101.6

90.8
96.6
100.0
68.6
65.7
70.8
78.5
67.5

93.0
98.2
100.0
85.3
86.8
92.3
93.4
101.5

NA:

Not Available

Note: The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and the
United Kingdom, and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other countries.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 1999.

Table 11.
(Indexes:

Year

Exchange rates, 14 countries or areas, 1950-1997 (Value of foreign currency relative to U.S. dollar)
1992=100)

United
States

Canada

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Belgium

Denmark

France

Germany

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden

United
Kingdom

1950 100.0

110.5

35.2

NA

NA

NA

87.5

151.3

37.2

197.3

46.2

87.1

112.6

158.6

1955 100.0

122.5

35.2

NA

NA

NA

87.4

151.2

37.1

197.1

46.1

87.0

112.6

158.0

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

124.6
119.4
113.1
112.0
112.0
112.1
112.2
112.0
112.2
112.2

35.2
35.1
35.1
35.1
35.0
35.1
35.0
35.0
35.2
35.4

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

64.5
64.5
64.6
64.5
64.6
64.8
64.5
64.7
64.4
64.1

87.6
87.4
87.5
87.4
87.3
87.3
87.4
86.5
80.7
80.3

107.9
107.9
108.0
108.0
108.0
108.0
107.7
107.6
106.9
102.2

37.4
38.9
39.1
39.2
39.3
39.1
39.1
39.2
39.1
39.8

198.4
198.4
198.5
198.2
197.3
197.2
197.3
197.4
197.7
196.4

46.6
48.5
48.8
48.8
48.8
48.8
48.6
48.8
48.6
48.5

87.1
87.0
87.1
86.9
86.8
86.9
86.9
86.9
87.0
87.0

112.7
112.7
113.0
112.3
113.1
112.9
112.8
112.9
112.7
112.7

159.0
158.6
159.0
158.5
158.1
158.3
158.1
155.7
135.5
135.3

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

115.8
119.7
122.0
120.8
123.6
118.8
122.6
113.7
106.0
103.2

35.4
36.5
41.8
46.8
43.5
42.7
42.8
47.3
60.8
58.1

251.4
224.9
198.7
196.0
193.0
161.3
161.3
161.3
161.3
161.3

62.9
62.9
62.9
65.8
66.2
66.2
66.2
66.2
67.9
69.8

64.7
66.2
73.0
82.8
82.7
87.6
83.3
89.7
102.3
109.6

80.5
81.6
86.8
100.2
99.3
105.3
99.9
100.6
109.6
114.8

95.7
96.1
104.9
119.3
109.6
123.6
110.9
107.7
117.6
124.4

42.8
44.9
49.0
59.0
60.5
63.6
62.1
67.3
77.9
85.2

196.5
199.3
211.1
211.8
189.4
188.9
148.4
139.6
145.2
148.3

48.6
50.4
54.8
63.3
65.5
69.7
66.6
71.7
81.4
87.7

86.9
88.3
94.3
108.2
112.6
119.2
113.9
116.8
118.6
122.7

112.3
114.1
122.5
133.8
131.4
140.6
133.7
130.4
129.0
135.9

135.6
138.4
141.6
138.8
132.5
125.8
102.2
98.8
108.6
120.2

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

103.4
100.8
97.9
98.1
93.3
88.5
87.0
91.1
98.2
102.1

56.2
57.5
50.9
53.4
53.4
53.2
75.3
87.7
98.9
91.8

128.5
114.6
106.8
100.6
96.9
89.7
88.6
94.9
106.7
116.3

69.8
68.3
64.3
62.8
63.5
63.1
66.5
79.3
88.0
95.3

110.1
86.8
70.2
62.9
55.7
54.2
72.0
86.1
87.4
81.6

107.3
84.6
72.3
66.0
58.3
57.0
74.6
88.2
89.6
82.5

125.4
97.3
80.5
69.5
60.6
58.9
76.4
88.0
88.8
83.0

86.0
69.3
64.3
61.2
54.9
53.1
72.0
86.9
88.9
83.0

144.1
108.2
91.0
81.1
70.2
64.6
82.6
95.0
94.6
89.8

88.6
70.7
65.8
61.6
54.8
53.0
71.8
86.8
88.9
82.9

125.9
108.2
96.2
85.1
76.2
72.3
84.0
92.2
95.2
89.9

137.8
115.0
92.7
75.9
70.4
67.7
81.7
91.8
94.9
90.2

131.7
114.6
99.0
85.8
75.7
73.5
83.1
92.8
100.8
92.7

1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

103.6
105.5
100.0
93.7
88.4
88.1
88.6
87.3

87.4
94.2
100.0
114.1
124.1
134.9
116.5
104.7

110.3
106.4
100.0
97.3
97.2
101.2
97.0
82.1

93.5
94.0
100.0
95.2
95.1
95.0
91.6
87.4

96.2
94.0
100.0
93.0
96.2
109.1
103.8
89.8

97.5
94.3
100.0
93.1
95.0
107.8
104.1
91.3

97.2
93.7
100.0
93.4
95.4
106.2
103.5
90.7

96.6
94.0
100.0
94.4
96.3
109.1
103.8
90.0

102.8
99.3
100.0
78.3
76.5
75.6
79.9
72.3

96.6
93.9
100.0
94.6
96.7
109.6
104.3
90.1

99.4
95.7
100.0
87.5
88.1
98.1
96.2
87.7

98.4
96.3
100.0
74.7
75.5
81.6
86.8
76.2

101.0
100.1
100.0
85.0
86.7
89.4
88.4
92.7

NA:

Not Available

Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 1999.

Table 12.
(Indexes:

Average annual compensation in manufacturing, national currency basis, 14 countries or areas, 1950-1997
1992=100)

United
States

Canada*

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Belgium

Denmark

France*

Germany

1950

8.8

6.1

NA

NA

NA

NA

3.5

2.0

4.9

1955

11.9

8.3

3.7

NA

NA

NA

4.7

3.4

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

14.8
15.3
16.0
16.6
17.4
17.9
18.8
19.5
20.9
22.3

10.7
10.9
11.4
12.0
12.5
13.3
14.2
14.9
15.9
17.0

5.3
6.1
6.8
7.6
8.5
9.4
10.4
11.7
13.5
15.8

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

7.0
7.4
8.0
8.8
9.9
10.8
11.8
12.8
13.7
14.8

6.0
6.6
7.2
7.8
8.5
9.4
10.4
11.6
12.5
13.8

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

23.4
24.9
26.6
28.6
31.2
34.5
37.8
41.2
44.6
48.6

18.1
19.2
20.6
22.1
25.5
28.9
33.0
36.6
39.6
42.9

18.6
21.2
24.3
29.4
37.0
42.1
46.7
51.6
55.2
59.1

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

16.4
18.5
20.9
23.6
28.1
32.2
37.2
41.3
44.5
48.4

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988

53.8
59.1
63.6
67.2
70.5
74.3
77.6
80.2
84.2

46.9
52.4
58.5
63.2
65.5
69.4
72.2
75.6
79.5

62.9
66.8
69.9
71.9
74.8
77.6
81.1
83.3
85.6

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

52.9
57.3
61.1
63.2
68.0
73.3
76.4
78.8
81.8

Year

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden*

United
Kingdom*

0.9

4.1

2.9

2.4

1.9

7.4

1.3

6.0

4.4

3.8

2.7

5.2
5.8
6.3
6.9
7.5
8.0
8.5
9.1
10.0
10.9

10.7
11.8
13.1
13.7
14.9
16.3
17.4
17.9
19.5
21.3

1.8
2.0
2.2
2.7
2.8
2.9
3.2
3.5
3.8
4.1

8.5
9.3
9.8
10.8
12.4
13.9
15.4
17.0
18.6
20.8

6.0
6.4
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.7
9.5
10.5
11.3
12.2

5.0
5.5
6.1
6.6
7.1
7.8
8.6
9.3
9.9
10.6

3.6
3.8
3.9
4.1
4.4
4.7
5.0
5.2
5.6
6.1

15.3
17.5
19.0
21.8
26.9
31.1
34.8
38.2
41.6
46.5

12.1
13.5
14.7
16.6
19.5
23.1
26.6
29.9
33.4
37.8

24.9
27.3
29.9
33.5
37.4
40.1
44.4
47.8
50.8
54.3

4.9
5.5
6.1
7.3
9.2
11.4
14.2
16.7
19.2
23.1

23.7
26.8
30.3
35.4
41.0
46.0
51.2
55.6
59.6
63.3

13.4
15.2
16.7
18.7
21.7
25.8
29.1
32.1
34.6
35.8

11.9
13.3
14.5
15.9
18.5
22.3
25.8
27.9
30.3
32.2

6.9
7.7
8.8
10.2
11.8
15.6
18.3
20.8
24.2
28.6

51.6
56.1
62.0
67.2
70.8
73.0
76.3
81.5
84.4

43.6
49.8
56.8
62.4
67.8
73.0
76.2
79.5
82.8

58.2
61.1
64.3
67.4
70.6
73.5
76.0
79.1
82.0

27.2
32.9
38.7
45.3
51.9
57.8
61.7
66.4
71.4

67.1
70.5
75.6
79.0
80.9
83.0
85.8
88.1
88.6

39.1
43.6
48.1
53.0
57.9
63.1
68.9
76.3
81.7

35.4
39.3
42.4
47.3
52.3
57.2
61.5
66.4
70.6

33.4
38.2
42.5
45.7
49.7
54.4
59.0
66.0
70.6

Italy

1989

86.9

83.4

89.9

NA

NA

85.6

88.2

87.1

85.0

78.3

89.0

86.0

77.9

75.4

1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997

90.5
94.6
100.0
104.3
108.2
110.0
112.3
117.7

89.9
94.6
100.0
101.2
102.4
105.3
107.8
110.7

95.5
98.9
100.0
102.1
104.3
107.7
109.7
112.4

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

91.4
95.4
100.0
103.4
109.7
111.8
114.7
117.3

92.1
95.6
100.0
103.8
106.0
110.0
113.8
118.2

91.2
95.9
100.0
102.8
105.2
107.1
109.1
111.8

89.2
94.3
100.0
102.8
108.5
113.6
117.6
120.5

85.0
93.2
100.0
105.0
107.3
113.3
119.5
125.8

91.2
95.4
100.0
103.7
108.2
110.9
114.1
117.3

90.9
96.4
100.0
101.8
105.0
108.8
113.6
118.4

87.0
94.6
100.0
100.5
106.8
114.3
122.5
127.9

83.6
92.0
100.0
105.5
109.5
112.1
113.7
118.4

NA:

Not Available

Note: The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom,
and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) 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, March 1999.

Table 13.
(Indexes:

Real hourly compensation in manufacturing, CPI basis, 14 countries or areas, 1950-1997
1992=100)

United
States

Canada

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Belgium

Denmark

France

Germany

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden

United
Kingdom

1950

50.7

38.7

NA

NA

NA

NA

28.6

20.1

11.8

18.2

17.2

26.3

25.2

26.5

1955

61.3

48.7

18.2

NA

NA

NA

31.9

27.0

16.0

21.2

21.3

29.4

30.5

29.0

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

70.7
72.1
74.1
75.3
77.4
77.8
79.1
80.9
83.5
85.1

57.2
58.1
59.7
61.2
62.7
64.9
67.1
68.2
69.9
72.2

23.2
25.6
27.4
28.4
30.8
32.2
33.8
36.4
40.2
45.3

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

25.2
26.4
28.0
30.3
32.8
35.0
37.1
39.4
41.1
43.3

38.7
41.7
42.5
43.9
45.7
47.7
50.8
53.0
54.0
58.7

30.5
32.6
34.5
35.8
37.7
39.9
41.1
43.1
47.0
48.1

23.6
25.9
28.4
29.4
31.2
33.1
34.7
36.1
38.3
41.1

24.3
26.2
29.3
32.4
32.6
33.4
34.9
37.7
39.7
42.4

26.6
30.0
31.3
33.3
36.5
39.3
41.7
44.6
47.9
50.6

36.3
38.7
40.3
42.0
42.5
45.0
47.6
50.9
54.2
58.0

35.3
37.9
40.3
43.3
45.7
48.0
49.4
52.5
56.0
58.8

34.0
35.1
35.4
36.3
37.5
39.1
40.7
41.7
42.8
44.1

1970
1971
1972
1973

86.2
87.6
89.3
90.6

74.6
77.0
78.6
79.4

50.0
54.4
59.7
65.4

NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA

47.5
52.1
57.0
61.8

62.9
68.3
71.0
78.8

51.8
54.9
57.0
60.8

46.8
49.9
52.4
55.5

49.1
53.9
57.2
60.9

56.0
59.6
63.3
69.8

58.3
62.8
65.3
68.5

61.7
64.0
67.4
69.7

47.7
49.6
53.4
55.6

Year

1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

90.6
93.1
95.3
97.3
97.7
96.4

83.0
85.9
91.2
93.7
92.3
91.9

69.5
72.5
71.4
72.8
74.5
76.4

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

66.9
71.8
74.6
77.8
80.3
83.7

82.7
90.0
92.1
91.8
91.9
93.7

63.5
69.3
72.4
75.2
77.5
79.4

59.1
61.3
63.3
66.9
70.2
72.6

66.7
71.8
76.5
75.9
77.8
81.4

76.2
79.0
81.0
82.8
86.1
88.8

73.4
78.6
83.2
85.6
87.4
87.6

74.7
83.5
88.3
86.0
88.8
89.8

57.6
61.8
61.6
59.9
64.2
67.2

1980 95.0
1981 94.7
1982 97.8
1983 97.4
1984 96.5
1985 98.2
1986 100.7
1987 99.9
1988 99.9
1989 98.3

92.1
91.3
92.5
93.1
92.5
94.0
93.7
93.2
92.6
93.4

75.4
77.0
78.6
79.2
79.8
81.4
85.0
86.9
87.8
91.1

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

87.0
89.8
86.1
84.8
86.4
87.5
90.0
90.6
91.4
93.3

92.0
90.7
89.7
89.7
89.2
90.9
89.5
94.1
93.2
94.1

80.6
82.3
87.4
88.0
88.9
90.8
92.2
92.7
93.8
95.4

74.8
74.8
74.9
76.1
77.9
80.7
84.3
88.2
90.7
92.3

78.8
80.3
81.3
82.8
85.9
88.9
87.2
88.1
87.2
89.9

87.8
86.0
86.1
87.5
87.9
90.6
93.9
97.4
96.6
96.3

86.0
84.1
84.1
85.1
87.7
90.8
92.4
96.4
96.0
96.1

87.5
86.2
85.0
84.3
85.0
87.2
90.3
92.3
94.0
98.1

68.8
71.8
72.3
74.2
76.1
78.5
82.5
87.9
89.3
88.5

95.9
96.1
100.0
98.0
98.4
99.5
100.1
101.1

95.3
97.6
100.0
103.2
104.7
107.4
108.4
109.8

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

95.1
97.8
100.0
102.1
103.1
104.6
104.7
105.3

96.9
98.0
100.0
103.3
NA
NA
NA
NA

97.3
98.9
100.0
101.5
102.4
102.0
101.6
103.3

96.4
99.0
100.0
102.1
104.8
108.5
112.6
113.0

94.3
98.2
100.0
102.8
98.4
98.4
100.9
103.8

96.5
98.1
100.0
101.1
102.7
103.1
104.2
104.8

97.7
99.8
100.0
99.2
100.7
102.7
106.3
108.3

97.4
97.2
100.0
95.3
96.2
96.8
102.7
105.8

90.3
95.5
100.0
104.3
105.0
103.1
101.8
102.6

1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
NA:

97.7
98.7
100.0
100.0
100.1
99.7
99.0
100.8

Not Available

Note: The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom,
and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other countries.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 1999.

Table 14.
(Indexes:

Real average annual compensation in manufacturing, CPI basis, 14 countries or areas, 1950-1997
1992=100)

United
States

Canada

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Belgium

Denmark

France

Germany

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden

United
Kingdom

1950

51.4

41.6

NA

NA

NA

NA

40.2

24.5

17.2

20.1

22.4

34.4

32.8

31.2

1955

62.2

50.4

21.6

NA

NA

NA

44.0

32.6

23.3

24.0

27.9

38.6

39.3

34.6

1960
1961

70.3
71.8

58.7
59.4

28.6
31.1

NA
NA

NA
NA

31.7
33.2

50.7
53.1

36.8
39.5

31.1
33.4

27.8
29.6

35.1
37.9

45.8
48.0

43.1
45.8

39.7
40.5

Year

1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969

74.5
76.0
78.7
79.9
81.5
81.9
84.4
85.3

61.5
63.3
65.1
67.3
69.2
70.3
71.9
74.0

32.6
33.6
36.2
37.2
39.2
42.3
46.6
51.8

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

35.2
38.1
41.1
43.1
45.4
47.5
49.6
51.7

54.5
55.4
58.3
60.6
63.4
65.4
65.1
69.9

41.5
43.2
45.1
47.3
48.9
50.8
53.8
56.4

35.9
36.6
38.8
41.0
42.4
43.0
46.1
49.5

32.1
35.6
35.8
35.6
37.5
41.1
43.3
45.9

39.3
41.7
45.2
48.6
51.2
54.6
57.6
59.9

49.9
51.7
52.6
54.5
57.8
61.2
63.6
66.5

48.4
51.5
53.7
56.0
57.5
60.2
62.8
64.8

40.4
41.4
43.1
44.3
45.3
46.1
47.7
49.1

1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979

84.6
86.2
89.4
90.5
88.8
89.9
93.2
95.5
95.9
93.9

76.0
78.1
79.9
80.0
83.1
85.0
90.3
92.7
91.9
91.3

56.6
60.6
66.1
71.9
73.2
74.7
75.7
77.3
79.4
82.0

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

55.2
59.7
63.9
67.5
71.1
72.3
76.5
79.4
81.8
85.3

72.5
78.5
79.8
83.9
89.8
94.6
97.3
96.0
95.0
96.8

59.9
63.0
64.8
68.0
70.1
74.2
77.8
80.1
81.9
83.7

56.1
58.5
60.8
63.9
66.6
67.4
71.5
74.3
77.1
79.3

52.2
55.7
58.7
63.3
66.9
70.8
75.4
74.4
76.1
79.0

65.2
68.7
72.0
77.8
82.2
83.7
85.7
87.2
89.8
91.5

66.3
70.8
72.5
75.6
80.0
85.3
87.9
89.0
88.8
87.5

67.9
70.2
72.0
73.1
77.5
85.0
88.8
85.9
86.3
86.0

52.3
53.1
56.6
59.8
59.9
64.1
64.4
63.0
67.3
70.1

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

91.6
91.2
92.5
94.6
95.2
96.9
99.3
99.1
99.9
98.3

90.6
89.8
90.4
92.3
91.7
93.4
93.3
93.5
94.6
94.4

80.9
82.0
83.5
84.3
85.7
87.2
90.5
92.8
94.8
97.4

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

87.3
88.0
86.2
82.8
83.8
86.1
88.6
90.0
92.3
93.8

95.7
93.2
93.5
94.7
93.9
92.5
93.3
95.8
94.9
94.6

85.0
85.7
87.2
87.5
88.6
89.9
91.4
92.5
93.9
95.3

80.8
79.8
79.8
81.0
82.8
84.5
87.5
91.1
93.4
94.1

76.7
78.1
79.0
80.4
83.4
85.5
86.1
88.5
90.6
93.2

91.0
89.6
90.6
92.3
91.4
91.7
94.7
97.7
97.6
96.8

86.3
84.6
83.8
85.3
87.7
90.4
92.1
93.7
94.1
94.7

83.0
82.1
81.3
81.7
83.9
85.3
88.0
91.0
92.6
96.3

69.5
71.4
72.5
74.7
77.2
79.7
83.5
89.7
91.5
90.6

1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997

97.1
97.4
100.0
101.3
102.4
101.3
100.4
102.9

96.3
95.9
100.0
99.4
100.4
101.0
101.8
102.9

100.3
100.6
100.0
100.8
102.3
105.7
107.5
108.2

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

96.8
97.8
100.0
100.6
104.3
104.7
105.3
106.0

96.3
97.6
100.0
102.5
102.6
104.3
105.7
107.4

96.7
98.5
100.0
100.7
101.4
101.4
101.3
102.5

96.2
98.2
100.0
99.1
101.7
104.8
107.0
107.6

95.4
98.3
100.0
100.8
99.1
99.2
100.9
104.3

96.9
98.3
100.0
101.1
102.7
103.4
104.5
105.0

96.2
98.7
100.0
99.5
101.2
102.4
105.6
107.3

96.7
96.4
100.0
97.8
101.7
104.1
111.0
114.4

91.8
95.5
100.0
103.9
105.3
104.1
103.1
104.1

NA:

Not Available

Note: The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom,
and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other countries.
Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 1999.

TECHNICAL NOTES
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 aggregate 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, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Norway, and
Sweden and to all employees (wage and salary earners) in the other
economies. For all of the countries, the term "hours" refers to hours
worked.
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 in 1970) refer to mining and
manufacturing less energy-related products, and the measures for Denmark
include mining and exclude manufacturing handicrafts from 1960 to 1966.
Output. For most countries, the output measures are value added in
manufacturing from the national accounts. However, output for Japan prior
to 1970 and for the Netherlands prior to 1960 are indexes of industrial
production. The national accounts measures for the United Kingdom are
essentially identical to their indexes of industrial production.
In this release, the 1977-97 manufacturing output data for the United
States are the gross product originating (value added) measures prepared by
the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Comparable manufacturing output data currently are not available prior to
1977.
U. S. gross product originating is a chain-type annual-weighted series
(1). The Japanese value-added series is based upon one set of fixed price
weights for the years 1970 through 1997. Output series for most other
foreign economies also employ fixed price weights, but the weights are
updated periodically (for example, every 5 or 10 years).
To preserve the comparability of the U.S. measures with those of the
other economies covered, BLS uses gross product originating in manufacturing
for the United States for these comparative measures. The gross product
originating series differs from the manufacturing output series that BLS
publishes in its news releases on quarterly measures of U.S. productivity
and costs. The quarterly measures are on a "sectoral output" basis rather
than a value-added basis. Sectoral output is gross output less intrasector transactions.
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 Germany, BLS uses
estimates of average hours worked, developed by a research institute
connected to the Ministry of Labor for use with the national accounts
employment figures. For the other countries, BLS constructs its own
estimates of average hours.
Denmark has not published estimates of average hours for 1994-1997 and,
therefore, the BLS measure of labor input for Denmark ends in 1993.
Adequate employment and average hours data are not available for Korea or
Taiwan; therefore BLS does not calculate labor input for these economies.
Compensation (labor cost). The compensation measures are from the
national accounts except those for Belgium, which are developed by BLS using
statistics on employment, average hours, and hourly compensation.
Compensation includes employer expenditures for legally required insurance
programs and contractual and private benefit plans, in addition to all
payments made in cash or in-kind directly to employees. For Canada, France
and Sweden, compensation is increased to account for other significant
taxes on payroll or employment. For the United Kingdom, compensation is
reduced between 1967 and 1991 to account for subsidies. Self-employed
workers are included in the all-employed-persons measures by assuming that
their hourly compensation is equal to the average for wage and salary
employees.
Current Indicators. The measures for recent years may be based on
current indicators of output (such as industrial production indexes),
employment, average hours, and hourly compensation until national accounts
and other statistics, normally used for the long-term measures, become
available.
Trade-Weighted Measures. The trade weights for Canada, Japan, and the
European countries were obtained by rescaling a series of weights,
developed by the International Monetary Fund, based on average trade flows
over the 1989-91 period. These weights are based on aggregate trade data
for total manufacturing and take account of both bilateral trade and the
relative importance of "third country" markets. The 1989-91 weights do not
include Korea and Taiwan.
BLS developed weights for Korea and Taiwan by
using data from an earlier study from the International Monetary Fund and
other sources.
The following weights were used for the entire period for which tradeweighted unit labor cost measures are produced:
Country
Canada

Weight
23.94

Country
Netherlands

Weight
2.13

Japan
Belgium
Denmark
France
Germany
Italy

28.91
2.02
0.45
5.58
10.98
4.35

Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom
Korea
Taiwan

0.45
1.79
8.50
5.43
5.48

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 is needed. Market
exchange rates are not suitable as a basis for comparing output levels.
What are needed are purchasing power parities, which are 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.
Purchasing power parities are available for total gross domestic product
(GDP) from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD). However, these parities are derived for expenditures made by
consumers, business, and government for goods and services-not for value
added by industry. Therefore, they do not provide purchasing power
parities by industry. The parities for total GDP are not suitable for each
component industry, such as manufacturing.
Some analysts have constructed "proxy purchasing power parities" for
manufacturing, using selected expenditure items from the GDP purchasing
power parities. However, the prices used in this method have a number of
shortcomings because they are based on consumer, business, and government
final expenditures. The data reflect sales to final users, rather than the
output of specific industries, and thus prices include indirect taxes,
distribution margins, and transportation costs. Further, the purchasing
power parities exclude items which, although they are outputs of the
manufacturing sector (e.g., steel, paper, cement, etc.), are only
intermediate inputs with respect to final sales. They also do not reflect
an industry's output because they include imports and exclude exports.
A different approach has been used by researchers at the International
Comparisons of Output and Productivity project at the University of
Groningen in the Netherlands. They develop unit value ratios for matched
products, based on censuses of manufactures data in the various countries.
Unit values are obtained by dividing producers' sales values by quantities
shipped. This procedure also has shortcomings, primarily because only a
limited portion of manufactured products can be matched and the matched
products may not be adequately representative of total manufacturing. For
many products, values are reported but not quantities; for some products,
there is no counterpart in the other country; and other products cannot be

matched because they represent a different mix of product varieties or
because of large differences in qualities (2).

(1) For more information on the U. S. measure, see Robert E. Yuskavage,
"Improved Estimates of Gross Product by Industry, 1959-94," Survey of
Current Business, August 1996, pp. 133-55.
(2) For an article based on this approach, see Bart van Ark,
"Manufacturing prices, productivity, and labor costs in five economies,"
Monthly Labor Review, July 1995, pp. 56-72.