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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
In this issue:
U.S' Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
December 1987
Prices in the first 3 quarters of 1987
C o m pa ring U.S. and C anadian price cha ng e
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Janet L. Norwood, Commissioner
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December cover:
“ High Bridge,”
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photograph courtesy of
National Museum of American Art,
Washington, DC
Cover design by Melvin B. Moxley
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RESEARCH LIBRARY
Federal Reserve Bank
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
of S t. Louis
DECEMBER 1987
VOLUME
NUMBER 12
JAN 2 1 1988
Henry Lowenstern, Editor-in-Chief
Robert W. Fisher, Executive Editor
Richard C Bahr
3 Inflation fueled by oil prices in first 9 months of 1987
Oil price movements dominated the behavior of the cpi during first 3 quarters;
inflation slowed but remained higher basis than in 5 preceding years
John Dryden and others
7 Purchasing power parity between the U.S. and Canada
Parities more accurately reflect the rate at which currency in one country
can be converted to buy an equivalent “market basket” in another country
Arthur Neef and James Thomas
25 Productivity in manufacturing at home and abroad
Among 12 industrial countries, only the United Kingdom rivaled
the U.S. gain of about 31/2 percent in output per hour during 1986
John Tschetter /"31) Producer services: why are they growing so rapidly?
Does the hefty postwar growth of some service industries mean that manufacturers
are cutting overhead by farming out activities once performed in house?
Edward W. Hill
41 What is effect of random variation in State jobless rates?
-------
State and local users of the data may tend to assume low levels of dispersion;
\however, closer analysis reveals large variances attributed to sample size
REPORTS
William Alterman and others
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47
b ls
exchange rate and foreign currency price indexes
DEPARTMENTS
2
47
50
51
53
101
Labor month in review
Technical notes
Major agreements expiring next month
Developments in industrial relations
Current labor statistics
Index of volume 110
Labor Month
In Review
JOB SAFETY IN 1986. The Bureau
of Labor Statistics reported results of
its survey of job-related injuries and
illnesses in 1986. The survey shows a
workplace injury and illness rate of 7.9
per 100 full-time workers, the same as
in 1985. While the number of injuries
and illnesses was higher in 1986 (5.6
million) than in 1985 (5.5 million), the
rate remained the same because of
increases in employment and hours of
work.
A measure of workplace safety which
reflects injury severity—the rate of lost
workdays per 100 full-time workers—
also showed little change over the year
in the private sector as a whole (65.8
in 1986). In manufacturing, however,
the rate increased from 80.2 in 1985 to
85.2 in 1986. This increase occurred in
both durable and nondurable goods
factories. In contrast, the lost workdays
rate in mining dropped from 145.3 to
125.9.
Occupational injuries. Occupational
injuries include those which result in
death, loss of consciousness, restriction
of work or motion, transfer to another
job, or medical treatment beyond first
aid.
Work-related injuries occurred at a
rate of 7.7 per 100 full-time workers
during 1986. As in 1985, about 46
percent of the injuries were serious
enough for workers to take time off
from work or to be restricted in work
activity beyond the day of injury (lost
workday cases). While the overall
injury rate was the same in 1986 as in
1985, there was again a marked
decrease in injury rates in mining
industries—from 8.3 in 1985 to 7.2 in
1986. The decrease occurred mainly in
the oil and gas extraction industry.
Injury rates varied by establishment
size in 1986 as they have in previous
years. Rates for establishments with
2
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fewer than 50 or more than 1,000
employees continued to be lower than
the rates for mid-size establishments.
This pattern held with most major
industry groups.
Occupational illnesses. The survey
measures the number of new illness
cases detected during a year and
recognized as being work-related.
During 1986, the survey found about
137,000 new cases of occupational
illnesses among workers in private
industry. Almost two-thirds of these
involved skin diseases or disorders
associated with repeated trauma (that is,
noise-induced hearing loss, and
conditions due to repeated motion,
pressure, or vibration). About 61
percent of cases occurred in
manufacturing. Chronic and long-term
latent illnesses, often difficult to
recognize or relate to the workplace,
are included in the illness measures, but
are clearly understated.
Occupational fatalities. The survey
found 3,610 work-related fatalities in
establishments with 11 or more
employees in 1986. Three of every five
fatalities occurred in construction,
manufacturing, and transportation and
public utilities industries. As in
previous years, the leading cause of
death was over-the-road motor vehicle
accidents, accounting for nearly onethird of the 1986 fatalities.
Improving the data. In reporting the
survey results, Commissioner of Labor
Statistics Janet L. Norwood said that the
data are the best currently available, but
that the Bureau is concerned about
errors in the company logs upon which
the survey is based. Norwood explained
that the Bureau has begun a full review
of the entire job safety and health
statistical system and has a number of
im provem ents
including:
already
under
way
• A program to in crease em p loyer
understanding of the recordkeeping requirements
on occupational injuries and illnesses. During
1986, the Bureau and participating State agencies
conducted approximately 200 seminars attended
by 12,000 individuals who represented companies
with about 11 million employees. BLS also
distributed nearly 800,000 copies o f revised
recordkeeping guidelines. These efforts will be
continued.
• Technical assistance to the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration for a study
involving on-site checks o f the records o f 100
establishm ents in each o f tw o S tates—
Massachusetts and Missouri. The study tested
procedures for evaluating employer recordkeeping
under the BLS/OSHA requirements. Statistical
implications that can be drawn from the study are
limited because o f the small number o f
establishments (200) visited. Preliminary results
show that about 90 percent o f the establishments
were in compliance with the requirement to
maintain an OSHA log, but underrecording,
especially o f cases involving lost workdays,
occurred. In addition, the study found some
evidence that minor injuries not covered by the
guidelines were erroneously recorded on the log.
• A joint effort with State health departments
to screen hospital files to determine what
information would be available on several welldefined occupational respiratory illnesses.
• A nationwide symposium sponsored by BLS
on problems associated with the measurement o f
illnesses in the workplace.
• A joint effort with the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to
expand the NCHS National Health Interview
Survey to gather additional information on
occupational illnesses.
• BLS review and discussion with business,
labor, and cooperating States o f recommendations
by a panel o f experts commissioned by the Bureau
and named by the National Research Council’s
Committee on National Statistics to review BLS
safety and health statistics programs. The panel’s
report, issued on October 16, includes 14 specific
recommendations for improving BLS occupa
tional safety and health statistics.
A bls bulletin, in preparation, will
provide detailed tables and analysis o f
the 1986 data.
□
Inflation fueled by oil prices in
first 9 months of 1987
Oil price movements dominated the behavior
of the CPI during the first three quarters;
inflation slowed quarter by quarter,
but remained higher on an annualized basis
than in each of the preceding 5 years
R ichard C. B ahr
Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All
Urban Consumers (cpi-u ), increased at a seasonally adjusted
annual rate of 4.8 percent during the first 9 months of 1987.
This increase, although slowing considerably between the
first and third quarters, was notably larger than the 1.1percent rise in 1986 and the advances of about 4 percent in
each of the 4 preceding years.
The marked turnaround in energy prices— up at an annual
rate of 12.6 percent in the first 9 months of this year after
declining 19.7 percent in 1986— was the primary factor in
the larger increase in the overall index. However, the rate of
the advance of energy prices decelerated sharply quarter by
quarter in 1987, from an annual rate of 26.1 percent to 7.9
percent and, finally, to 5.0 percent in the third quarter.
The cpi excluding energy also rose at a more rapid pace
in the first 9 months of 1987. Although the pace moderated
between the first and third quarters, this slowdown was not
as pronounced as that for energy. Prices for nonfoodnonenergy commodities picked up quite rapidly, with the
largest advances posted for clothing and used cars. During
the first 9 months of 1987, the indexes for food and shelter
each advanced at about the same rates as in the preceding
year. Charges for other services, however, slowed over the
same period. The annual rates of price change for these
Richard Bahr is an economist in the Office o f Prices and Living Conditions,
Bureau o f Labor Statistics.
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groups and their relative impact on the All-Items index
during the last several years and the first 9 months of 1987
are shown in table 1.
Current status
Over the first 9 months of this year, as in all of 1986,
movements in oil prices have dominated the behavior of the
cpi. If the heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf do not
disrupt the flow of oil, however, the influence of this com
ponent seems likely to continue to diminish in the coming
months. Food price increases also should slow.
Aggregate measures of material and labor costs appear to
have bottomed out, but do not pose an immediate cause for
concern. The Producer Price Index ( ppi) for crude nonfood
materials other than fuels did rise sharply in the first 9
months of 1987, and that for intermediate materials less
food and energy advanced at a 4.3-percent rate. The index
for finished goods less food and energy, however, has not
yet accelerated.
Measures of labor costs indicate a lack of pressure on
prices. The Bureau’s Employment Cost Index increased
only 3.4 percent over the year ended in September 1987.
The 1.1-percent reduction in the unemployment rate over
the past 12 months is likely to result in some upward pres
sure on labor costs, but it is expected to be moderate and
gradual. In addition, capacity utilization has remained very
steady throughout 1987 at rates significantly below their
optimal level.
3
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Prices in the First Nine Months of 1987
Table 1. Percent changes and normalized effect on the All-Items index for selected Consumer Price Indexes
periods, December 1982 to September 1987
( c p i - u ),
selected
Percent change
Seasonally adjusted annual rates for—
Category
December 1982
to
December 1983
December 1983
to
December 1984
December 1984
to
December 1985
December 1985
to
December 1986
3 months ended—
9 months
ended
September
1987
March
1987
June
1987
September
1987
All item s.........................................................................
E nergy.......................................................................
Energy commodities .............................................
Energy services ...................................................
3.8
-.5
-3.2
4.1
4.0
.2
-1 .9
3.4
3.8
1.8
3.4
-.5
1.1
-19.7
-30.5
-3.3
4.8
12.6
27.9
1.0
6.2
26.1
65.8
.4
4.6
7.9
9.4
6.4
3.6
5.0
15.5
-3 .6
All items less energy ...................................................
Food .........................................................................
S h elter......................................................................
4.4
2.6
4.7
4.5
3.8
5.2
4.0
2.7
6.0
3.8
3.8
4.6
4.1
3.4
4.7
4.8
2.5
6.2
4.3
6.5
3.5
3.3
1.4
4.5
All Items less food, shelter, and energy.......................
Other commodities ...................................................
Other services ..........................................................
5.0
5.0
4.9
4.4
3.1
6.0
3.7
2.2
5.4
3.4
1.4
5.6
4.0
4.0
4.1
4.5
5.1
4.1
4.2
3.8
4.4
3.4
3.0
3.9
All item s.........................................................................
E nergy.......................................................................
Energy commodities .............................................
Energy services ...................................................
3.800
-.057
-.248
.191
4.000
.026
-.136
.162
3.800
.211
.236
-.025
1.100
-2.156
-2.012
-.144
4.800
.939
.897
.042
6.200
1.815
1.800
.015
4.600
.601
.339
.261
3.600
.409
.565
-.155
All items less energy ...................................................
Food .........................................................................
S helter.......................................................................
3.857
1.010
.492
3.974
.722
1.137
3.589
.503
1.318
3.256
.691
.999
3.861
.569
1.326
4.385
.418
1.721
4.000
1.030
.977
3.191
.249
1.287
All Items less food, shelter, and energy........................
Other commodities...................................................
Other services ..........................................................
2.355
1.303
1.052
2.115
.821
1.294
1.768
.569
1.199
1.567
.341
1.226
1.966
1.041
.925
2.246
1.316
.930
1.994
1.008
.986
1.655
.800
.855
Normalized effect on All Items
Food. Prices paid by consumers for food rose at a 3.4percent annual rate in the first 9 months of 1987. While
about the same as recent annual increases, this change rep
resents a slowdown from the sharp advance in the second
half of 1986. That increase followed a severe drought in the
southeastern part of the country in late spring of 1986,
which partially accounted for sharp hikes in prices for fresh
fruits and vegetables, meats, poultry, and eggs. The index
for fresh fruits and vegetables rose even more rapidly in the
first half of 1987, but then declined sharply in the third
quarter, resulting in a 5.8-percent annual rate of advance for
the first 9 months. Prices for tomatoes, potatoes, bananas,
and the other fresh fruits category, which rose substantially
during the last half of 1986, declined or decelerated sharply
in 1987. On the other hand, prices for lettuce, other fresh
vegetables, and apples accelerated in 1987, while those for
oranges rose sharply over the entire period since mid-1986.
The slower advance in the food component in 1987, rela
tive to the second half of 1986, was primarily due to a
decline in prices for poultry and a much smaller increase in
those for pork— items whose prices had been greatly influ
enced by the 1986 drought. Reflecting declining stocks,
prices for beef and veal rose at a double-digit rate in the last
half of 1986 and slowed to an 8.8-percent rise during the
first 9 months of 1987. Other food groups contributing to
deceleration in the food index over the first 9 months were
dairy products and nonalcoholic beverages, particularly cof
fee— the largest food import— the price of which continues
Digitized for
4 FRASER
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
to be affected by a sudden release of huge stocks that were
built up through the now-defunct producers’ quota system
during most of the 1980’s. On the other hand, prices turned
up for fats and oils and accelerated moderately for cereals
and bakery products and other prepared foods. Prices for
food away from home and alcoholic beverages rose at 3.4percent and 3.8-percent annual rates, respectively.
Shelter. During the first 9 months of 1987, shelter costs
rose at an annual rate of 4.7 percent. This was about the
same as the 4.6-percent rise in 1986— the smallest rise in
this component since the rental equivalence approach to
homeownership was adopted in 1983.1The 2.8-percent rise
in charges for house or apartment rents was the smallest
half-year annual rate since 1968. In the third quarter, rents
accelerated, resulting in a 3.9-percent annual rate of ad
vance for the first 9 months compared with an increase of
5.0 percent in 1986.
Energy. The surge in petroleum-based energy prices was
the result of the steady drawing down of the tremendous glut
of crude oil produced over a period beginning in late 1985,
during which production quotas were formally abandoned
by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(opec). opec pricing discipline was gradually reestablished
towards the end of 1986. Thereafter, inventories dropped
lower than expected at times, putting upward pressure on
motor fuel and fuel oil prices. The refiners’ acquisition cost
of imported crude oil as of August 1987 was $19.30 per
barrel compared with only $10.91 in July 1986.
Despite these price increases, imported petroleum cap
tured a greater proportion of the U.S. market, with imports
representing 39 percent of the supply of crude in July 1987
compared with 36 percent a year earlier. During the first 9
months of 1987, fuel oil prices erased more than one-third
of their 1986 declines and the price of motor fuel made up
almost half of its 1986 drop. However, as of September of
this year, fuel oil prices remained 31.2 percent below their
April 1981 peak and motor fuel prices were 26.2 percent
below their March 1981 high point.
The index for energy services— natural gas and electric
ity— also turned around in the first 9 months of 1987. After
declining 3.3 percent in 1986, it advanced at a 1.0-percent
annual rate, despite a modest decline in the third quarter.
Charges for natural gas fell at a rate of 1.7 percent and those
for electricity rose at a 2.3-percent annual pace.
finance charges and long distance telephone rates. The drop
in the latter category was sharp enough to cause the index
for telephone services to decline at an annual rate of 0.7
percent, despite a 6.5-percent rate of increase for local tele
phone charges.
Charges for several services which slackened in the first
half of 1987 continued to outpace the overall c p i . Despite a
slowing in the first quarter, medical care service costs
posted a 5.8-percent annual rate of increase during the first
three quarters of the year. After rising at an 11.8-percent
rate in 1986, auto insurance charges slowed to an annual rate
of 6.3 percent during the 9 months ended in September.
Refuse collection charges accelerated at a double-digit an
nual rate, apparently reflecting the scarcity of landfill sites
around major metropolitan centers. Table 2 shows price
changes for consumer services other than shelter and energy
during recent years and during the first three quarters of
1987.
Other services. After rising faster than the average for all
items over a period of at least 5 years, the change in prices
for services other than shelter and energy slowed to a belowaverage pace of 4.1 percent during the first 9 months of
1987. Several components of this index that had shown
recent declines continued to decrease, most notably, auto
Other commodities. Price movements for many groups of
items in this category reflect the impact of the declining
value of the dollar in international markets because of their
import component. However, two important elements with
little or no import influence also contributed to the price
acceleration of this category.
Table 2.
1987
Price changes for consumer services other than shelter and energy, selected periods, December 1982-September
Percent change
Consumer service category
December
1982
to
December
1983
December
1983
to
December
1984
December
1984
to
December
1985
December
1985
to
December
1986
Seasonally adjusted annual rate for—
9 months
ended
September
1987
3 months ended—
March
1987
June
1987
September
1987
Services excluding shelter and energy .................................................
4.9
6.0
5.4
5.6
4.1
4.1
4.4
3.9
Telephone:
Local charges................................................................................................
Interstate toll ca lls ..........................................................................................
Intrastate toll ca lls ..........................................................................................
Water and sewerage maintenance ..................................................................
Cable television ................................................................................................
Refuse collection ..............................................................................................
Postage.............................................................................................................
Appliance and furniture repair...........................................................................
Moving, storage, freight, household laundry, and drycleaning .......................
Gardening and other household services .......................................................
3.2
1.4
7.4
8.5
0)
(D
.0
4.9
6.2
(D
17.1
-4.3
3.7
5.5
6.1
3.2
.0
5.6
4.9
0)
8.9
-3.8
.5
5.5
6.0
6.4
10.2
3.1
7.2
0)
7.1
-9.5
.4
5.4
3.8
9.4
.0
2.6
3.2
(D
6.5
-16.5
-4.2
6.4
8.5
10.4
.0
3.3
(D
5.6
9.2
-30.5
-1.9
5.9
19.4
12.2
.0
2.0
(1)
5.7
.4
-2.1
-13.1
7.4
3.0
4.2
.0
5.9
0)
5.6
10.2
-14.4
3.0
5.9
4.0
15.1
.0
1.9
0)
5.6
Apparel services ..............................................................................................
5.0
4.9
4.9
3.9
3.4
5.0
3.2
2.0
Automobile maintenance and repair ................................................................
Automobile insurance........................................................................................
Automobile finance charges .............................................................................
Automobile registration, licensing, and inspection fees ..................................
Other automobile related fe e s ...........................................................................
Airline fares ......................................................................................................
Other intercity public transportation..................................................................
Intracity public transportation ...........................................................................
3.8
9.1
-7.9
7.8
3.5
4.8
7.0
2.1
3.2
7.9
6.8
8.5
5.8
6.5
10.7
5.9
3.3
12.0
-8.3
2.1
4.2
6.3
6.4
3.6
3.7
11.8
-7.3
3.4
10.0
5.3
4.9
6.8
3.6
6.3
-4 .9
1.6
7.0
2.0
3.5
2.7
2.5
7.9
-11.1
-.5
9.6
4.5
-.5
3.3
3.6
5.7
6.1
0
3.5
-6.4
3.7
3.7
4.8
5.3
-8 .9
5.4
8.0
8.7
7.4
1.1
Professional medical services...........................................................................
Hospital and related services ...........................................................................
7.6
10.4
6.3
7.6
6.5
5.0
6.3
7.2
6.9
6.9
6.0
4.6
8.0
9.3
6.9
6.8
Entertainment services.....................................................................................
5.4
5.7
4.4
5.4
4.8
3.2
4.3
6.9
Personal care services.....................................................................................
Tuition and other school fees ...........................................................................
Personal expenses (legal, financial, and funeral).............................................
3.6
9.4
12.2
4.9
10.1
6.5
3.6
8.4
6.1
2.6
7.9
9.0
4.3
6.8
4.8
3.9
9.5
9.1
3.8
9.8
4.4
3.5
1.3
4.3
1 Data not available.
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5
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Prices in the First Nine Months of 1987
Table 3. Selected seasonally adjusted annual rates of change for Consumer Price Indexes for commodities with higher-thanaverage import proportions, selected periods, December 1982-September 1987
December 1982
to
December 1983
December 1983
to
March 1985
March 1985
to
June 1986
June 1986
to
December 1986
December 1986
to
September 1987
Commodities less food and energy..........................................................................................
Wine at hom e........................................................................................................................
Whiskey at home .................................................................................................................
Alcoholic spirits, excluding w hiskey......................................................................................
TV and sound equipment .....................................................................................................
Clocks, lamps, and decor item s............................................................................................
Tableware, serving pieces, and nonelectric kitchenware ...................................................
Lawn equipment, power tools, other hardware.....................................................................
5.0
-1.5
1.5
1.0
-2 .2
2.4
1.6
2.3
3.5
0.7
1.3
2.0
-4.1
1.0
0.5
1.9
0.7
2.6
7.8
9.7
-5.1
1.6
2.2
-1 .9
2.0
-1.3
.2
-.3
-3.0
-5.8
.9
1.8
3.9
6.9
1.3
1.3
-3.3
3.4
2.6
1.5
Men's and boys’ apparel.......................................................................................................
Women's and girls’ apparel..................................................................................................
Infants’ and toddlers’ apparel ..............................................................................................
Jewelry and luggage.............................................................................................................
Footwear ..............................................................................................................................
New vehicles ........................................................................................................................
Sporting goods and equipment ............................................................................................
Toys, hobbies, and other entertainment commodities..........................................................
Other toilet goods and small personal care appliances........................................................
2.3
3.3
3.5
3.4
1.0
3.3
2.6
1.5
5.2
2.3
2.5
5.5
0.3
2.0
3.0
2.5
1.3
3.6
1.3
-2.3
4.6
-1.1
-1.4
4.1
.4
2.5
2.9
.9
5.0
-4 .3
5.1
3.9
5.8
-3.1
2.6
2.4
3.6
7.8
.4
114.4
3.2
1.2
2.7
1.8
3.0
Category
1 Jewelry only.
Used car prices rose at a 12.9-percent annual rate, after
recording a 5.1-percent decline in 1986. This is largely
because the recent weakness in new car sales has reduced
the supply of trade-ins. For example, sales of new cars in the
first 8 months of 1987 were 7.9 percent lower than they
were in the same period last year. Prices for tobacco prod
ucts also advanced at a 9.4-percent annual rate after a 6.0percent rise in 1986.
Other commodities (imported). When the dollar was ap
preciating from March 1981 to March 1985, foreign suppli
ers of imports could receive the same income in their own
currency by selling the same quantity of imports at lower
dollar prices, as each dollar received by them commanded
a greater amount of their own currency.2 However, it may
have taken some time for the rising value of the dollar to
have translated into relatively lower costs of imports; ac
cording to one estimate, such an effect may take up to 2
years to appear.3 A large number of factors have been listed
as having the potential to minimize the price-reducing effect
of the 1981-85 dollar appreciation, and those same factors
may have vitiated or delayed any inflationary impact of the
post-March 1985 depreciation. Nevertheless, 12 of 16 com
modity groups, which were judged to have an above average
representation of imports in market sales, had exhibited
some evidence of the impact of the declining dollar by the
third quarter of 1987. (See table 3.)
Of these 12 groups, 3 showed significant differences in
price behavior over the 9 months ended in September. Par
6
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
ticularly evident was the acceleration in prices for apparel.
Clothing prices had declined during the 12-month period
ended in June 1986. Over the next 15 months, these prices
rose at an annual rate of 4.7 percent, with the largest in
creases coinciding with the introduction of the spring- and
summer-weight wear in early 1987. New vehicle prices,
however, showed a larger rate of increase in the 12 months
ended in June 1986 than in the 15 months ended in Septem
ber 1987. Other economic factors— notably impending tax
law changes— had stimulated demand for new vehicles in
calendar year 1986. This concentration of demand in 1986
has resulted in fewer sales in 1987, even with prices increas
ing at a modest 1.2-percent annual rate. In fact, when the
decline in the cost of financing an automobile over the first
9 months is taken into account, the cost of purchasing a new
vehicle has remained almost unchanged since the end of
1986. The behavior of automobile prices in the past year
certainly is one case where other factors influencing price
change in particular markets have dwarfed the effects of
exchange rate movements.
Q
---------- FOOTNOTES---------1 See “Changing the Homeownership Component of the Consumer Price
Index to Rental Equivalence,” The c p i Detailed Report, January 1983,
pp. 7 -1 3 .
2 See “A half-year pause in inflation: its antecedents and structure,”
Monthly Labor Review, October 1986, p. 12.
3 Catherine L. Mann, “Prices, Profit Margins, and Exchange Rates,”
The Federal Reserve Bulletin, July 1986.
Comparison of purchasing power parity
between the United States and Canada
Purchasing power parities determine expenditures
for real gross domestic product among countries
without the use of the exchange rate to convert currencies;
parities more accurately reflect the rate
at which currency in one country can he converted to buy
an equivalent “market basket” in another country
John D ryden , K atrina R eut , and B arbara S later
In August 1987, the Organization for Economic Coopera
tion and Development (oecd) published results from the
1985 study of multilateral purchasing power parity for its
member countries. A purpose of the study was to compare
various types of economic data among countries without
using market exchange rates to convert the data to a com
mon currency. Because exchange rates do not necessarily
reflect the relative purchasing powers of different currencies
within countries, the use of exchange rates as a converter for
international comparisons could show relationships in price
and output levels that did not actually exist. Consequently,
a system of purchasing power parities was developed to
more accurately reflect the rate at which one currency could
be converted to another to purchase equivalent goods and
services in both countries. This system not only makes it
possible to compare real levels of gross domestic product
between countries, rather than nominal levels (which would
be obtained if the data were converted using exchange
John Dryden is with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and D e
velopment, Paris; Katrina Reut is chief of the Division of International
Prices, Bureau o f Labor Statistics, U .S. Department o f Labor; and Barbara
Slater is chief o f the Price Office, Statistics Canada. The authors thank
Michael Garland, formerly o f the o e c d , Bohdan J. Szulc o f Statistics Cana
da, and Michelle A. Vachris o f the Bureau o f Labor Statistics for their in
valuable contribution to the completion o f the bilateral comparison and the
preparation o f this article. The views expressed in this article are not neces
sarily those o f the o e c d .
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rates), but can also be used to compare real levels of per
sonal and government consumption and gross fixed capital
formation, as well as smaller expenditures such as for food,
housing, and construction.
The effort to develop a method for comparing real gross
domestic product and national accounts aggregates among
countries began in the 1950’s with studies conducted at the
Organization of the European Economic Community (pred
ecessor to oecd) by Irving Kravis and Milton Gilbert. These
studies provided the basic approach and the methodology
that was then further refined in benchmark studies in 1970,
1973, 1975, and 1980 under the auspices of the United
Nations Statistical Agencies, the University of Pennsylva
nia, the Statistical Office of the European Communities
(eurostat), and the oecd . The strategy of these earlier
studies (phase I through IV) was to create a system of
world-level comparisons by conducting a series of regional
comparisons under the auspices of the United Nations
regional economic commissions.
The results of the 1985 oecd regional study, while an
independent exercise with the European Community study
embedded in it, will be incorporated into the world-level
project of the United Nations Statistical Office (phase V of
the international comparison project). The various regions
in the international comparison project will be subsequently
linked together by countries either participating in two re
gions, such as Japan (oecd and escap). Austria (European
7
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
U.S.-Canada Purchasing Power Parity
Communities and Group II), or Finland (oecd and Europe
Group II), or by carrying out bilateral “core-comparisons”
between countries in different regions.
The decision to calculate bilateral purchasing power par
ities between Canada and the United States was made in
1985, shortly after the oecd Secretariat started work with
U.S. and Canadian governments on data collection for the
multilateral oecd purchasing power parity project. It was
felt that it would be useful to carry out a special data collec
tion exercise that would tighten the links between the two
North American countries, and to calculate a special binary
comparison which would exclude all data for third countries
and would permit a degree of disaggregation of expenditure
categories unconstrained by the classification necessarily
adopted by the multilateral project.
This article presents estimates of purchasing power parity
and real gross domestic product between the United States
and Canada. It explains what purchasing power parities are
and how they are calculated, and discusses the methodology
and operational procedures underlying the data.
W hat are purchasing power parities?
As purchasing power parities ( ppp’s) are nothing more
than interspatial price indexes (by analogy with the in
tertemporal price indexes such as consumer price indexes),
the methodology and theory underlying their calculation are
identical to those of more familiar index numbers. Just as
consumer price indexes can be used to compare purchasing
power in the same place at different times, ppp’s compare
purchasing power in different places at the same time.
In many countries, consumer price indexes are calculated
by measuring the cost of a fixed basket of typical consumer
goods and services at different times, weighting the various
prices using weights intended to convey the average expen
diture pattern of consumers. It is possible to consider price
indexes as ppp’s in the same country but between one period
and the next— the consumer basket which cost $1 at time 0
costs $1.10 at time 1, and so forth. Conversely, ppp’s could
be considered consumer price indexes between countries at
the same point in time— for example, the consumer basket
which costs $1 in U.S. dollars in the United States costs
$1.25 in Canadian dollars in Canada.
There are some differences of emphasis, however, be
tween intertemporal and interspatial price indexes. An im
portant difference is the choice of the goods and services
making up the basket. In the intertemporal case, the goods
and services chosen are characteristic and representative of
expenditure categories in the country concerned. Only after
a lengthy period does an item in the basket become unavail
able or obsolete. It is more difficult to choose a basket of
goods and services equally representative and characteristic
in two or more countries. Even in neighboring countries
with a similar level of economic development, one may
encounter different preferences for a variety of reasons
(tastes, climate, size and type of packaging, and so forth).
8
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Also, although ppp’s covering private consumption ex
penditure can be calculated consistently with consumer
price index theory, the usual coverage of ppp’s is that of the
goods and services which make up gross domestic product.
Thus, the ppp “basket” must include a selection of consumer
goods and services, plant and machinery investment goods,
construction activities, and collectively consumed services
such as public administration, education, and health (the
ppp’s of the latter three are usually calculated by comparing
the prices of their inputs).
To sum up, to calculate ppp’s we need (1) a list of con
sumer goods and services, plant and equipment investment
goods, construction activities, and collectively consumed
nonmarket services— “the basket”; (2) the expenditure pat
terns in the countries concerned which can be used as
weights to aggregate the price information (this information
is usually obtained from national accounts suitably supple
mented by data from expenditure surveys of consumption or
investment); and (3) the estimated average annual national
prices of the various goods and services in the basket.
Of course, the list is not an exhaustive list of the goods
and services consumed in the countries concerned, and cer
tainly estimates of total national expenditures are available
only for more or less precisely defined categories. Further
more, for a product to be included in the list, it must be
available in at least two of the countries concerned. In ad
dition, the list must be representative of the expenditure
category (basic heading) and characteristic of at least one
country. Price ratios for products falling into the same ex
penditure category are averaged by calculating the un
weighted (geometric) mean. Above that level, expenditure
weights are used to calculate weighted (geometric) means.
In the early stages of this ppp project, two types of index
number formulas were selected as appropriate for this appli
cation, the equiweighted Fisher and the Tornqvist. Conse
quently, most of the tables in this article contain the results
for both formulas. However, as a matter of convenience, the
Bureau of Labor Statistics and Statistics Canada decided to
focus on the Fisher index because in this particular bilateral
comparison, the choice between formulas is not of great
numerical significance.
U .S.-C anadian parity
The ppp from the 1985 benchmark bilateral comparison
for gross domestic product, the central result of the study,
is estimated at 1.255 Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar. This
figure agrees closely with the 1.22 estimate from the
Canadian-U.S. gross domestic product result of the multilat
eral study released by the oecd and eurostat in August
1987, and compares with the average exchange rate estimate
in 1985 of 1.366 Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar.
The parity for individual final consumption of 1.266
Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar, although numerically very
close to that for gross domestic product, is the aggregate of
some significantly different results for subcategories. (See
Table 1.
Purchasing power parities in 1985, selected expenditures of Canada relative to the United States
Eu r o sta t code
Ite m
F is h e r
T o r n q v is t
in d e x
in d e x
1111
1112
1113
1114
111
Food .......................................................................
Nonalcoholic beverages.........................................
Alcoholic beverages...............................................
Tobacco ................................................................
Food, beverages, and tobacco...................
1.367
1.098
1.502
1.834
1.416
1.368
1.098
1.501
1.832
1.417
1121
1122
112
Clothing, including repairs ....................................
Footwear, including repairs....................................
Clothing and footwear ................................
1.349
1.480
1.368
1.347
1.481
1.366
1131
1132
113
Gross rent and water charges ..............................
Fuel and power .....................................................
Gross rent, fuel, and power .......................
1.324
1.064
1.270
1.325
1.066
1.271
1141
1142
1143
1144
1145
1146
114
Furniture, floor coverings, and repairs...................
Household textiles and re p a irs ..............................
Major household appliances and repairs...............
Glass and tableware, utensils, and repairs ...........
Household operation .............................................
Domestic services .................................................
Household equipment and operation .........
1.516
1.379
1.386
1.132
1.462
1.739
1.426
1.517
1.377
1.386
1.131
1.473
1.739
1.427
1151
1152
1153
1154
115
Medical and pharmaceutical products...................
Therapeutic appliances and equipment.................
Medical services outside hospitals .......................
Hospital care ..........................................................
Medical care and health expenses.............
1.277
1.085
.548
1.295
.959
1.277
1.085
.548
1.294
.961
1161
1162
1163
1164
116
Personal transport equipment................................
Operation of transport equipm ent..........................
Purchased transport...............................................
Communications ...................................................
Transport and communication ...................
1.243
1.310
1.251
1.224
1.270
1.243
1.307
1.263
1.223
1.269
1171
1172
1173
1174
117
Equipment and accessories..................................
Entertainment, recreation, and culture...................
Books, magazines, newspapers............................
Education ..............................................................
Education, recreation, and culture .............
1.184
1.077
1.175
1.148
1.148
1.184
1.078
1.178
1.149
1.149
1181
1182
1183
1185
1186
118
Personal care and effects.......................................
Goods, not elsewhere classified............................
Expenditure in restaurants and hotels...................
Financial services, not elsewhere classified ........
Other services, not elsewhere classified...............
Miscellaneous goods and services.............
1.085
1.853
1.281
1.204
1.281
1.281
1.085
1.853
1.281
1.219
1.289
1.289
F is h e r
T o r n q v is t
in d e x
in d e x
1.259
1.258
.....................
1.266
1.263
1311
1312
1313
131
General government compensation
...................
General government intermediate..........................
General government depreciation..........................
General public services ..............................
1.259
1.410
1.163
1.315
1.259
1.412
1.162
1.315
1321
1322
1323
132
Education services compensation..........................
Education services intermediate............................
Education services depreciation............................
Education ...................................................
1.333
1.386
1.163
1.325
1.333
1.387
1.162
1.325
E u r o s ta t code
119
11
13
Ite m
Net purchases abroad ................................
In d iv id u a l f in a l c o n s u m p t io n
G e n e r a l g o v e r n m e n t f in a l
c o n s u m p t i o n .....................................................
1.318
1.318
1411
1412
1413
141
Other plant and equipment....................................
Electrical and telecommunication equipment........
Transport equipment .............................................
Plant and equipment ..................................
1.345
1.260
1.255
1.310
1.345
1.260
1.255
1.310
1421
1422
1423
142
Dwellings................................................................
Nonresidential buildings.........................................
Civil engineering works .........................................
Construction and civil engineering .............
1.169
1.069
.984
1.078
1.169
1.069
.986
1.077
1.163
1.163
14
G r o s s f ix e d c a p it a l f o r m a t io n
15
16
Change in s tocks...................................................
Net exports of goods and services ........................
1.270
1.366
1.270
1.366
1
Gross domestic product.........................................
1.255
1.253
2
3
Consumer services ...............................................
Consumer goods ...................................................
1.180
1.337
1.177
1.337
4
5
Total services ........................................................
Total goods ............................................................
1.216
1.270
1.215
1.270
6
Tradable goods .....................................................
1.332
1.333
7
8
Gross final consumption expenditure ...................
Gross final expenditure .........................................
1.263
1.243
1.275
1.253
Note : Indexes are based on Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar.
So u r c e : Data are from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris.
table l.) Individual final consumption for food, beverages,
and tobacco (1.416 Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar), clothing
and footwear (1.368), and household equipment and operation
(1.426) are relatively expensive in Canada, with the ppp for
these categories exceeding the exchange rate in 1985.
In contrast, the lowest ppp for a major category in individ
ual final consumption was for medical care and health ex
penses, (0.959 Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar). The major
influence holding this category down was medical care out
side hospitals which, in Canada, is offered under provincially administered medicare plans. Within individual final
consumption, it is possible to break down food consumption
and expenditures in restaurants and hotels. (See table 2.)
The ppp in food ranged from 1.585 Canadian dollars per
U.S. dollar for milk, cheese, and eggs to 0.949 for raw and
refined sugar. In addition, alcoholic beverages and tobacco,
with ppp’s of 1.502 and 1.834 are substantially more expen
sive in Canada, while nonalcoholic beverages (1.098) are
cheaper. In the area of expenditures for food in restaurants
and hotels, both subcategories— restaurants and cafes and
hotels— are somewhat less expensive in Canada.
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The parity for government final consumption was 1.318
Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar. This figure is dominated
by expenditures for employee compensation and is sub
ject to the statistical margins of error associated with measuring
national average compensation and the difficulties of compar
ing compensation under different administrative systems.
A striking feature of the overall results is the way the gross
fixed capital formation figure of 1.163 Canadian dollars per
U.S. dollar is composed of the contribution of plant and equip
ment (relatively expensive in Canada at 1.310, although still
marginally below the currency exchange rate) and of construc
tion and civil engineering (relatively cheap at 1.078).
The detailed results for the ppp calculations in this article
are given at the greatest level of disaggregation of the oecd
expenditure classification used for the international com
parison project— namely the four-digit level— which seems
to be generally supported by the data.
Expenditure patterns. Comparing the national expendi
tures of Canada, converted at both ppp’s and the exchange
rate, with those of the United States shows that although the
9
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
U.S.-Canada Purchasing Power Parity
gross domestic product of Canada was 9.5 percent that of
the United States in 1985 in terms of the real volume (con
verted using ppp’s ) of goods and services produced, it was
8.8 percent in nominal terms (converted using the exchange
rate) because of the relative strength of the U.S. dollar
compared with the Canadian dollar. The following tabula
tion shows national expenditures of Canada relative to the
United States in 1985 (U.S. = 100):
Nom inal
Individual final consumption .......................
Government final consumption.....................
Gross fixed capital formation .......................
Gross domestic product..................................
7.6
9.8
9.2
8.8
G ross fin a l
consumption
expenditure
G ross fix ed
capital
form ation
G ross
dom estic
produ ct
$13,820
11,369
$3,074
3,127
$16,494
14,835
Percentage of U.S. gross
domestic product:
United States . .
Canada .............
83.8
68.9
18.6
19.0
100
89.9
Percentage of national
gross domestic product:
United States ..
Canada .............
83.8
76.6
18.6
21.1
100
100
R eal
8.2
10.2
10.8
9.5
The greatest difference occurs for fixed investment where,
in terms of volume, Canada is significantly higher than it
first appears when national accounts data were converted
using exchange rates.
If the subaggregates of gross domestic product expressed
as percentages of total gross domestic product are com
pared, the data show that in real terms Canadians and
Americans spent the same percentage on food, beverages,
and tobacco, although at exchange rates the Canadian
percentage appears higher. (See table 4.) Canadians spent
a smaller percentage of their gross domestic product per
capita on medical care than did Americans, but spent
about the same as Americans did on household equip
ment and operation and rent, fuel, and power. As noted
earlier, the Canadian proportion of gross domestic product
spent on fixed investment is stronger than it first appears,
and this is due entirely to expenditures for construction and
civil engineering.
Gross domestic product. The expenditure given the great
est attention is usually gross domestic product per capita,
which is used as an indicator of the standard of living. In this
case, Canada’s gross domestic product per capita converted
into U.S. dollars at exchange rates was $13,630 in 1985, or
82.6 percent of the U.S. expenditure of $16,494. (See
table 4.) However, converted at p p p ’ s , the Canadian fig
ure rises to $14,835, which is 89.9 percent of the U.S.
expenditure.
Among the components of gross domestic product, real
Canadian expenditure per capita in 1985 almost equals that
of the United States in government final consumption (ex
ceeds the United States in the education category, and is
close in general public services), and is greater in fixed
investment. In fixed investments, the notable feature is that
the level of construction and civil engineering in Canada is
great enough to outweigh the significant lead of the United
States in plant and equipment investment. A considerable
effort was made by the o e c d , United States, and Canadian
experts to obtain an accurate comparison of construction
prices, a difficult area to price, and to support the basic data
for this category.
10 FRASER
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Canada is, however, more than 20 percent below the
United States in individual final consumption on a per capita
basis, and is below in all consumption categories.
Data have been calculated for the aggregate consumption
(gross final consumption expenditure) and compared with
gross fixed capital formation to illustrate the consumption/
investment balance in real terms in 1985:
U.S. real dollars:
United States . . . .
Canada .................
The gross final consumption expenditure and gross fixed
capital formation data do not add to 100 percent of national
gross domestic product because of the two missing items:
the stock change (0.6 percent of gross domestic product in
both countries) and the balance of net exports ( - 3 percent
in the United States, and 2.6 percent in Canada).
When revaluing nominal expenditures at p p p ’ s , one is
constrained by the breakdown of expenditures provided by
national accounts offices. Hence, the data in this article
concerning the revaluation of Canadian expenditures in
U.S. dollars and U.S. expenditures in Canadian dollars
Table 2. Purchasing power parities in 1985, selected food
expenditures of Canada relative to the United States
Eu r o sta t code
111101
111102
111103
111104
111105
111106
111107
111108
111109
111110
Ite m
F is h e r
T o r n q v is t
in d e x
in d e x
Bread and cereals ........................................
M eat................................................................
Fish ................................................................
Milk, cheese, eggs ........................................
Oils and fa ts ...................................................
Fruit and vegetables......................................
Potatoes and other tubers..............................
Raw and refined s u g a r..................................
Coffee, tea, cocoa ........................................
Other foods ...................................................
1.347
1.417
1.300
1.585
1.040
1.247
1.099
.949
1.348
1.429
1.348
1.418
1.306
1.585
1.035
1.247
1.099
.949
1.351
1.431
1.368
1111
Food .......................................................
1.367
1112
Nonalcoholic beverages..........................
1.098
1.098
1113
Alcoholic beverages................................
1.502
1.501
1114
Tobacco .................................................
1.834
1.832
111
Food, beverages, and tobacco ...........
1.416
1.417
118301
118302
Restaurants and cafes ..................................
Hotels and other lodging services.................
1.285
1.243
1.287
1.243
1183
Expenditure in restaurants and hotels . . .
1.281
1.281
No t e : Indexes are based on Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar.
So u r c e : Data are from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris.
Table 3.
Canadian price indexes, selected expenditures, 1985
[United States index = 100]
Item
Eurostat code
Fisher
index
Tornqvist
index
Eurostat code
Item
Fisher
index
Tornqvist
index
1111
1112
1113
1114
111
Food ......................................................................
Nonalcoholic beverages........................................
Alcoholic beverages...............................................
Tobacco ................................................................
Food, beverages, and tobacco...................
100.1
80.4
110.0
134.2
103.6
100.1
80.4
109.9
134.1
103.7
1186
118
119
Other services, not elsewhere classified...............
Miscellaneous goods and services.................
Net purchases abroad....................................
93.8
93.8
92.1
94.4
94.4
92.1
11
Individual final consumption...................
92.7
92.5
1121
1122
112
Clothing, including repairs ....................................
Footwear, including repairs....................................
Clothing and footwear ................................
98.7
108.3
100.1
98.6
108.4
100.0
1311
1312
1313
131
General government compensation .....................
General government intermediate.........................
General government depreciation.........................
General public services ..............................
92.1
103.3
85.1
96.3
92.1
103.4
85.1
96.3
1131
1132
113
Gross rent and water charges ..............................
Fuel and power .....................................................
Gross rent, fuel, and power .......................
96.9
77.9
93.0
97.0
78.0
93.0
1141
1142
1143
1144
1145
1146
114
Furniture, floor coverings, and repairs...................
Household textiles and re p a irs ..............................
Major household appliances and repairs...............
Glass and tableware, utensils, and repairs ...........
Household operation .............................................
Domestic services .................................................
Household equipment and operation .........
111.0
101.0
101.5
82.9
107.0
127.3
104.4
111.1
100.8
101.5
82.8
107.8
127.3
104.4
1321
1322
1323
132
Education services compensation..........................
Education services intermediate............................
Education services depreciation............................
Education ...................................................
97.6
101.5
85.1
97.0
97.6
101.6
85.1
97.0
13
General government final
consumption...........................................
96.5
96.5
1151
1152
1153
1154
115
Medical and pharmaceutical products...................
Therapeutic appliances and equipment.................
Medical services outside hospitals .......................
Hospital care ..........................................................
Medical care and health expenses.............
93.5
79.4
40.1
94.8
70.2
93.5
79.4
40.1
94.7
70.3
1411
1412
1413
141
Other plant and equipment....................................
Electrical and telecommunication equipment........
Transport equipment .............................................
Plant and equipment ..................................
98.4
92.3
91.9
95.9
98.4
92.3
91.9
95.9
Personal transport equipment................................
Operation of transport equipm ent..........................
Purchased transport...............................................
Communications ...................................................
91.0
95.9
91.6
89.6
91.0
95.7
92.4
89.5
Dwellings................................................................
Nonresidential buildings.........................................
Civil engineering works .........................................
Construction and civil engineering.................
85.6
78.2
72.0
78.9
85.6
78.2
72.2
78.8
1161
1162
1163
1164
1421
1422
1423
142
14
Gross fixed capital formation .................
85.2
85.1
1171
1172
1173
1174
117
Equipment and accessories ..................................
Entertainment, recreation, and culture...................
Books, magazines, newspapers............................
Education ..............................................................
Education, recreation, and culture .............
86.7
78.8
86.0
84.1
84.1
86.7
78.9
86.3
84.1
84.1
15
16
Change in s to cks...................................................
Net exports of goods and services .......................
93.0
100.0
93.0
100.0
1181
1182
1183
1185
Personal care and effects......................................
Goods, not elsewhere classified............................
Expenditure in restaurants and hotels...................
Financial services, not elsewhere classified ........
79.4
135.6
93.7
88.1
79.4
135.6
93.8
89.2
1
Gross domestic product.........................................
91.9
91.7
2
3
Consumer services ...............................................
Consumer goods ...................................................
86.4
97.9
86.2
97.9
4
5
Total services .......................................................
Total goods ............................................................
89.0
93.0
89.0
93.0
6
Tradable goods .....................................................
97.5
97.6
S ou r c e : Data are from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris.
using ppp converters are given only at the three-digit level
because this is the minimum level o f disaggregation which
is publishable.
Com parisons over time
The evolution of the ppp for the United States and Canada
over time is determined by the rates of inflation in the two
countries as measured in this case by the implied national
accounts deflators for the expenditure categories concerned.
Over the 1960-87 period, the aggregate ppp has evolved
quite steadily, whereas the exchange rate has been more
volatile. (See chart 1.) Between 1975 and 1985, the
exchange rate increased from 1.017 to 1.366, while the ppp
for this same period increased from 1.168 to 1.255. (See
table 5.)
Gross domestic product per capita from 1960 to 1987 in
the United States and Canada shows a narrowing of the gap
between the two countries. (See chart 2.) Real gross domes
tic product per capita in the United States has increased
about 67 percent from the figure for 1960 and the figure
estimated by the o e c d for 1987. In Canada, the increase has
been faster, rising from only 70 percent of the U.S. figure
in 1960 to 91 percent in 1981. Since then, the proportion has
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stabilized at around 90 percent.
In 1960, expenditure patterns for the components of gross
domestic product were similar between Canada and the
United States, ranging within 1 or 2 percentage points for
each component. (See chart 3 and tables 6, 7, and 8.) How
ever, by 1985, some changes in expenditure patterns
emerged. While expenditures for government consumption
and for capital were still similar (18 percent for the United
States and 19 percent for Canada), gross fixed capital forma
tion in Canada had risen to 24 percent of gross domestic
product per capita by 1985, while the U.S. increase was
somewhat smaller, 18 percent.
Price and volum e com parisons
Exchange rate movements and relative inflation rates
have combined to influence the interspatial price index of
Canada relative to the United States. Canada had generally
been more expensive than the United States in the sense that
the ppp has always exceeded the exchange rate— sometimes
by as much as 20 percent, as in 1976— at least from 1960
to 1984, when the increase in the dollar exchange rate
brought Canadian prices below those of the United States.
(See chart 4.) By 1985, Canadian prices were 6.3 percent
II
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
U.S.-Canada Purchasing Power Parity
lower than in the United States. Among the components of
gross domestic product, the price index for individual final
consumption of goods and services, the one most interesting
to individual consumers crossing the border to shop, indi
cates that prices for this component were 5.7 percent lower
in Canada in 1987. However, the index covers such items as
rent and medical care and, consequently, the weighting pat
tern reflects the expenditure of the average domestic con
sumer, not the casual visitor. It would be necessary to make
a specially appropriate weighting pattern, or at least to show
the detailed price indexes for specific consumer goods, for
the index to be useful for those crossing the border to shop.
The volume indexes of Canadian expenditures per capita
relative to the United States from 1960 to 1985 show the
steady evolution (with significant stability in recent years)
Table 4.
of gross domestic product and individual final consumption
and the peaked pattern of government final consumption
and, in particular, that of gross fixed capital formation. (See
chart 5.)
How parities were calculated
Regional comparisons. For the comparisons within the
European Community (the oecd/eurostat exercise), basic
parities were calculated for more than 350 expenditure cate
gories, while the non-European Communities countries
were included at a more aggregated level, using 240 cate
gories. The categories corresponded to the five-digit and
four-digit levels of expenditure classifications. Several nonEuropean Communities countries had difficulty providing
the oecd with a 1985 breakdown even at the four-digit level.
Canada-U.S. bilateral comparisons, 1985
Item
Purchasing
power
parity
Nominal expenditures
(millions)
Canadian expenditures
(millions) at—
Percentage of
nominal expenditures
United
States
Canada
Exchange
rate
Purchasing
power parity
United
States
Canada
Percent
of Canada
real
expenditures
Food, beverages, and tobacco............
Clothing and footwear .......................
Gross rent, fuel, and power ...............
Household equipment and operation ..
Medical care and health expenses __
Transport and communication ............
Education, recreation, and culture.......
Miscellaneous goods and services __
Net purchases abroad .......................
Individual final consumption ...............
1.416
1.368
1.270
1.426
.959
1.270
1.148
1.281
1.259
1.266
$ 361,533
168,415
518,025
149,474
371,145
408,808
178,936
412,463
13,934
2,582,733
$ 48,939
18,231
62,239
20,071
14,096
45,203
21,144
36,231
1,137
267,291
$ 35,827
13,346
45,563
14,693
10,319
33,092
15,479
26,523
832
195,674
$ 34,561
13,327
49,007
14,075
14,699
35,593
18,418
28,283
903
211,130
9.2
4.3
13.1
3.8
9.4
10.4
4.5
10.5
.4
65.4
10.4
3.9
13.2
4.2
3.0
9.6
4.5
7.7
.2
56.6
9.2
3.5
13.0
3.7
3.9
9.5
4.9
7.5
.2
56.1
General public services......................
Education ..........................................
Government final consumption............
1.315
1.325
1.318
490,747
233,451
724,198
62,527
34,599
97,126
45,774
25,329
71,102
47,549
26,112
73,692
12.4
5.9
18.3
13.2
7.3
20.6
12.6
6.9
19.6
Plant and equipment .........................
Construction and civil engineering.......
Gross fixed capital formation .............
1.310
1.078
1.163
330,161
405,373
735,534
31,011
61,282
92,293
22,702
44,862
67,564
23,673
56,848
79,358
8.4
10.3
18.6
6.6
13.0
19.5
6.3
15.1
21.1
Gross domestic product......................
1.255
3,946,612
472,510
345,908
376,502
100.0
100.0
100.0
Gross final consumption expenditure ..
1.263
3,306,931
364,417
266,777
288,533
83.8
77.1
75.7
Gross final expenditure ......................
1.243
4,042,465
456,710
334,341
367,426
102.4
96.7
96.8
Per capita expenditures
(U.S. = 100)
U.S.
nominal
(in U.S. dollars)
Canada nominal
(Canadian dollars)
Canada at
exchange rate
(U.S. dollars)
Canada at
purchasing
power parity
(U.S. dollars)
$ 1,511
704
2,165
625
1,551
1,708
748
1,724
58
10,794
$ 1,928
718
2,452
791
553
1,781
833
1,428
45
10,532
$ 1,412
526
1,795
579
407
1,304
610
1,045
33
7,710
$ 1,362
525
7,931
555
579
1,402
726
1,114
36
8,319
103.7
General public services........
Education ............................
Government final consumption
2,051
976
3,027
2,464
1,363
3,827
1,804
998
2,802
1,874
1,029
2,904
96.3
97.0
96.5
91.4
105.5
95.9
Plant and equipment .................
Construction and civil engineering
Gross fixed capital formation ....
1,380
1,694
3,074
1,222
2,415
3,637
895
1,768
2,662
933
2,240
3,127
95.9
78.9
85.1
67.6
132.2
101.7
Food, beverages, and tobacco............
Clothing and footwear .......................
Gross rent, fuel, and power ...............
Household equipment and operation ..
Medical care and health expenses __
Transport and communication ............
Education, recreation, and culture.......
Miscellaneous goods and services __
Net purchases abroad .......................
Individual final consumption ...............
Price index
100.1
93.0
104.1
70.2
93.0
84.0
93.8
92.2
92.7
Volume index
at purchasing
power parity
90.1
74.6
89.2
88.8
37.3
82.1
97.0
64.7
61.1
77.1
Gross domestic product
16,494
18,618
13,630
14,835
91.9
89.9
Gross final consumption expenditure ..
13,820
14,359
10,512
11,369
92.5
82.3
Gross final expenditure
16,895
17,996
13,174
14,478
91.0
85.7
NO TE : 1985 e x ch a n g e ra te = 1 .3 6 6 C a na d ia n d o lla rs p e r U.S. d ollar.
S O U R C E : D ata are fro m th e O rg a n iza tio n fo r E con o m ic C o op e ra tion and D e velop m e nt, Paris.
12
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Chart 1. U.S.—Canadian purchasing power parity for gross domestic product
and the exchange rate, 1960-87
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
Source: Data are from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris.
The timing of the calculations meant that although the con
trol totals of at least the main aggregate of gross domestic
product referred to 1985, the detailed breakdowns were for
1984 or even earlier years. Even so, gaps remained which
required estimates to meet the minimum requirements of the
jointly agreed methodology.
The lists of items for pricing were produced by the
eurostat and oecd Secretariats after consultation with ex
perts representing the participating countries. For example,
the list of consumer goods and services was determined by
the eurostat Price Statistics Working Party, which was
attended by oecd representatives. Construction and civil
engineering bills of quantities and machinery and equipment
product lists were determined on the advice of two groups
of national consultants (who also provided estimates of the
average prices from their own research) engaged by
eurostat . The oecd , after consultation with its member
countries, arranged for many non-European Communities
products to be added to the lists of items which were charac
teristic and noncharacteristic and priced in European Com
munities countries so as to maintain a balance of the two
groups of countries.
Although it would simplify matters if the lists of items
could consist entirely of goods and services characteristic of
all of the countries concerned and representative of the ex
penditure category to which they are classified, differing
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
national tastes mean that, in order to produce a balanced
matrix of price comparisons between countries, it is neces
sary to measure the average prices of noncharacteristic items
in some countries. These items, of course, are characteristic
in at least one of the countries in the study.
Nontransitive parities for each expenditure category be
tween two countries, say countries A and B, are calculated
using a three-stage process. First, a Laspeyres-type parity is
calculated by taking the geometric average of the price ratios
(price in country B divided by price in base country A) of
each product which is classified to the basic heading and
characteristic of country A, then a Paasche-type parity is
calculated using the price ratios of those products which are
characteristic of country B. Finally, a Fisher-type parity is
calculated as the square-root of the Laspeyres and Paasche
parities multiplied together.
The transitive matrices of parities at the basic heading
level involve no explicit weighting structure, for lack of
reliable, representative expenditure weights to aggregate the
parities for particular products. The availability of expendi
ture weights, from the basic level up, made possible the use
of the Geary-Khamis formula, which simultaneously deter
mines the higher level ppp ’s and indexes of average interna
tional prices using an iterative process.
The ppp ’s between two countries depend on the composi
tion of the group of countries considered, for example, the
13
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
U.S.-Canada Purchasing Power Parity
France-Germany parity will generally differ depending on
whether these two countries are considered alone, as part of
the European Communities comparison, or as part of the
oecd or world comparisons.
To avoid a proliferation of published ppp results, the par
ticipating countries agreed to fix the European Communities
countries as a bloc within the oecd group so that the ppp ’s
between any two European Communities countries calcu
lated in the European Communities exercise would be the
same in the published results of the oecd exercise.
Bilateral comparisons. There are numerous important dif
ferences in the methodology which has been used in the
Canada-United States bilateral comparison from that used
for the multilateral study. For practical reasons, it was
agreed to keep as close as possible to the four-digit classifi
cation used in the multilateral exercise, but to incorporate
such changes as to eliminate most of the categories for
which estimates had to be made for both of the countries
concerned to complete three-digit or higher levels of disag
gregation required for the multilateral calculations.
The tables in this article give real output estimates at the
one-digit level (15 categories) and ppp ’s and interspatial
price indexes at the two-digit level (46 categories). How
ever, at the three- and four-digit levels, there is a further
breakdown, not shown explicitly, as follows:
Table 5.
N um ber o f categories
O ne-digit Two-digit Three-digit Four-digit
Private final
9
c o n s u m p tio n .............
G overnm ent final
2
c o n s u m p tio n .............
G ross fixed capital
2
form ation ..................
C hange in stock s . . . . . 1
N et exports o f g o o d s
and services ............. . 1
T o t a l ....................... . 15
32
74
158
6
24
24
6
24
30
1
1
1
1
46
1
124
1
214
For example, the two-digit “food” category breaks down
into 10 three-digit categories: bread and cereals; meat; fish;
dairy products; oils and fats; and so forth. (See table 2.) In
turn, the three-digit category “bread and cereals” breaks
down into six four-digit categories covering rice; flour and
other cereals; bread; other bakery products; pasta; and other
cereal products. The expenditure breakdown provided by
the national accounts offices of the United States and
Canada and suitably supplemented by information from
family expenditure surveys and by oecd Secretariat esti
mates is not intended to be an official one at the three- or
four-digit level, except in certain categories such as food.
Rather, the finer levels of disaggregation are used to provide
some reasonable alternative to the “default” weighting sys-
Canada-U.S. bilateral comparisons, gross domestic product, 1960-87
Nominal expenditures (billions)
Purchasing
power parity
Exchange
rate
United States
(U.S. dollars)
Canada
(U.S. dollars)
Canada at
exchange rate
(billions of
U.S. dollars)
Canada at
purchasing
power parity
(billions of
U.S. dollars)
1985 deflator
United States
Canada
I960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1981
.....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
.....................................................................
1.086
1.112
1.106
1.168
1.207
1.219
0.970
1.081
1.048
1.017
1.169
1.199
$ 513.6
701.7
1,009.2
1,583.9
2,688.5
3,009.5
$ 38.7
57.2
88.5
170.1
307.7
353.5
$ 39.9
52.9
84.4
167.3
263.2
294.8
$ 35.6
51.4
80.0
145.6
255.0
290.0
27.7
30.3
37.7
53.2
76.9
84.3
24.0
26.8
33.2
49.5
73.9
81.9
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
.....................................................................
1.247
1.258
1.255
1.255
1.252
1.251
1.234
1.232
1.295
1.366
1.389
1.336
3,121.4
3,353.5
3,713.0
3,946.6
4,166.7
4,420.4
372.0
401.8
439.8
472.5
498.8
527.9
301.4
326.1
339.6
345.9
359.1
395.2
298.3
319.5
350.5
376.5
398.5
421.9
89.7
93.2
96.8
100.0
102.8
105.8
89.1
93.3
96.7
100.0
102.5
105.5
Per capita expenditures
(U.S. = 100)
United States
(U.S. dollars)
Canada nominal
(Canadian dollars)
Canada at
exchange rate
(U.S. dollars)
Canada at
purchasing
power parity
(U.S. dollars)
Price index
Per capita
volume index
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1981
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
.....................................................................
$ 2,843
3,611
4,922
7,334
11,804
13,077
$ 2,162
2,904
4,148
7,485
12,785
14,506
$ 2,229
2,687
3,958
7,360
10,937
12,098
$ 1,990
2,612
3,752
6,406
10,594
11,901
112.0
102.9
105.5
114.9
103.2
101.7
70.0
72.3
76.2
87.3
89.8
91.0
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
13,424
14,282
15,665
16,494
17,241
18,110
15,085
16,133
17,489
18,618
19,481
20,433
12,225
13,095
13,505
13,629
14,025
15,294
12,097
12,829
13,939
14,835
15,561
16,328
101.1
102.1
96.9
91.9
90.1
93.7
90.1
89.8
89.0
89.9
90.3
90.2
So u r c e :
14
Data are fromthe Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Chart 2. Real gross domestic product per capita, United States and Canada,
1960-87
1985 U.S. dollars
NOTE: Canadian dollar converted to U.S. dollar using purchasing power parities.
SOURCE: Data are from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris.
tem of simply averaging together the price relatives of all
items on the list falling into some indivisable category. Thus
expenditure estimates for a given category may be accept
able as weights for the calculation of ppp ’s , but may not
come up to the level of statistical acceptability required for
publication. Several features of expenditure breakdown
used in the bilateral comparison differ significantly from the
features used in either the national accounts of the United
States and Canada or the standard sets of accounts published
by the oecd . These features were adopted to attempt a more
meaningful comparison between the two countries:
• Private nonprofit-making institutions are included to
gether with consumers’ expenditure in the category of
private final consumption.
• Private consumption expenditure for general government
services has been netted out across intermediate con
sumption by general government services, as breakdowns
of government costs of providing such services are not
available.
A major problem of comparison arises when considering
education and health because of the different relative shares
of the market and nonmarket sectors in the United States and
Canada. In the case of health, even the means adopted by
the government to finance nonmarket services cause the
payments to be treated in completely different ways. Ac
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
cordingly, all market services of education were transferred
to the general government sector, leaving only the driving
school/language course activities in the private sector. In
contrast, all nonmarket services of health care were trans
ferred to the private sector— all categories under “medical
care and health expenses” such as medical and pharmaceuti
cal products, therapeutic appliances and equipment, medical
services outside hospitals, hospital care, and the like.
Clearly, although the ways in which price comparisons are
estimated for market and nonmarket services of these cate
gories differ significantly, an alternative method of present
ing the revaluation of these services in the two countries is
possible by keeping the relative shares of the market and
nonmarket services of education and health firmly in the
private and public sectors, and reweighting detailed parities
appropriately to give alternative ppp estimates to these two
items. It should be noted that this treatment differs from that
adopted in the oecd /eurostat multilateral exercise where
all services of both education and health were transferred in
their entirety to the private sector.
Characteristics markings. In the context of a bilateral
comparison between Canada and the United States, the use
of items deemed characteristic of both countries to achieve
balanced parities is generally agreed to be less important
than it would have been between two less similar countries.
15
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
U.S.-Canada Purchasing Power Parity
Although there are clear differences in the expenditure pat
terns of Canada and the United States, at the basic heading
level, those products deemed characteristic of one country
were also usually characteristic of the other. Rather few
items were considered noncharacteristic in the bilateral
study, and thus the “index-number spread” (ratio between
Laspeyres and Paasche indexes) was rather low, particularly
at the basic heading level, although at higher levels of aggre
gation this tended to increase a little. It is worth remember
ing in this context, however, that because of the difficulty
experienced by the Canadian national accounts office in
providing a gross domestic product expenditure breakdown
on the special classification used for the ppp exercise, it was
frequently necessary to use the United States’ expenditure
pattern to break down Canadian expenditure estimates, par
ticularly at the finest level of detail.
A separate, but closely connected, issue is the representa
tiveness of the selected products. The requirement that the
products be representative of the main category is, perhaps,
even more important than the requirement that they be
characteristic of the countries being compared. (Here,
“representative” refers to the average Canada/U.S. price
level of the goods and services falling into the basic expend
iture category.)
Chart 3. Patterns of per capita expenditures in the United States and Canada,
1960 and 1985
United States
Canada
(1965 U.S. dollars)
(1965 U.S. dollars—converted with PPP)
Gross
final
consumption
23%
1960
1985
Gross
fixed
capital
formation
6%
Gross
final
consumption
18%
Gross
final
consumption
19%
Gross
fixed
capital
formation
18%
Gross
fixed
capital
formation
24%
1985
SOURCE: Data are from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris.
16
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table 6.
Canada-U.S. bilateral comparisons, individual final consumption, 1960-87
Nominal expenditures (billions)
Year
Purchasing
power parity
Exchange
rate
United States
(U.S. dollars)
Canada
(U.S. dollars)
Canada at
exchange rate
(billions of
U.S. dollars)
Canada at
purchasing
power parity
(billions of
U.S. dollars)
1985 deflator
United States
Canada
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1981
....................................................................
....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
....................................................................
1.078
1.084
1.101
1.115
1.151
1.178
0.970
1.081
1.048
1.017
1.169
1.199
$ 328.1
438.5
635.8
1,005.8
1,721.2
1,909.7
$ 25.2
34.4
51.3
96.3
170.4
193.8
$ 26.0
31.8
48.9
94.6
145.8
161.7
$ 23.4
31.7
46.5
86.3
148.0
164.6
30.5
33.1
39.6
54.2
77.9
84.7
26.0
28.3
34.5
47.7
70.8
78.8
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
....................................................................
.....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
1.226
1.248
1.255
1.266
1.287
1.259
1.234
1.232
1.295
1.366
1.389
1.336
2,046.3
2,223.7
2,418.1
2,584.3
2,748.1
2,915.5
209.9
229.1
248.0
271.0
291.7
308.7
170.1
186.0
191.5
198.4
210.0
231.1
171.2
183.5
197.6
214.1
226.6
245.1
89.6
93.2
96.9
100.0
102.3
105.3
86.8
91.9
96.0
100.0
104.0
104.7
Per capita expenditures
United States
(U.S. dollars)
(U.S. = 100)
Canada nominal
(Canadian dollars)
Canada at
exchange rate
(U.S. dollars)
Canada at
purchasing
power parity
(U.S. dollars)
Price index
Per capita
volume index
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1981
.....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
$ 1,816
2,257
3,101
4,657
7,557
8,298
$ 1,410
1,747
2,404
4,235
7,080
7,955
$1,453
1,616
2,294
4,164
6,056
6,635
$1,308
1,612
2,182
3,799
6,150
6,755
111.1
100.2
105.1
109.6
98.5
98.2
72.0
71.4
70.4
81.6
81.4
81.4
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
.....................................................................
....................................................................
8,801
9,470
10,202
10,800
11,371
11,944
8,513
9,199
9,861
10,678
11,391
11,948
6,898
7,467
7,615
7,817
8,201
8,943
6,942
7,369
7,858
8,434
8,850
9,487
99.4
101.3
96.9
92.7
92.7
94.3
78.9
77.8
77.0
78.1
77.8
79.4
So u r c e :
Data are fromthe Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris.
A difficulty with the product lists initially produced by
Eurostat for the European Communities comparison was
that whole areas were lacking in products characteristic and
representative of North America. It was not possible to
make the comparison valid simply by adding a few North
American items for reciprocal pricing in other geographical
zones. It was necessary to add entire product lists to estab
lish the Canada-United States relationship— private auto
mobiles was an obvious example.
In general, then, in most of the 669 products for which
prices were obtained in both countries, characteristic mark
ings were assigned for both countries. This was also neces
sary for practical reasons: First, in proposing products for
pricing, a country nominates only its own characteristic
items; second, the other country is able to price the items
from its ongoing statistical surveys if the items are also
characteristic of that country. If it is necessary to mount a
special price collection survey, it would be composed
mainly, if not exclusively, of characteristic items.
In a few cases, however, the absence of a characteristic
marking has more to do with reliability associated with the
price estimate than with characteristic representativeness.
The participants believed that price estimates derived from
small samples should simply have a lower weight than the
others in calculating the basic parities.
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Parities. In contrast to the multilateral purchasing power
parity project where a one/zero weighting system was
adopted, in the bilateral project, products characteristic of
both countries were assigned a weight of 2 and noncharac
teristic products, a weight of 1 in calculating the basic par
ities, because the analysts believed that all price ratios
should be taken into account to some extent. In all calcula
tions, the U.S. dollar was the numeraire currency used, and
also the United States was considered the base country.
Thus, at the basic heading level, the Laspeyres parity is
the weighted geometric average of all associated price ratios
(expressed in terms of Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar), a
weight of 2 being assigned to those price ratios of products
which are characteristic of the United States and a weight of
1 assigned to those noncharacteristic products. Similarly,
the Paasche parity uses the same products, but the weighting
pattern is that of the Canadian characteristic markings.
Two methods of averaging have been used to pull to
gether the Laspeyres-type (“United States prices”) and
Paasche-type (“Canadian prices”) basic parities. The first is
a Fisher index. It is calculated as the geometric mean of the
Laspeyres and Paasche parities. The second method is a
Tomqvist-type index. It is calculated directly from the price
ratios of the products. It is a weighted geometric average of
the price ratios, and the weight assigned to a given price
ratio is the arithmetic average of the characteristic scores of
17
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
Table 7.
December 1987 •
U.S.-Canada Purchasing Power Parity
Canada-U.S. bilateral comparisons, government final consumption, 1960-85
Nominal expenditures (billions)
Year
Purchasing
power parity
Exchange
rate
United States
(U.S. dollars)
Canada
(U.S. dollars)
Canada at
exchange rate
(billions of
U.S. dollars)
Canada at
purchasing
power parity
(billions of
U.S. dollars)
1985 deflator
United States
Canada
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
0.906
919
970
1.056
1.163
0.970
1.081
1.048
1.017
1.169
$ 85.4
117.4
189.6
294.2
473.7
$ 5.3
8.2
16.4
33.1
59.1
$ 5.4
7.6
15.6
32.6
50.6
$ 5.8
9.0
16.9
31.4
50.8
24.3
27.9
37.1
54.0
77.9
16.7
19.5
27.3
43.2
68.7
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
1.215
1.276
1.277
1.282
1.318
1.199
1.234
1.232
1.295
1.366
525.6
574.1
617.0
666.6
722.7
68.6
77.6
82.9
89.1
94.8
57.2
62.9
67.3
68.8
69.4
56.5
60.8
64.9
69.5
71.9
84.4
89.6
94.9
98.5
100.0
77.8
86.8
91.9
95.8
100.0
Per capita expenditures
(U.S. = 100)
United States
(U.S. dollars)
Canada nominal
(Canadian dollars)
Canada at
exchange rate
(U.S. dollars)
Canada at
purchasing
power parity
(U.S. dollars)
Price index
Per capita
volume index
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
$ 473
604
925
1,362
2,080
$ 294
419
769
1,458
2,455
$ 303
387
733
1,434
2,100
$ 324
455
792
1,382
2,111
93.4
85.4
92.6
103.8
99.5
68.6
75.4
85.7
101.4
101.5
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
.....................................................................
....................................................................
.....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
2,284
2,469
2,628
2,813
3,020
2,816
3,148
3,327
3,544
3,735
2,348
2,551
2,701
2,737
2,734
2,318
2,467
2,606
2,765
2,834
101.3
103.4
103.6
99.0
96.5
101.5
99.9
99.2
98.3
93.8
So u r c e :
Data are fromthe Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris.
the product in the two countries— for example, if a product
is characteristic of the United States (weight 2) but nonchar
acteristic of Canada (weight 1), the Tomqvist weight is 1.5.
Aggregations. The basic headings are defined by the
available level of disaggregation of expenditure weights
and, as noted, correspond to a modified version of the four
digit classification adopted by eurostat and the oecd for
the multilateral program. Aggregation of the Laspeyres,
Paasche, and Tomqvist indexes from the four-digit to threedigit level (and then to higher levels) is made by calculating
weighted geometric averages of the four-digit parities.
The Laspeyres parity of a three-digit category is a weighted
average of the Laspeyres four-digit parities with U.S. ex
penditures of the four-digit categories as weights. The threedigit Paasche parity uses Canadian expenditures to aggre
gate the four-digit Paasche parities. The three-digit
Tomqvist indexes weight together the four-digit Tomqvist
indexes, using as weights the arithmetic average of the ex
penditure of that category in the United States expressed as
a percentage of U.S. gross domestic product and the
expenditure of that category in Canada expressed as a per
centage of Canadian gross domestic product.
The Fisher indexes at any level are compiled directly from
the Laspeyres and Paasche indexes at the same level, and
not from Fisher indexes at the level immediately below. The
method of calculation is described in the discussion of the
basic parities.
18
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The procedure for aggregation to higher levels is exactly
the same, right up to gross domestic product level.
There are several cases where, despite serious attempts by
the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Statistics Canada to fill all
gaps, no matched product was found in a given main cate
gory. For the purposes of the first stage of aggregation, the
basic parity for these categories was assumed to be equal to
that of the weighted average of the others; or, equivalently,
equal to that of the next higher level category.
The only exception concerns net exports of goods and
services. Even though many third countries are involved,
the U.S.-Canada exchange rate has been assumed for this
category. No attempt was made to calculate special parities
for exports and imports.
Indirectly calculated parities. The first stage of aggrega
tion covers what might be called the directly calculated
parities but, for many categories, no attempt was made to
price directly. At the completion of the first stage, it is
possible to fill many blanks with indirectly calculated
parities.
For collectively consumed services of general govern
ment and education and, in the private sector, hospital care
and the like, the input approach is used for pricing. The
three types of inputs are: compensation of employees (di
rectly measured by surveying wages and salaries and other
compensation); intermediate purchases; and depreciation
(capital consumption) of fixed assets. The latter two cate-
Table 8.
Canada-U.S. bilateral comparisons, gross fixed capital formation, 1960-85
Nominal expenditures (billions)
Year
Purchasing
power parity
Exchange
rate
United States
(U.S. dollars)
Canada
(U.S. dollars)
Canada at
exchange rate
(billions of
U.S. dollars)
Canada at
purchasing
power parity
(billions of
U.S. dollars)
1985 deflator
United States
Canada
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
.....................................................................
....................................................................
1.067
1.219
1.156
1.219
1.064
0.970
1.081
1.048
1.017
1.169
$ 92.4
131.6
17.8
272.3
514.3
$ 8.5
13.7
19.0
41.8
72.3
$ 8.7
12.6
18.1
41.1
61.8
$ 7.9
11.2
16.4
34.3
67.9
30.3
31.3
39.2
58.9
89.3
27.8
32.8
39.0
61.8
81.7
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
1.055
1.088
1.112
1.140
1.163
1.199
1.234
1.232
1.295
1.366
559.3
537.6
577.6
671.7
735.5
86.1
81.6
81.4
84.3
92.6
71.8
66.1
66.0
65.1
67.8
81.6
75.0
73.2
73.9
79.7
96.1
98.8
98.3
98.4
100.0
87.2
92.5
94.0
96.5
100.0
Per capita expenditures
(U.S. = 100)
United States
(U.S. dollars)
Canada nominal
(Canadian dollars)
Canada at
exchange rate
(U.S. dollars)
Canada at
purchasing
power parity
(U.S. dollars)
Price index
Per capita
volume index
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
.....................................................................
....................................................................
....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
$ 511
677
870
1,261
2,258
$ 473
694
892
1,841
3,003
$ 488
642
851
1,810
2,569
$ 443
570
771
1,510
2,822
110.0
112.7
110.3
119.9
91.0
86.7
84.1
88.6
119.8
125.0
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
.....................................................................
....................................................................
2,430
2,312
2,460
2,834
3,074
3,534
3,309
3,267
3,351
3,650
2,948
2,681
2,652
2,587
2,672
3,349
3,041
2,939
2,938
3,139
88.0
88.2
90.2
88.1
85.1
137.8
131.5
119.5
103.7
102.1
Sou r c e :
Data are fromthe Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris.
gories are estimated indirectly. For example, the parity cor
responding to intermediate expenditures of nonmarket serv
ices of education pertaining to food is assumed to be equal
to that for private consumption expenditures on food, and
the parity for depreciation is assumed to be equal to that
calculated for gross domestic fixed capital formation.
The other cases are (1) capital investment in passenger
cars: The parity for private consumption expenditure on
passenger cars is weighted together with that directly calcu
lated for commercial vehicles in proportion to the approxi
mate expenditure on the two types of vehicle; and (2) change
in stocks: The parity for change in stocks is assumed to be
that for total goods. The latter is calculated by weighting
together the parities for all those categories classified as
goods in the United Nations System of National Accounts.
Final estimation of missing basic parities. At this stage,
directly and indirectly calculated basic parities have been
set, and it is possible to fill in the remainder. A “top-down”
routine is used to examine each category and, if necessary,
fill in the missing value by taking the next available higher
level parity. Thus, any missing parity for a major aggregate
would be filled in using the gross domestic product parity,
any missing parity for one-digit categories will be filled in
using the major aggregates, two-digit categories will be
filled in using the one-digit categories, and so forth, until all
four-digit categories are accounted for.
In fact, in the Canada-United States exercise, very few
categories needed to be filled in using this procedure, as data
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collection had been designed to cover as many categories as
possible by direct or indirect means.
O perational procedures— United States
Private consumption. The private consumption specifica
tions developed for the multilateral regional study were used
as a basis for the United States-Canadian bilateral compari
son. However, the bilateral specifications were tailored to
better reflect the United States and Canadian markets. For
instance, the sizes required by some of the multilateral
specifications were changed because product sizes tend to
be larger in the United States and Canada than in the rest of
the oecd countries. Any specification that either the United
States or Canada could not price was dropped from consid
eration. Many brand specific product specifications were
also deleted because Canadian and U.S. consumer price
index (cpi) product categories, in general, do not indicate
brands. New product and service specifications were devel
oped to strengthen areas which had weak coverage by either
country in the multilateral project. Additional specifications
were also created for categories where the price-determining
characteristics in Canada and the United States differed
from those required by the multilateral specifications (in
surance, for example).
Once specifications were developed, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics determined which data sources were appropriate
for each product area. The major source was the Bureau’s
cpi data base and related publications. While the cpi covers
all aggregate product areas of U.S. private consumption,
19
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
U.S.-Canada Purchasing Power Parity
because of sampling techniques, some of the detailed prod
ucts included in the oecd specifications are not priced in the
CPi. In those cases, the oecd referred to other data sources,
such as published surveys of prices for motorcycles, cata
logs for furniture and clothing, U.S. Department of Com
merce data for fish, and airline companies for air fares.
However, outside sources were used only as a supplement;
the cpi average prices for food and energy categories were
used whenever possible. In the case of insurance, two types
of policies were priced, tenant and automobile. For both
types, a special data base was constructed from information
and prices collected by the cpi to match the oecd specifica
tion. The specification for tenant insurance used for both the
multilateral and the bilateral projects was slightly different
from the typical configuration found in the United States,
particularly with regard to coverage for theft and current
value versus replacement value. However, it was possible to
adjust the available data to account for these differences. For
automobile insurance, the multilateral specification was im
possible to match, largely because of the wide discrepancy
in levels of liability coverage between European-based poli
cies and North American policies. As a result, for the mul
tilateral project, the United States matched the Canadian cpi
specification for automobile insurance and linked into the
oecd regional comparison through Canada, which had con
ducted a special survey to match the European specification,
while the U.S.-Canada specification was used for the bilat
eral comparison.
All prices extracted from the cpi data base were subjected
to a sanitization process before being transmitted to the
o e c d . Each price quote was examined for indications
of brand, model, and company or outlet and, where neces
sary, this type of information was removed to ensure
confidentiality.
For the most part, the actual calculation of U.S. average
prices was carried out by the oecd . The methodology ranged
from a straight arithmetic average to a regression on several
variables, depending on the particular characteristics of the
product. A straight arithmetic average was used on specifi
cations for homogeneous products for which the United
States had exact matches; for example, produce, meats,
haircuts, and domestic help. Often a weighted average was
needed, as in the case of fish prices where cpi quotes were
supplemented with the prices published by the Department
of Commerce, and the two quotes were weighted to form
one national average price. Frequently, while prices to be
averaged were for a homogeneous product, the unit of size
provided by the United States differed from the specified
unit of size. This occurred because most U.S. goods are not
measured in metric units, unlike Canadian goods.
Occasionally, the food and the household goods specifi
cations required a size that was unavailable in the United
Chart 4. Canadian price levels relative to those of the United States,
1960-85
Index (U.S. = 100)
20
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Chart 5. Volume index of Canadian per capita expenditures relative to those of
the United States, 1960-85
I960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
SOURCE: Data are from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris.
States, even though the products themselves were available
and were priced by the c pi . For these items (detergents or
canned foods, for example), the price quotes extracted from
the cpi were used as observations in a regression on size.
Once the relationship between price and size was estimated,
an average price was calculated for the size required by the
specification. If other characteristics, in addition to the size
of the product, were identified as price determining, then a
more detailed regression model was developed which in
cluded these variables. This type of application was needed
for durable goods such as refrigerator-freezers where the
price depended on factors such as automatic defrosters, ice
makers, and color, as well as size. The price effects of these
types of options were combined to estimate a price for the
refrigerator-freezer described in the specification. Another
category requiring special pricing techniques was rent.
Here, a combination of hedonic regression (where rental
values were assumed to be determined by a variety of phys
ical, social, and environmental characteristics) and direct
comparison was used.
After calculating the average prices for July 1985 using
the methodology best suited to the product area, sales tax
was added where required, with the Bureau of Labor Statis
tics providing the oecd with the appropriate data. Products
wiithin each basic category were then selected to serve as the
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
characteristic products for the United States in preparation
for calculation of the actual parities.
Gross fixed capitalformation. The procedures followed to
price machinery and equipment were similar to those used
to price consumer goods. The oecd multilateral specifica
tions for machinery and equipment were used as the starting
point for development of the bilateral specification. Al
though a great deal of work had already been done by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics Industrial Price Program in 1983
and 1984 to augment and adjust the 1985 multilateral speci
fication to reflect the U.S. market, the parties believed a
number of areas remained weak, at least in terms of a U.S.Canada bilateral comparison. Consequently, Statistics
Canada and the Bureau undertook a further refinement of
existing specifications, particularly with regard to the terms
of each transaction, and in a few areas added new specifica
tions to better reflect the North American market.
After obtaining the specifications, the industrial price
data base and the export-import data base were searched for
exact matches. A detailed review of each match was carried
out by the appropriate industry analyst, and each company
was contacted to obtain permission to use the data it reported
to the Bureau and to assist in making any necessary adjust
ments to arrive at the market price.
21
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
U.S.-Canada Purchasing Power Parity
The final data were then sanitized of any confidential
information and sent to the oecd for calculation of the par
ities. Additional review of matched products and the result
ing parities was conducted by the staff from Statistics
Canada, the Bureau, and the oecd Secretariat before the
actual price data were finalized.
The pricing of gross fixed capital formation in construction
was carried out by the “bill of quantities” method. That is, bills
of quantities corresponding to carefully specified construction
projects were compiled by experts engaged by eurostat for
their own exercise. The list, which covered dwellings and
buildings for public and commercial use as well as civil engi
neering projects, was adopted by the oecd for the wider project
after canvassing suggestions for additional bills of quantities
from non-European Communities countries, the objective be
ing to improve the balance of the list. In the event, only one
addition was made in a Scandinavian-type wooden house. Al
though a North American-type house was proposed, it was not
possible to develop the specification to the level required for
adoption in the 1985-based project.
In Canada, the Construction Prices Section of Statistics
Canada estimated prices for most of the construction
projects and provided them to the oecd Secretariat. How
ever, such estimates are not available from official sources
in the United States.
The oecd engaged a consulting firm which had signifi
cant experience in the preparation of cost estimates for con
struction projects. An immediate problem faced by the
Canadian and U.S. experts was that the specifications (de
veloped by Eurostat ’s consultants and expressed in spe
cialized European terminology) were unusable in the North
American context. A few of the specifications had been
“translated” into North American terminology by Statistics
Canada in the context of the 1980-based exercise and were
adapted with only minor modifications for the purposes of
the 1985 study. Further “translations” were carried out by
Statistics Canada and by the consulting firm, Hanscomb
Associates. The difficult and time-consuming part of the
job, and the part which required the most expertise, was the
development of the bills of quantities expressed in North
American terminology. Once that stage had been com
pleted, provisional pricing was carried out relatively
quickly. Problems were discussed (and resolved to the
greatest extent possible) at a meeting between representa
tives of Statistics Canada and Hanscomb Associates.
The U.S. data were supplied by Hanscomb Associates on
the basis of estimates of national average prices, as regional
variation of construction costs is known to be significant.
Unfortunately, there were some unresolved problems.
There was a feeling that even after discussion between the
two parties and the oecd Secretariat and after rejection of
outliers, several of the U.S. prices seemed surprisingly high
relative to the Canadian prices.
Public consumption. The cost of general public adminis
trative and educational services of governments as reflected
22
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in the wages and salaries of 25 job categories was obtained
from data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the
U.S. Office of Personnel Management, State governments,
and various associations. Federal data were produced by the
Office of Personnel Management from a data base for the
complete universe, while State data were obtained from
published reports for a sample of 21 States, which were
selected on the basis of geographic location and level of
employment. Average salaries for the more than 81,000
local governments in the United States were not available;
however, data for more than 30 percent of the job categories
were available for municipal and county governments which
account for 50 percent of existing local governments. These
data were used to represent all local government wherever
possible. However, for job categories that were not covered,
or not covered at a sufficiently disaggregated level, the
all-State average was used as a proxy on the assumption that
local government salaries are more likely to trend with State
salaries than with Federal salaries. In a few cases, sources
outside this framework were used if they were the result of
a more complete national survey. Generally, the data came
from professional associations or federations such as the
National Education Association or the American Associa
tion of University Professors. The average wages derived
for each of the three components, Federal, State, and local,
were then combined using aggregate employment levels for
each component for each job category.
O perational procedures— Canada
Private consumption—data based on regular surveys. The
two regular price surveys whose data were extensively used
for the multilateral and bilateral comparisons are: the Con
sumer Price Index (cpi) Survey and the Average Retail Price
( arp ) Survey. The arp Survey provides data closer to the
purpose of international comparisons in the sense that it is
explicitly designed to produce national average prices,
based on information collected four times a year in 26 cities.
It covers 60 basic food and grocery items, and many of them
were good matches with the oecd specifications.
The cpi Survey is designed to measure price change over
time and involves more than 600 commodities. Only a few
of the commodities matched the oecd specifications closely
enough to be used directly. For many others, a sub-selection
of price data was necessary for the purpose of multilateral
comparisons to establish as good a qualitative correspon
dence with the oecd specifications as possible. For the bilat
eral comparison, however, it was decided that, in most
cases, the complete cpi selection is more typical of North
American consumption, and hence, more directly compara
ble with its counterpart from the U.S. cpi samples. Although
this is generally true, the comparability was weaker for
some items, particularly in the area of clothing and furni
ture, for which there was quite a large sample dispersion of
Canadian prices. The average Canadian prices in each cate
gory were estimated as weighted means of average cpi prices
for particular urban center strata in a given month of 1985.
They were adjusted to the average 1985 level using the
corresponding consumer price indexes.
Private consumption—data based on special proce
dures. In some areas of household expenditures, special
procedures had to be applied to obtain the best possible
multilateral or bilateral comparability, while using the avail
able price data. The most important cases of the use of
special procedures are described below. In addition to these
cases, several Canadian prices were estimated through the
use of published list prices, including tariffs for public util
ities, provincial price lists for alcoholic beverages and a few
other specific items (for example, ikea price catalogs for
some furniture items explicitly designated by the oecd ).
Individual data for 1985, as recorded in the rent survey,
were provided to the oecd . They included rent levels as well
as multiple characteristics of both the dwelling and the ten
ancy agreement. For the owner-occupied dwellings, a cross
tabulation by the number of bedrooms and the age class of
dwellings, estimated by the Household Surveys Divisions of
Statistics Canada on the base of the May 1985 Household
Facilities and Equipment Survey, was also provided. These
individual data were edited and aggregated by the United
Nations Statistical Office to produce internationally com
parable rent levels.
For the U.S.-Canada bilateral comparisons, an average
Canadian price was estimated for each of the automobile
specifications priced in the regular cpi survey in November
1985. These prices relate to the base model with specified
options, after dealer’s discount and inclusive of transporta
tion and predelivery charges as well as of the applicable
sales taxes. The average Canadian registration fees were
provided separately and added to the prices. The national
averages were estimated from the average prices for 10
Canadian provinces, weighted by the number of car registra
tions in each province. The adjustment factors to the average
1985 price level were provided.
In the area of health services, except for dentists’ fees, for
which the regular cpi data were used, the only other Canadian
price information provided were fees for a consultation and a
home visit by a general practitioner and for a consultation by
a specialist (ophthalmologist). These fees were derived from
provincial fee schedules as of mid-1985 and were averaged
using provincial population numbers as weights.
For pharmaceuticals, item matching and price estimation
were done by the Bureau of Drug Quality of Health and
Welfare Canada. For prescription drugs, price lists provided
by major national drug wholesalers for January 1985 were
used and estimated average prescription fees were added.
For the nonprescribed drugs, retail prices suggested by the
wholesaler were used. For all drugs, the adjustment to the
average 1985 price level was performed using the cpi for
medical and pharmaceutical products.
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For the purpose of bilateral comparisons, the standard cpi
specifications related to automobile and homeowners’ and
tenants’ insurance were used. Tariff tables from various
insurance companies (at least one per province) were used
to obtain average provincial premiums, which were then
weighted to obtain a national average.
Private consumption—data based on special surveys.
Special price surveys were conducted in NovemberDecember 1985 in three cities (Montreal, Toronto, and Van
couver) to fill the gaps in Canadian price information, par
ticularly in the cases of restaurant meals and clothing and
furniture items for which the regular cpi and the oecd speci
fications were far apart. Although these surveys provided
price data for closely matching specifications, the number of
obtained price quotations was, in some cases, rather small.
Car rental rates were the subject of another special sur
vey, which was conducted by telephone across the country.
Unfortunately, there was a very large regional differentia
tion in typical rental contracts, particularly with respect to
the free distance included in the basic rate, which made
comparability of the price data difficult, in spite of all the
adjustments performed.
Gross fixed capital formation. Canadian prices for ma
chinery and equipment used in both the multilateral and
bilateral comparisons were collected through a special price
survey. The survey was conducted for Prices Division of
Statistics Canada by a consulting firm engageai to supply
nonconfidential purchase prices and related information for
168 capital equipment goods. (Eventually 175 items were
priced, 108 of which were included in the U.S.-Canadian
bilateral comparison.)
Considerable effort was made to include items representative
of all areas of machinery and equipment in a balanced mix
characteristic of the European market (those from the intial
oecd lists) and the North .American market. Preparatory con
sultations were held between officials of the Bureau of Labor
Statistics and Statistics Canada to find out the broad character
istics of the varieties priced in the United States and to consider
them in the Canadian survey. In some areas, though, represen
tation could not be achieved because the specification lists did
not cover, or only partly covered, the equipment for such
industries as forestry; pulp and paper; mining; and oil and
natural gas exploration, production, and refining.
The consulting firm was asked to conform as closely as
possible to the specifications and general rules of price col
lection established by the oecd for the 1985 comparison
round. Consequently, it attempted to provide the best esti
mates of average purchase prices (that is, “firm” prices)
quoted in representative transactions for specified equip
ment goods, which also included imported products, where
typical. The consulting firm provided explicit estimates for
important additional costs to purchasers such as installation
(where required), transportation (where significant), tariffs,
and taxes. Intracompany transfer prices were not collected.
23
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
U.S.-Canada Purchasing Power Parity
Efforts were made to ensure that the definitions and method
ology used in price collection in the United States and in
Canada are as close as possible. In the absence of precise
international guidelines to the typical users and market char
acteristics of items to be priced, though, typical Canadian
transaction terms were applied.
The resource limitations, however, led to the imposition
of some constraints on data collection. For example, refer
ence prices for 1985 were needed, but the study was con
ducted mainly in the May to August 1986 period. For this
reason, prices prevailing at that time were adjusted to the
mid-July 1985 level using the closest corresponding Statis
tics Canada price indexes (some of them unpublished) and
the relevant information on tax and tariff changes. Also,
average prices from the most active markets in Central
Canada (Ontario and Quebec) were assumed to satisfy the
requirement for national average prices. This notwithstand
ing, some items were priced in other regions, where the
market for those goods was large.
According to the OECD methodology, which was also used
for the U.S.-Canada bilateral comparisons, the pricing of
selected construction projects is based on their detailed
specification. In the 1985 round, Canada priced 16 con
struction projects. Eleven of them were the same as those
Canada had already priced in the 1980 round of international
comparisons, namely, a single-family house (row house),
an apartment building, a factory, an office building, a
school, a road, a sewer main, an electricity supply project,
a concrete bridge, a cattle hours, and an agricultural shed.
Their specifications had been translated into North Ameri
can terminology and adjusted to the Canadian construction
technique and standards as in the 1980 comparisons.
The five new projects priced by Canada in 1985 were: a
detached single-family house, a sports hall, a car park,
pavement reconstruction, and a sports facility. They were
translated into North American terminology by the consul
tants hired to do the pricing of construction projects for the
United States in 1985.
Because Statistics Canada uses a similar methodology of
pricing the construction projects for its regular price index
series, a large portion of detailed price data which serve as
inputs in those series was also applicable in the interna
tional comparison project, both multilateral and bilateral.
Nevertheless, about one-third of detailed input price data
had to be collected especially for the purpose of interna
tional comparisons.
The Canadian prices relate to the Toronto area, which is
geographically central and represents a substantial share of
Canada’s construction activity. In this task, Statistics
Canada received assistance from the Ontario Department of
Highways, the Ontario Department of Agriculture, the City
of Toronto Department of Public Works, and the Hydro of
North York (a Toronto suburb).
Close contact was maintained with the consultant doing
the U.S price estimation to enhance the quality of the
24
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
bilateral comparison. There was an exchange of ideas about
the interpretation of particular projects, as well as an ex
change of detailed input price data. This notwithstanding,
several questions remain as to the comparability of some
prices between the United States and Canada.
Public consumption. Canadian price data were specifi
cally prepared in the following two areas of inputs to the
government services: compensation for selected categories
of employees in general government and health and educa
tional services; and prices of public utilities (in particular,
electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, and water). With respect to
public utilities, the parties decided that commercial rates
paid by large users would be most appropriate. Conse
quently, the data were drawn from lists of tariffs provided
by regular respondents to Statistics Canada.
With respect to compensation for employees in general
government and health services, data were prepared by the
Pay Research Bureau, a Federal agency which gathers data
on remunerations for various government jobs at the Fed
eral, provincial, and city levels, including health services.
The Pay Research Bureau identified in its own surveys those
job categories that most closely matched the descriptions
adopted by the oecd for the purpose of international com
parisons. It provided information on basic salaries as well as
other payments and social contributions for the selected
categories of employees.
The Canadian average compensation by category of em
ployees (job specification) in general government and health
services was calculated by averaging the appropriate data
for employees at the three levels of government (Federal,
provincial, and municipal), whenever applicable. The aver
age total compensation for a particular category of em
ployees at a given level of government was estimated from
the respective average basic salary, augmented using coeffi
cients that represented the proportion of other payments and
social contributions to the basic salary. The above coeffi
cients were derived from data relating to employees of all
categories at a given level of government. The data on
compensation relate to mid-1985 and were not adjusted to
the average 1985 level.
With respect to compensation for employees in education
services, data on basic salaries were provided by the Educa
tion, Culture and Tourism Division of Statistics Canada. For
basic salaries, an equi-weighted average of data from two
consecutive school years, 1984-85 and 1985-86, was used.
Within each designated teachers category, the average basic
salary was represented by a salary in the modal class of
employees, with classes established according to the num
ber of years of education achieved by teachers (which is a
salary-determining variable in most school jurisdictions).
Because of lack of specific information on other payments
and social contributions by employers, the same coefficients
were applied as for the employees in general government
and health services at the provincial level (the education
system being primarily administered by provinces).
Trends in manufacturing productivity
and labor costs in the U.S. and abroad
The gain in output per hour in U.S. manufacturing
was matched only by the United Kingdom
among 11 other industrial countries in 1986;
Japanese and European unit labor costs,
measured in U.S. dollars, rose 20-40 percent
A rthur N eef and James T homas
The U.S. gain in manufacturing labor productivity in
1986— about 3 \ percent— was matched only by the United
Kingdom among 11 other industrial countries studied. Mod
est increases of about 1 to 3 percent were recorded by Japan
and five European countries— Belgium, Denmark, France,
West Germany, and Italy. Productivity fell slightly in
Canada and two European countries— the Netherlands and
Norway— and remained unchanged in Sweden.
While this marked the fourth consecutive year of rela
tively large productivity increases in the U.S. manufactur
ing sector, manufacturing employment declined for the sec
ond consecutive year to 91 percent of the 1979 peak.
Employment also fell in Japan and four of the European
countries, but rose 1 to 2 percent in Canada, Germany, the
Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.
Unit labor costs— a measure of the relationship between
hourly labor costs and labor productivity (output per
hour)— fell about \ of 1 percent in U.S. manufacturing in
1986. Unit labor costs rose in all of the other industrial
countries— by about 1 percent in Japan and Belgium, more
than 7 percent in Norway and Sweden, and 2 to 5 percent in
the other countries. This marked the first year since 1981
that Japanese unit labor costs rose. Korea (Republic of
Korea), newly added to the unit labor cost comparisons,
recorded an increase of 3 \ percent.
The favorable productivity and labor cost developments
of 1986 improved the competitive situation of U.S. manuArthur N eef is chief o f the Division of Foreign Labor Statistics, Bureau of
Labor Statistics. James Thomas is an economist in the same division.
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facturing. However, this modest improvement was dwarfed
by the effect of the massive changes in exchange rates on
lowering U.S. unit labor costs relative to Japan and Europe.
Largely because of exchange rate changes, Japanese unit
labor costs measured in U.S. dollars rose more than 40
percent in 1986, and European unit labor costs rose from
nearly 20 percent in the United Kingdom up to 40 percent
in Germany. On the other hand, Canadian and Korean unit
labor costs benefited from small relative depreciations of
their currencies.
This article examines comparative trends in manufactur
ing labor productivity and labor costs through 1986 in the
United States and 11 other industrial nations and introduces
comparative unit labor cost measures for Korea.1 Korea has
not been added to the productivity and hourly compensation
measures at this time because of apparent deficiencies in the
labor input measures available to the Bureau. The introduc
tion of Korea emphasizes the major importance the newly
industrializing countries are having on world trade in manu
factured goods. In 1986, Korea accounted for 4.3 percent in
value of U.S. imports of manufactured goods and for 5.6
percent of the U.S. trade deficit in manufactured goods.
Only Japan, Canada, Germany, and Taiwan accounted for
larger shares.
The measures reported on in this article reflect major
benchmark revisions of the Canadian, French, and Italian
national accounts and other revisions of underlying data
series as well as the usual modifications of some recent
yearly figures.2 The Canadian changes include a compre
hensive revision of the output measures for the period 196125
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
International Labor Productivity
85, a shift in the base period for the calculation of constant
value output from 1971 to 1981 for the years beginning
1981, and a historical revision in the labor income series.
The French base period for constant value output has been
shitted trom 1970 to 1980 for the years beginning 1977, and
the average hours series has been revised to account for
part-time workers. The Italian base period for constant value
output has been shitted from 1970 to 1980, beginning with
1980.
The Canadian revisions affect year-to-year changes, but
have little effect on the long-term measures. The French
revisions lower France’s rate of productivity growth, pri
marily through their effect on the output measures. Prior to
rebasing, the manufacturing output measure rose at an an
nual average rate of 0.4 percent from 1979 to 1985; after the
rebasing, output declined by 0.3 percent per year. The pro
ductivity growth rate over this period is lowered by 4 of a
percentage point per year and unit labor costs are increased
by 1 percentage point per year. The Italian revisions have
the opposite effect. Prior to the revisions, manufacturing
output showed no growth between 1980 and 1985. The
Italian measure now shows a 0.4-percent rate of increase.
This change, along with a downward revision in the employ
ment figures, raises Italy’s 1980-85 productivity growth
rate by nearly 1 \ percentage points per year. Because of an
upward revision in hourly compensation, however, the revi
sions have little effect on unit labor costs.
Productivity trends
As pointed out in previous articles, all 12 industrial coun
tries have had productivity slowdowns since 1973. How
ever, the nearly 4-percent gain in 1986 in U.S. labor produc
tivity reflects a continuing recovery in the U.S.
manufacturing productivity growth rate since 1979. (See
chart 1.) All the countries show slowdowns in productivity
in the 1973-79 period, and only the United States, Italy,
Sweden, and the United Kingdom have achieved productiv
ity gains in the 1979-86 period that exceed their rates of
deceleration. In addition, the United States and the United
Kingdom are the only two countries to have increased their
productivity growth enough since 1979 to surpass their pre1973 trend rates.
Table 1.
Manufacturing output grew for at least the second consec
utive year in all countries except France, where output fell
slightly for the second consecutive year, and Sweden (un
changed). The U.S. output growth rate of 2.8 percent for
1986 was the third largest increase recorded in all 13 coun
tries. The Korean output increase of more than 17 percent
overshadowed the gains of the other countries and was the
largest increase in that country since 1978. Excluding
France and Sweden, the other countries, led by Italy, had
increases that ranged from 1 percent to around 3 percent.
However, output growth was slower than the 1985 in
creases in 10 of the countries studied. The most significant
slowing of output growth seems to be occurring in Japan,
where the 1986 output growth rate of 1.5 percent is far
below the 1985 rate.
Korea’s output growth rate since 1973, 12 percent per
year, greatly exceeds that of any of the industrial countries.
At the other extreme, British manufacturing output in 1986
was still 8 percent below the peak level reached in 1973.
Aggregate hours and em ploym ent
Total hours of labor input rose about 1 to 2 \ percent in six
countries and fell by about the same range in the other six
industrial countries, including the United States. Four of the
six countries with 1986 increases in aggregate hours—
Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway—also had
increases in employment of at least 1 Vi percent. Denmark’s
increases resulted almost entirely from an increase in aver
age hours. In Italy, total hours rose 2 percent despite a 1
*/2 percent reduction in employment.
In the six countries in which labor input fell, employ
ment declined \ of 1 percent in Japan and Belgium, over
1 percent in the United States, and over 2 percent in
France and the United Kingdom, but rose 1 percent in
Sweden. The ¿-percent decline for Japan was the first
since 1982 and reflected a leveling off from the previous
year’s employment peak. For Belgium and France, 1986
was the 12th consecutive year of employment declines. In
the United Kingdom, employment has declined in 11 of
the past 12 years.
Annual percent changes in manufacturing productivity, 12 countries, 1960-86
Year
United
States
Output per hour:
1960-86 ......................................
1960-73 ..................................
1973-86 ..................................
3.2
2.5
1973-79 ..................................
1979-86 ..................................
1.4
3.5
1985 ........................................
1986 .........................................
5.1
3.7
Note:
Output
2 .8
Canada
Japan
France
Germany
Italy
United
Kingdom
Belgium
Denmark
Netherlands
Norway
3.3
4.5
7.9
10.3
5.6
5.2
6.5
3.9
4.6
5.8
3.5
5.7
7.5
3.8
3.6
4.2
3.0
6.3
6.9
5.8
4.6
6.4
5.9
7.4
4.5
3.2
4.3
46
64
2 .8
2.1
2 .8
5.5
5.6
4.9
3.1
4.3
2.7
3.3
4.3
1.2
6 .0
5.5
4.2
1.7
5.5
3.7
2.1
4.5
2 .2
26
3.0
2.5
7.3
4.1
1.5
38
2 .6
3.2
-.3
1.1
1.2
3.8
3.5
- .2
2 .8
3.1
1.9
3.0
- .2
-.6
.2
2 .2
2.1
2.3
Rates of change based on the compound rate method.
26
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1.5
1.3
Sweden
Chart 1. Average annual percent changes in manufacturing productivity
in seven countries, selected periods, 1960-86
Percent
United
States
Canada
Japan
France
Germany
Italy
United
Kingdom
H ourly com pensation and unit labor costs
Unit labor costs in U .S. dollars
Hourly compensation rose moderately, at about
to 5
percent, in 1986 in all the industrial countries except the
Scandanavian countries and the United Kingdom, which
recorded gains of 6 to 10 percent. The increases in all
countries were less than their average rates of gain since
1979 and well below the large increases recorded in the
1970’s.
The United States, Japan, and the Netherlands had the
smallest 1986 increases, ranging from the Dutch increase of
2{ percent to the Japanese gain of 3? percent. The Nether
lands and Japan, which had some of the largest increases
during the 1960’s and through the early 1970’s, continued
to exhibit the wage restraint which has resulted in these two
countries having the lowest rates of increase over the 197986 period.
The United States was the only country showing a 1986
decline in unit labor costs, a measure of the relationship of
hourly compensation to productivity. Unit labor costs in
creased in the other 12 countries studied. Japan and Belgium
had increases of close to 1 percent, with the other countries
increasing from about 2 to 5 percent except Norway, which
advanced by 10 percent, and Sweden, which advanced by 7
percent.
In assessing changes in unit labor costs in competitive
terms, changes in the market value of each country’s cur
rency need to be taken into account, as well as relative
changes in costs measured in national currencies. Between
1979-80 and 1985, the U.S. dollar rose strongly versus the
European currencies and, to a lesser extent, against the
Canadian dollar and Japanese yen. U.S. unit labor costs rose
much less from 1979 to 1985 than those of any of the other
countries except Japan, the two Benelux countries, and Ger
many on a national currency basis, but Canada was the only
other country to show an increase after adjustment for ex
change rate changes.
The U.S. dollar began depreciating strongly against the
yen and most European currencies in 1985 and continued to
depreciate during 1986. Between 1985 (annual average) and
1986 (annual average), the value of the yen relative to the
U.S. dollar rose more than 40 percent and European cur
rency values appreciated from 13 percent in the United
Kingdom to 30 percent or more in Belgium, Denmark,
France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Therefore, the rela
tive improvement in U.S. manufacturing unit labor costs
measured in national currency terms was greatly enhanced
by exchange rate movements. Measured in U.S. dollar
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27
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
Table 2.
December 1987 •
Annual percent changes in manufacturing output and labor input, 13 countries, 1960-86
Year
Output:
1960-86 .....................................................
1960-73 .................................................
1973-86 .................................................
1973-79 .................................................
1979-86 .................................................
1985 ........................................................
1986 ........................................................
Aggregate hours:
1960-86 .....................................................
1960-73 .................................................
1973-86 .................................................
1973-79 .................................................
1979-86 .................................................
1985 ........................................................
1986 .......................................................
United
States
Canada
Japan
Korea1
France
Germany
Italy
3.4
4.8
4.3
6.5
9.0
13.5
1 2 .8
4.2
7.3
3.2
5.2
4.8
7.3
2.3
Denmark
Netherlands
Nonway
Sweden
1 .2
4.2
2 .6
6 .6
3.7
5.3
3.8
3.0
- .7
6 .0
4.6
3.1
5.1
1 .8
2 .2
1 .6
.6
1.1
- .7
1 .6
1.7
1.4
.1
- .6
1.3
2.3
.5
1.5
2 .2
5.4
1 2 .0
1 .2
1 .2
2.5
1.9
3.6
6.9
16.5
1.7
8 .2
2.9
- .3
.8
3.1
1.7
5.5
2.3
8.4
1.5
3.8
17.4
- .7
- .4
3.5
2.5
1.5
3.3
3.0
2.1
1.7
3.0
2.7
2.3
1.1
.9
1.9
- .9
-1 .4
-.9
2.3
—
.8
- .6
- .2
—
-2 .7
- 2.1
-1.5
-2 .3
- 1.1
-3 .5
- 2 .0
- .3
-3 .7
-.9
- 1.1
-.7
- 2 .0
- 1 .2
- 2 .8
.3
-1.5
-1 .5
- 1 .2
-1 .7
—
-1 .9
-3 .3
-2.5
-1 .9
-2.5
-1 .9
-4 .9
-4.5
-3.1
-2.5
.9
-3.6
- 2 .2
-1.9
- 1 .2
- 2 .0
-1.4
-3 .7
- 2 .2
- .6
0
- .8
-.9
2.1
-2.4
- .8
3.3
1.3
- .9
1.5
1.4
2.3
- .5
1 .0
- .2
.1
.1
- .9
.2
- .4
.8
1.3
-2.9
.5
-.4
.1
-1 .3
- 1 .8
- .5
-3.1
- 1 .0
1 .6
2 .2
4.3
2 .8
.6
1.6
1.0
-.4
0
- .2
.5
.4
- .3
- 1 .8
- 1 .2
-.8
-.9
1973-79 .................................................
1979-86 .................................................
1985 ........................................................
1986 ........................................................
-.7
- 1 .2
2.9
2.5
1.2
—
1 .0
_
- 1 .2
—
- .2
2.7
1.1
1 .6
2 .0
3.3
—
1.3
.1
0
-
- 1 .8
-.5
.4
-1 .3
.8
.8
- 1.1
-2 .4
- 1 .6
- 1 .2
.3
-2 .7
-1.4
-4 .5
-3.4
-2.4
- 2 .0
-.4
-1.5
1.3
—
-1 .4
2 .6
1 .6
—
- .5
-3 .2
-2 .3
1.1
1.9
1 .6
- 1.1
-1.5
- .9
- 2 .2
—
—
1.1
.9
2.5
1.7
3.3
0
- .6
- .2
.1
-1.9
- .8
- .8
-2.3
- 1 .6
- .2
1 .0
-1.4
-.5
- 1.1
-1.4
6.9
1.7
1 .2
.2
-.6
.2
1.8
2.1
1.1
data begin with 1970.
Rates of change based on the compound rate method. Dashes indicate data are not available.
Table 3.
Annual percent changes in hourly compensation and unit labor costs in manufacturing, 13 countries, 1960-86
Year
United
States
France
Germany
Italy
—
11.9
—
1 0 .0
13.8
8.9
10.3
7.5
15.6
13.5
17.7
16.2
11.7
9.5
5.8
2 0 .6
Canada
Japan
Korea1
_
United
Kingdom
Hourly compensation:
1960-86 ....................................
1960-73 ................................
1973-86 ................................
6.4
5.0
7.8
8 .0
9.8
11.7
15.1
8.4
1973-79 ................................
1979-86 ................................
9.5
6.4
1 2 .0
1 2 .8
7.9
4.8
—
1985 ......................................
1986 ......................................
5.3
3.3
5.0
3.9
4.9
3.5
_
8.1
6 .0
-
4.5
4.7
3.4
4.5
1 .6
5.2
7.5
3.5
4.3
2.7
13.0
1.8
13.3
6.4
3.3
9.5
1973-79 ................................
1979-86 ................................
8 .0
9.8
5.5
6.9
2 0 .2
1 0 .8
-.8
7.6
8.4
1985 .......................................
1986 ......................................
.2
2.4
4.1
-2.3
.7
2.3
3.6
4.8
2.5
3.0
1.3
4.8
6 .6
5.9
6 .6
—
6.5
6.5
5.0
4.1
5.8
5.5
5.4
6 .8
6.9
3.0
1 0 .8
16.4
- 1 .2
11.5
1 1 .6
1 0 .0
15.2
1.1
.6
1 .6
.2
-2.9
2.4
-2 .7
42.6
-5.3
2 .0
2 .2
32.9
-1.5
39.8
31.9
Unit labor costs:
1960-86 ....................................
1960-73 ................................
1973-86 ................................
Unit labor costs in U.S. dollars:
1960-86 ....................................
1960-73 ................................
1973-86 ................................
1973-79 ................................
1979-86 ................................
1985 ......................................
1986 ......................................
1
Belgium
1.9
.5
1.4
-.4
1 Korean
—
United
Kingdom
2.1
Employment:
1960-86 .....................................................
1960-73 .................................................
1973-86 .................................................
No t e :
International Labor Productivity
2 .8
- .4
3.4
1 .8
5.2
8 .0
2 .8
.2
-.4
6 .2
3.0
—
—
,
Belgium
Denmark
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
10.4
12.9
7.8
10.7
11.1
1 0 .0
11.5
10.5
11.7
1 1 .8
10.7
11.4
9.2
14.4
1 1 .0
1 2 .2
10.3
1 0 .6
19.4
10.3
14.0
7.2
14.0
7.8
1 1 .6
4.7
13.4
9.9
14.2
9.6
10.4
4.3
6 .6
6.9
3.7
6.4
5.9
5.1
2.4
8.7
9.7
1 2 .0
4.1
4.3
3.9
9.4
5.6
13.3
7.9
4.8
6.5
5.5
7.5
4.2
5.2
3.2
7.3
5.4
9.2
6 .2
11.1
4.1
3.8
4.3
4.9
3.0
16.7
10.4
17.9
5.6
7.5
9.4
5.9
5.8
11.1
1 1 .2
1 .6
1 .0
7.6
6.4
1 .8
8 .8
2 .8
3.8
6 .6
1 .8
3.1
3.0
3.7
1.1
4.5
2.7
7.6
10.4
7.8
7.2
6.7
5.8
6.1
5.3
3.7
4.5
5.8
3.2
5.8
8 .0
6 .6
5.1
5.9
7.7
4.2
7.1
7.2
7.1
4.9
5.3
4.6
12.7
-4 .3
11.9
- .4
11.7
- 1 .8
13.4
1.9
11.5
- 1.1
1 .0
4.2
36.8
- 1 .6
39.2
2.1
28.2
3.7
29.3
15.2
.1
7.4
- .2
17.4
34.3
7.4
3.9
8 .6
Korean data begin with 1970.
No t e :
Rates of change based on the compound rate method. Dashes indicate data are not available.
terms, unit labor costs rose more than 40 percent in Japan
from 1985 to 1986 and by about 20 to 40 percent in the
European countries, compared with the 0.4-percent decline
in the United States. The market values of the Canadian
dollar and Korean won continued to fall slightly in 1986;
therefore, Canada’s and Korea’s competitive situations ben
28
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efited to an even greater extent from exchange rate move
ments.
Despite the sharp 1986 appreciations of the Japanese and
European currencies, only the yen had a higher relative
value in 1986 than in 1979— up 30 percent. The Canadian
dollar, the German mark, and the Dutch guilder were 16-18
Chart 2. Relative indexes of unit labor costs, United States, 1973-86
percent below their 1979 values and the other European
currencies still 30 to more than 40 percent lower. In the
absence of adjustment for these exchange rate changes,
Japan improved its relative competitive position more than
any of the other countries, with an overall decline in manu
facturing unit labor costs between 1979 and 1986, followed
by the Benelux countries, the United States, and Germany
with increases of 7 to 23 percent. The other countries had
increases of nearly 50 up to 100 percent. Adjusted for ex
change rate changes, however, Japan’s increase slightly ex
ceeded that of the United States at 23 percent and equaled
Canada’s increase.
Trade-w eighted relative unit labor costs
The preceding section provides comparisons of trends in
unit labor costs on a country-by-country basis. However,
the countries covered differ greatly in their relative impor
tance to U.S. foreign trade in manufactured goods. For
example, Canada and Japan each accounted for about
20 percent of total U.S. imports and exports of manufac
tured goods in 1986, the four large European countries each
accounted for about 3 to l \ percent, and the five smaller
European countries each accounted for about 2 percent
or less. Consequently, the Bureau also constructs tradeweighted summary measures that take account of these
differences.
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Two summary measures are constructed: a “competitors”
index, which is the trade-weighted geometric average of the
indexes for the 11 other industrial countries (Korea is not
included), and a relative index, which is the ratio of the U.S.
index to the “competitors” index. The trade weights were
derived by rescaling a 17-country International Monetary
Fund ( im f ) series, which the IMF uses to compute relative
cost and price indicators, to the 12 industrial countries cov
ered by this article. The weights are based on disaggregated
1980 trade data for manufactured goods and take account of
both direct bilateral trade and the relative importance of
“third country” markets.
Chart 2 shows U.S. relative unit labor cost indexes on
both a national currency and U.S. dollar basis over the 1973
to 1986 period. As the chart shows, U.S. unit labor costs,
measured on a national currency basis declined from 1973
to 1977 relative to the 11 “competitor” countries, rose
slightly from 1977 to 1982, and then declined again from
1982 to 1986. As of 1986, U.S. relative unit labor costs
were down 13 percent from 1973 and 1 percent from the
previous low in 1977.
Measured on a U.S. dollar basis, U.S. relative unit labor
costs were down 16 percent as of 1978, rose moderately in
1979 and 1980, and then rose sharply as the dollar appreci
ated strongly in the first half of the 1980’s. As of 1985, U.S.
relative unit labor costs were up 38 percent over 1980 and
29
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
Table 4.
December 1987 •
International Labor Productivity
Percent change in manufacturing unit labor costs in 13 countries, 1979- 86
Unit labor costs: U.S. dollars
Exchange rate1
Unit labor costs: National currency
Country
0
-
-
-
21
22
40
4
-1 4
-9
-4 4
-5 0
-51
-5 3
23
23
20
2
1
-1 6
30
-4 5
-3 4
-3 5
-3 9
-2
-6
-1 4
43
-8
-1 0
2
-2 7
-3
-4 5
-2 9
-1 9
34
37
33
-1 6
-4 4
-1 8
-3 2
-4 0
-31
-3 8
-5 6
-4 0
-41
-5 0
-3 9
-2 6
-1 5
-3 7
40
32
39
28
29
17
21
22
Canada ..................................................................................................
Japan .....................................................................................................
Korea ....................................................................................................
Belgium ..................................................................................................
Denmark ................................................................................................
France ....................................................................................................
46
-5
67
61
4
12
11
1
50
76
43
72
5
3
23
19
94
4
51
44
41
3
3
3
1 Value
7
67
54
46
1985-86
1985-86
United S tates..........................................................................................
100
1979-85
1979-85
1979-85
Germany ................................................................................................
Ita ly .........................................................................................................
Netherlands............................................................................................
Norway ..................................................................................................
Sw eden..................................................................................................
United Kingdom .....................................................................................
1979-86
1979-86
1985-86
1979-86
10
7
4
42
-1
33
31
30
36
28
36
16
21
13
8
4
12
-1 2
14
-7
1
-1 1
-2 8
-1 4
0
of foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar.
20 percent over 1973. The sharp fall in the U.S. dollar
against the yen and European currencies, which began in
1985 and continued during 1987, resulted in a 1985-86
decline of 22 percent in U.S. relative unit labor costs. While
still about 11 percent above the previous low in this index
in 1978, it put U.S. relative costs at about the same level as
in 1977.
This overall index of U.S. relative unit labor costs of
course masks some divergent trends among the competitor
countries. In particular, the U.S. dollar rose less against the
Canadian dollar in the first half of the 1980’s than it did
against the European currencies and did not fall against the
Canadian dollar in 1986. Relative to a “competitors” index
consisting of Japan and the nine European countries, U.S.
unit labor costs rose 47 percent between 1980 and 1985 and
fell 26 percent in 1986.
Recent exchange rate changes
The Japanese and European currencies continued to ap
preciate against the U.S. dollar during 1987 and the Cana
dian dollar rose moderately. The Korean won also began
appreciating during 1987. As of late November, the Cana
dian dollar was 6 percent above its 1986 average value, the
Korean won was up 20 percent, and the other currencies
were up 15 to more than 30 percent. U.S. manufacturing
unit labor costs fell through the first three quarters of 1987
and were about 3 percent below their 1986 average as of the
third quarter. Consequently, the U.S. competitive situation
should have improved relative to Japan, Europe, and
Korea.
I I
FOOTNOTES
1 The data relate to all employed persons, including the self-employed,
in the United States and Canada, and to all wage and salary employees in
the other countries. Hours refer to hours paid in the United States and to
hours worked in the other industrial countries.
not available. See Arthur Neef, ’’International trends in productivity and
unit labor costs in manufacturing,” Monthly Labor Review, December
1986, p. 17, footnote 2.
The comparisons are limited to trend measures only because reliable
level comparisons of manufacturing productivity and unit labor costs are
2 This article includes revised statistics which have not yet been incorpo
rated in “Current Labor Statistics,” table 47, this issue.
30
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Producer services industries:
why are they growing so rapidly?
Does the hefty postwar growth of some service
industries mean that manufacturers are
cutting overhead by farming out activities
once performed in house? Analysis of data
shows this to be an unlikely explanation
for the growth of producer services industries
Jo h n T s c h e t t e r
Economists continue to search for the causes of the dramatic
post-World War II growth in service-producing industries.1
Some claim that the growth simply reflects changes in the
way U.S. companies are doing business, according to the
following argument:2 To be competitive in domestic and
international markets, manufacturing companies need to re
duce their overhead costs. To do this, companies are trans
ferring service-type activities formerly performed by
in-house staff to firms which specialize in those activities.
Persons subscribing to this hypothesis believe that these
simple transfers of activities— called “unbundling”— ac
count for a significant proportion of the output and employ
ment growth in the service-producing industries, but
contribute little to the total economy.
This article examines producer services industries, an
important subset of the service-producing industries. We
want to review several possible explanations for the growth
of this important group of industries, particularly the un
bundling hypothesis. Producer services include advertising, /
computer and data processing services, personnel supply
services, management and business consulting services,
protective and detective services, services to dwellings and
other buildings, legal services, accounting and auditing
services, and engineering and architectural services.3 In
1986, producer services industries employed about 6.8 mil
lion wage and salary workers, or 6.8 percent of nonagricultural workers.
John Tschetter is an economist in the Office of Economic Growth and
Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Certain common threads unite these very diverse indus
tries. Producer services industries perform activities that are
usually classified as overhead in other companies. They
have grown faster than the total economy, in terms of both
output and employment, for several decades. In fact, their
performance has outpaced that of the service-producing in
dustries as a group. However, based on the evidence pre
sented in this article, the unbundling explanation accounts
for a very small portion of the recent employment growth of
producer services industries.
O verview o f producer services
The industries as a group. Wage and salary employment
growth in the producer services industries has been rapid
relative to total nonagricultural employment and to total
employment in the service-producing industries for several
decades.4 The following tabulation contrasts average annual
rates of change (in percent) for selected economic sectors
and periods:
5 'C 73<*
gl
1 9 5 9 -7 2
Nonagricultural
industries ........
Serviceproducing . . .
Producer
services .
1 9 7 2 -8 2
N u m e ric a l
ch a n g e,
1 9 8 2 -8 6
1 9 8 2 -8 6
(th o u sa n d s)
2.5
2.0
2.7
10,044
3.3
2.8
3.3
9,177
6.2
6.2
8.5
1,886
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Producer Services Industries
Self-employment is growing faster in producer services
industries than in either the total nonagricultural economy or
service-producing industries. In 1986, 15 percent of the
self-employed persons in the nonagricultural economy were
found in producer services:
Self-em ployed person s
Nonagricultural
industries ..........................
Service-producing
industries .....................
Producer services . . .
1986
level
(thousands)
A verage
annual change,
1 9 8 2 -8 6
(percen t)
7,881
2.0
6,116
1,184
1.5
4.3
Change
Total econom y............... . . $3,713
Service-producing
industries ................. .. 2,495
220
Producer services ..
1 9 7 2 -8 2
4.1
2.5
4.9
4.2
7.2
Finally, the number of establishments classified in the
producer services industries increased more rapidly between
1982 and 1986 than the number in either the total economy
or in the service-producing industries. As indicated below,
about 10 percent of all reporting units covered by State
unemployment insurance laws in 1986 were in producer
services. (Levels are in thousands of units; changes are
average annual rates, in percent.)
All industries...............................................
5,426
Service-producing industries.................
4,288
Producer services....................................
568
Change,
1 9 8 2 -8 6
2.7
2.8
6.4
Individual industries. Although we are studying producer
services industries in the aggregate, they are by no means a
homogeneous group. They range in size from personnel
supply services (1 million wage and salary workers in 1986)
and services to buildings (681,000) to credit reporting and
collection agencies (98,000) and photofinishing laboratories
(80,000). (See table 1.)
32
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Several explanations have been offered for the rapid
growth of the producer services industries. We will briefly
review these explanations using input-output methodology
as a framework for the analysis.6
growth. One obvious explanation for the industries’
growth is the expansion of the total economy. Over the
1972-85 period, output of producer services (in real terms)
grew about 6 percent per year while the total economy grew
2.6 percent per year. (See table 2.) Thus, for those 13 years
at least, g n p growth explains only about 40 percent of
growth for the producer services industries. By comparison,
g n p change explains about 50 percent of the communica
tions industry’s output growth, 65 percent of the medical
services industry’s growth, and about 90 percent of the
growth for eating and drinking establishments.
gnp
1 9 8 2 -8 6
2.0
1986
level
Î
Can we explain the rapid growth?
During the 1982-86 span, wage and salary employment
in the U.S. nonagricultural economy increased by 10 mil
lion persons. The producer services industries employed 1.9
million of these additional workers. This increase represents
19 percent of the nonagricultural employment change.
As shown in the next tabulation, output of producer serv
ices industries also has grown several percentage points
faster than that of the total economy.5 In 1986, 6 percent of
the United States’ gross product originating or value added
occurred in producer services. (Levels are in billions of
1982 dollars; changes are average annual rates, in percent.)
1986 level
There is considerable variation in the employment trends
among individual producer services industries but most have
expanded faster than the total economy in recent years.
During the 1982-86 period, the most rapidly growing activ
ities in this group of industries were personnel supply and
computer and data processing services. The dramatic
growth in personnel supply occurred in temporary help
agencies. The expansion in computer and data processing
services occurred in both software and data processing. The
largest numerical growth during the 1982-86 period also
occurred in these two industries.
Table 1. Employment trends in producer services indus
tries, selected periods, 1972-86
[Numbers in thousands]
Industry
Producer services1 ___ 9. . ^ t ) . 61 —
Business services..................................
'Advertising .........................................
Credit reporting and collection...........
Mailing, reproduction,
stenographic ..................................
' Services to buildings..........................»
• Personnel supply services................. "•
Computer and data processing
services...........................................~
Research and development
laboratories....................................
î Management and public relations . . .
Detective and protective services —
■ Equipment rental and leasing.............
Photofinishing laboratories.................
Legal services ......................................
Miscellaneous professional services . . .
Engineering and architectural ...........
Accounting, auditing, and
bookkeeping ..................................
1986
level
1972-82
6,791
6.2
8.5
1,886
4,781
r 202
98
6.3
2.8
-0 .2
9.8
5.8
6.9
1,495
41
23
195
- 681
1,017
5.1
4.5
9.6
9.6
6.8
16.3
60
158
461
' 591
13.1
- 12.8
227
191
-5 5 0
«. 445
- 208
80
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
3.0
.10.7
6.3
' 12.1
1.8
21
184
96
76
5
748
7.6
7.2
182
1,262
. 678
5.2
5.4
4.6
4.3
209
106
433
5.6
5.3
81
11ncludes industries not listed separately below.
2Data not available.
No t e :
1982-86
Numerical
change,
1982-86
Annual percent change
Data are from the Current Employment Statistics survey.
Table 2. Sources of industry output growth, selected
service-producing industries, 1972-85
[Average annual change, in percent]
Output change
explained by— 1
Industry
Composition of—
GNP
growth
Final
demand
Business
practices
Service-producing ..........................
2.9
2 .6
0.1
0 .2
Producer services.......................
Communications..........................
Eating and drinking places ........
Medical services..........................
6 .0
2 .6
0.1
3.3
5.5
2.9
4.0
2 .6
1.1
1.8
2 .6
.0
.3
2 .6
1.4
.0
1 The
10 ,
Actual
change
model for these calculations Is described in the appendix.
Final demand composition. Why have some industries,
particularly producer services, grown faster than g n p ? One
possibility is that shifts in the composition of final demand
within g n p have occurred over time. Does an economy that
consumes more personal and medical services and relatively
less cars and food generate more employment among
lawyers, guards, and computer programmers, and less em
ployment among farmers and assembly line workers?
Over the 1972-85 period, the composition of final deivitiand changed modestly. In 1972, consumer expenditures
for durable goods
poods accounted for about 8 nerren
percentt ooff total pg.np
np,
compared with 10 percent in 1985. ( g n p is measured in real
1982 dollars.) Expenditures for nondurable goods accounted
for about 26 percent of g n p in 1972, and for 24 percent in
1985. Consumer outlays for services accounted for 29 per
cent of g n p in 1972, and for 32 percent in 1985. Expendi
tures for investment and foreign trade as a proportion of g n p
increased over the 1972-85 period while those for total
government declined (although the share devoted to defense
increased).
To isolate the impact of the changing composition of final
demand on producer services output growth, we need to
estimate what the industries’ output growth would have
been if the composition of final demand had changed while
both the g n p level and business practices had not. Here,
business practices— the manner in which goods and services
are assembled and delivered to final demand— are measured
with input-output coefficients. (The model used for this
analysis is described in the appendix.) The difference be
tween the estimated output growth and actual growth is the
effect of changing final demand composition on the output
of producer services industries.
In the analysis, final demand includes 82 consumption
groups, producers’ durable equipment, residential and nonresidential structures, inventory change, exports, imports,
Federal Government defense and nondefense expenditures,
and State and local government expenditures. The changing
final demand composition includes the shifts between per
sonal consumption expenditure categories, such as medical
services and food, as well as the shifts among investment,
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total personal consumption, and other aggregate categories.
The period covered is 1972 to 1985. (Data availability limits
the analysis throughout this article to selected periods. For
the following discussion, the input-output data are available
only for selected years.)
According to this calculation, changes in final demand
composition alone boosted the demand for producer services
by only 0.1 percent per year over the 1972-85 period. (See
table 2.) Thus, the changing composition of final demand
had only a very slight impact on the very rapid growth of the
producer services industries, explaining less than 2 percent
of the increase. (Recall that g n p growth explained about 40
percent of the growth.) The size of this effect varies little
with the choice of years studied.
The changes in final demand composition did affect some
service-producing industries during the 1972-85 period,
causing medical services and communications industries in
(particular to grow faster than g n p . However, these changes
had little impact on the broad service-producing sector.
For two reasons, the small effect of changing final de
mand composition on producer services (0.1 percent per
year) might have been anticipated. First, these industries
usually sell their outputs to many other industries, and the
distribution of their sales for the most part parallels the size
of the purchasing industries. Two exceptions are purchases
of engineering and architectural services by the construction
industry and purchases of legal services by consumers. Sec
ond, the purchased producer services usually account for
only 3 to 7 percent of the total costs of production in other
industries.
The effect of changing final demand composition on med
ical services and communications also might have been an
ticipated. These industries sell much of their output to
consumers, and consumer expenditures for medical services
and for communications grew faster than g n p over the
1972-85 period. The effect on eating and drinking indus
tries is modest because consumer expenditures for food pur
chased off-premises grew at about the same rate as g n p over
the study period.
Business practices. Changes over time in business prac
tices is another potential explanation for the above average
growth of the producer services industries. Business prac
tices concern the inputs that companies require to assemble
and deliver their products. For example, companies require
material inputs such as plastics, steel, aluminum, glass, and
packaging materials. They also require other inputs, such as
transportation services, financial services, communications,
maintenance, and repair. These other inputs also include
producer services-type activities.
An illustration is useful here. A consumer buying a new
car sees only the car in a dealer’s showroom, but has actu
ally purchased an array of goods and services. The con
sumer purchases the tires, glass, paint, and other materials
required to produce a car; the energy needed to assemble
33
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Producer Services Industries
the car; the shipment of the car from the manufacturing plant
to the dealer’s showroom; the inventory expense dealers
incur to keep cars in the showroom to attract customers; and
the overhead expenses, such as accounting, legal, or adver
tising services, incurred at each step of the assembly and
delivery.
Business practices— or the composition of material and
nonmaterial inputs— change over time for several reasons.
For example, new technologies and innovations, such as
computer hardware and software, fiber optics, composite
materials, and plastics are introduced. Relative prices of
inputs may change, as did energy prices during the 1970’s
and 1980’s. There may be shifts in political, social, or
demographic phenomena, such as deregulation or altered
industrial relations practices. And finally, another potential
reason is unbundling. The changes in material inputs are
easier to visualize than those in the other inputs, but both
types of change can have dramatic implications even in the
short term.
What would producer services’ output growth have been
if business practices had changed but both the level of gnp
and the composition of final demand had remained con
stant? The answer may be estimated by examining the
changes in input-output coefficients for 156 industries.
Changes in business practices added aboutJLjLpercentage
points per year, or about 55 percent, to output growth of the
producer services industries over the 1972-85 period. (See
table 2.) Such changes added very little to the output growth
of some other industries, explaining only 0.0 to 0.3 percent
age points for service-producing industries as a group and
for the medical services and the eating and drinking estab
lishments industries. However, the changes did add 1.8
percentage points per year to the output growth of the com
munications industry.
The exact proportion of the producer services industries’
output growth explained by the changes in business prac
tices could be sensitive to developments peculiar to the
period analyzed. However, the estimate would always be
meaningful because these industries usually sell their out
puts to many different industries.
Unbundling
Hypothesis. Which changes in business practices have
caused the output and employment of the producer services
industries to grow at above average rates? Some argue that
the employment growth of producer services industries re
flects simply the shifting of existing legal, accounting and
auditing, janitorial, or clerical activities from one industry
classification to another. The usual anecdotal reference for
this shift, or unbundling, is a manufacturing company which
previously provided its own producer services activities, but
which now purchases these activities.
All else held equal, unbundling implies several things.
First, the absolute numbers of employees involved in pro
ducer services-type activities within manufacturing indus
34
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tries would decline over time as the functions performed by
these employees are transferred to the producer services
industries. Second, the volume of producer services activity
throughout the total economy would not increase; only the
location of the activity would change. Finally, unbundling
would be a significant source of increasing demand for the
producer services industries.
In discussions of unbundling, there often is confusion
between unbundling and increased contracting out. Un
bundling implies increased contracting out, but increased
contracting need not imply unbundling. Strictly speaking,
unbundling implies that the location of producer services
activities has changed for the total economy, but not the
volume. Increased contracting out implies that manufactur
ing industries are purchasing more from the producer serv
ices industries, but the increased purchases could result
from unbundling, from new needs for producer servicestype activities, or from both.
Why would companies be switching from in-house staff
to outside suppliers? If the unbundling hypothesis holds,
perhaps it is because many businesses find it cheaper to
purchase producer services from another establishment than
to perform the activities with in-house staff and capital.7
The supplying establishments offer specialization and
economies of scale in providing overhead inputs. Manufac
turing companies have long made similar cost decisions for
the materials, energy, and other inputs used in the produc
tion process.
Unbundling also concerns how companies cope with fluc
tuating work force requirements.8 They can staff their oper
ations with enough permanent employees for their peak
production loads. Or they can staff their operations with just
enough permanent employees for their average production
loads and hire temporary workers (or contract for other
producer services) for peak production periods. In recent
years, companies have adopted “just-in-time” inventory
practices in their manufacturing processes. If the un
bundling hypothesis is correct, perhaps they have also
adopted “just-in-time” personnel practices to meet overhead
requirements.
To trace the progress of the practice of unbundling, we
review employment trends by industry and occupation for
the 1977-86 period. A more in-depth review would focus
specifically on the purchases of producer services by manu
facturing industries. However, such data are not collected in
the U.S. Department of Commerce Census of Manufactures
or other surveys. Because of this, it is extremely difficult to
isolate the unbundling phenomenon itself or to control for
other factors which affect employment trends. We can iso
late only several broad factors affecting employment.
The employment estimates used here are from bls’ Occu
pational Employment Survey (oes).9 This survey is de
signed to collect data on employment of wage and salary
workers by occupation and industry in nonagricultural es
tablishments. Each industry is surveyed every 3 years. We
use the surveys of manufacturing conducted in the spring of
1977, 1980, 1983, and 1986.
Two limitations of the o e s data should be noted before we
proceed with the analysis. First, a major new occupational
classification system was introduced in the 1983 survey.
Because of this, the 1977-80 employment estimates are not
comparable to the 1983-86 estimates. For example, the
1977 and 1980 estimates counted first-line supervisor as a
managerial occupation; the 1983 and 1986 estimates
counted the first-line supervisor as a production occupation.
This shift creates the incorrect impression that employment
among managers declined between 1980 and 1983. Second,
the o e s is conducted during April, May, and June. Thus, the
employment estimates are not annual averages, but esti
mates for selected months.
Broad occupational trends, 1977-86. We first simply
track the numbers of wage and salary workers in broad
occupational groups in manufacturing for the 1977-86 pe
riod. These employment trends are the net effect of changes
in g n p , final demand composition, business practices, and
staffing patterns. (Staffing patterns are the percentages of an
industry’s employment accounted for by particular occupa
tions.) The trends do not provide specific information on
unbundling. However, the observations are useful because
they are the longest available trends.
Among the broad occupational groups, the number of
managers employed in manufacturing increased between
1977 and 1980, and again between 1983 and 1986. (See
table 3.) (Managerial occupations include financial, pur
chasing, personnel, marketing, and administrative man
agers.) The number of managers increased by 201,000 be
tween 1977 and 1980 and by 131,000 between 1983 and
1986. As noted above, the 1980-83 decline is largely the
Table 3. Employment trends for selected broad occupa
tional groups within manufacturing, selected years,
1977-86
Occupation
Numbers
(in thousands)
1 97 7 1
Total employment .........
Managers and
administrative
workers...................
Professional, para
professional, and
technical workers ..
Clerical and
administrative
support workers . . .
Service occupations ,.
Sales workers.............
Production and related
workers2 .................
1 98 0 '
19,722 20,228
Percent
distribution
1 97 7 '
198 0 '
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
Numbers
(in thousands)
1983
1986
Percent
distribution
1983
1986
18,369 19,042 1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
1,127
1,328
5.7
6 .6
1,062
1,193
5.8
6.4
1,662
1,998
8.4
9.9
2,013
2,252
1 1 .0
1 1 .8
2,160
390
419
2,322
373
439
11.1
11.5
11.7
1 1 .6
1.8
302
611
1.8
1 .6
2 .2
2,151
326
541
2 ,2 0 0
2 .0
2.1
2.9
3.2
13,964 13,767
70.8
68.1
12,277 12,484
6 6 .8
65.6
'Because of revisions in occupational definitions introduced with the 1983 data, the 1977 and
1980 estimates a re n o t co m p a ra b le to the 1983 and 1986 estimates. For 1977 and 1980 esti
mates, professional and technical occupations were combined.
2For the 1983 and 1986 estimates, production and agricultural workers were combined.
N o t e : Data are from the Occupational Employment Survey.The 1986 data are un
published, and are subject to revision.
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result of new occupational definitions. Further, the share of
all manufacturing jobs held by managers increased from 5.7
percent of all wage and salary workers in 1977 to 6.6 per
cent in 1980, and from 5.8 percent in 1983 to 6.4 percent in
1986. These increasing employment levels and shares sug
gest that the unbundling of managerial-type producer serv
ices by manufacturing industries has not occurred.
Similar changes occurred among the professional, paraprofessional, and technical occupations within manufactur
ing. (Included here are accountants, engineers, scientists,
computer scientists and programmers, and engineering and
science technicians.) The number of professional and tech
nical workers increased by about 336,000 between 1977 and
1980, and by 239,000 between 1983 and 1986. As a result,
the share of manufacturing employment accounted for by
professional, paraprofessional, and technical occupations
increased from 8.4 percent in 1977 to 9.9 percent in 1980,
and from 11.0 percent in 1983 to 11.8 percent in 1986. As
for managers, these increasing levels and shares suggest
that an unbundling of activities related to professional and
technical occupations in manufacturing industries has not
occurred.
A different picture emerges for clerical and administrative
support occupations. (Clerical workers include secretaries,
computer operators, bookkeepers, and dispatching and in
ventory clerks.) The number of clerical workers employed
in manufacturing increased between 1977 and 1980
(162,000 wage and salary workers), and again between
1983 and 1986 (49,000 persons). (The 1980 and 1983 esti
mates shown in table 3 are not comparable because of
changes in the coding structure.)
However, the importance of clerical occupations to man
ufacturing peaked in the early 1980’s. Wage and salary
workers in such occupations accounted for 11 percent of
total manufacturing employment in 1977 and 11.5 percent
in 1980. Between 1983 and 1986, however, the share of
clerical occupations within manufacturing declined from
11.7 percent of the total to 11.6 percent. The increasing
employment level but declining share for the 1983-86 pe
riod suggests a structural change affecting clerical workers
which warrants further exploration.
Further study of developments among service occupa
tions in manufacturing also is suggested by the results of this
analysis. (Such occupations include guards and janitors.)
The number of service workers employed in manufacturing
decreased over the 1977-80 period (-17,000 persons).
From 1983 to 1986, the number of service workers again
declined (—23,000 persons). The importance of service oc
cupations to manufacturing industries has declined since
1977; these occupations accounted for 2 percent of manu
facturing employment in 1977 and 1.8 percent in 1980. The
share declined again, from 1.8 percent in 1983 to 1.6 per
cent in 1986.
For completeness, employment estimates for sales and
production occupations also are shown in table 4. However,
35
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Producer Services Industries
they are not discussed here, for they are seldom the focus of
the unbundling argument.
Further exploration of 1983-86 period. To determine the
extent of possible unbundling of clerical and service occupa
tions by manufacturing industries, we need to isolate the
sources of the occupational employment changes. If we can
estimate the effects of changes in final demand composition,
business practices, and labor productivity on the employment
trends of clerical occupations within manufacturing, then we
can finally focus on the unbundling phenomenon. For exam
ple, if we can explain the declining share of manufacturing
employment accounted for by clerical occupations for the
1983-86 period by the changing composition of final demand,
then we can argue that unbundling is not occurring.
This analysis is limited to the 1983-1986 period because
of the changes in occupational definitions introduced in the
1983 o e s . However, this is not a major problem, for manu
facturing employment trends since the 1981-82 recession
are the chief concern of the analysis at this point. Manufac
turing employment did not recover as quickly from the last
recession as from earlier recessions. Unbundling is one of
several explanations given for the slow recovery.
One explanation for the continued employment growth of
clerical occupations over the 1983-86 period is the total
employment growth of manufacturing industries. According
to the data from the o e s , wage and salary employment in
manufacturing employment increased by 673,000 over the 3
years. (Recall that the o e s is measuring from the spring of
1983 to the spring of 1986. Thus, any estimates are affected
by the fact that the two surveys were conducted at different
points in the business cycle.) Other things equal, this growth
would have boosted employment of wage and salary work
ers in clerical occupations by 79,000 persons. This estimate
is derived simply by multiplying the increase in total manu
facturing employment by the 1983 proportion of manufac
turing employment accounted for by clerical occupations
(11.7 percent). (See table 4.) However, because the actual
change in clerical occupations in manufacturing was only
49.000 between 1983 and 1986, we must conclude that
something caused the employment of clerical workers to lag
total manufacturing employment.
This analysis was repeated for other occupations. If total
manufacturing employment growth were the only change
between 1983 and 1986, the number of persons in manage
rial occupations in manufacturing would have increased by
39.000 compared with actual growth of 131,000. Similarly,
the number of persons in professional, paraprofessional, and
technical occupations would have grown by 74,000 rather
than the increase of 239,000 actually noted. Thus, manufac
turing job growth explains only part of the growing numbers
of managers and professional and related workers in manu
facturing.
Finally, the number of persons in service occupations
would have increased by 12,000 if the only change over the
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1983-86 span had been the level of manufacturing employ
ment. The actual change was a decrease of 23,000 persons.
Thus, something is causing employment of service workers
to lag.
Industrial composition, 1983-86. Another potential
source of employment growth among clerical occupations is
a changing mix of manufacturing industries. Industry mix is
defined as the numbers of persons employed in particular
industries as percentages of total manufacturing employ
ment. For example, the motor vehicles industry accounted
for 4.1 percent of manufacturing workers in 1983, and for
4.6 percent in 1986. The construction machinery industry
accounted for 1.4 percent of all manufacturing workers in
1983, and for 1.2 percent in 1986.
The effect of changing industry mix may be gauged by
determining what the change in clerical employment be
tween 1983 and 1986 would have been if industry employ
ment shares had changed, but both the level of manufactur
ing employment and the proportion of clerical workers
within the individual manufacturing industries had not. The
difference between this employment estimate and the actual
number of clerical workers in total manufacturing in 1983
measures the impact of the changing mix of manufacturing
industries. This portion of the analysis is based on employ
ment trends for 143 manufacturing industries. The indus
tries are defined at the 3-digit level of the Standard Industrial
Classification (sic).
Changes in industry mix are the result of other develop
ments, including relative productivity trends among the de
tailed industries, changes in the composition of final de
mand, and changes in the business practices. Both the level
of total manufacturing employment and staffing patterns by
detailed industry are held constant in this analytical step.
The changing mix of manufacturing industries was found
to have caused the number of clerical workers in total man
ufacturing to increase 17,000 between 1983 and 1986. By
Table 4. Sources of occupational change in manufactur
ing employment, 1983-86
[Numbers in thousands]
Employment change
explained by—
Occupation
Managers and
administrative
workers ...................
Professional, parapro
fessional, and
technical workers . . .
Clerical and administra
tive support workers .
Service occupations . . .
Sales workers .............
Production and related
workers ...................
1 Residual
effects.
Actual
change
Total manufacturing
employment
growth
Composition of
Industry
mix
Staffing
patterns
Other1
131
39
9
81
2
239
74
36
118
11
49
-2 3
70
17
-4 4
-3 3
43
-1
20
207
450
-166
-1 2
79
12
-1
5
-6 6
-2
2
comparison, the industry mix effect explains 9,000 of the
actual 31,000 increase in the number of managers, and
36,000 of the 39,000 increase in professional, paraprofessional, and technical workers. Finally, industry mix alone
would have caused employment among service workers to
decline by 1,000.
Industry staffing patterns. A final possible explanation for
the employment growth of clerical workers in manufactur
ing during the 1983-86 period is changing staffing patterns
among the detailed manufacturing industries. For this pur
pose, then, the staffing pattern is the proportion of employ
ment accounted for by clerical occupations within a particu
lar industry. Following the procedure outlined above for the
testing of other possible explanatory variables, we attempt
to determine what the change in occupational employment
would have been if staffing patterns had changed between
1983 and 1986, but both total manufacturing employment
and the composition of industries had not. Holding these last
two elements constant implicitly holds final demand compo
sition and industry productivity constant over the 3-year
study period. (Changes in staffing patterns are the result of
other developments including changes in technology and in
business practices, both of which also affect industry mix.)
The difference between the resulting employment estimates
and actual 1983 employment isolates the effect of changing
staffing patterns.
If staffing patterns among the detailed manufacturing in
dustries were the only change for the 1983-86 period, then
employment of clerical workers for total manufacturing
would have declined by 44,000. (See table 4.) This means
that most manufacturing industries employed proportion
ately fewer clerical workers in 1986 than in 1983. However,
the growth of total manufacturing employment more than
offset the changes in staffing patterns for the clerical occu
pations among the detailed industries, resulting in the actual
net increase of 49,000 noted earlier.
By comparison, employment in managerial and profes
sional, paraprofessional, and technical occupations would
have grown by 81,000 and 118,000, respectively, if staffing
patterns had been the only change during the 1983-86 pe
riod. These estimates imply that the individual manufactur
ing industries employed proportionately more persons in
these occupations over the 3 study years. Finally, employ
ment of service workers would have declined 33,000 be
cause of the changes in staffing patterns alone over the
1983-86 period— that is, individual industries employed
proportionately fewer persons in this occupational group.
Three factors combined. We can now combine the three
employment estimates to understand the changes occurring
in clerical employment within manufacturing over the years
1983-86. The number of clerical workers would have in
creased by 79,000 based on total manufacturing employ
ment growth alone. It would have increased 17,000 based
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on changing industry mix alone. And it would have declined
by 44,000 based on changes in industry staffing patterns
alone. As noted, the actual change was an increase of
49,000. The decline isolated by changing staffing patterns
alone was the only estimate that even suggests possible
unbundling. (Earlier, we defined unbundling as an absolute
employment decline.)
Similar conclusions hold for service workers employed in
manufacturing. Unbundling could be occurring: The num
ber of service workers did decline by 23,000 between 1983
and 1986. The changes in staffing patterns among the de
tailed industries alone would have caused a 33,000 decline.
(The effect of changing staffing patterns was offset by the
total employment change in manufacturing.) The effect of
changing industry mix was slightly negative, -1,000.
The estimates for professional, paraprofessional, and
technical occupations yield a different picture. The three
effects were all positive. The change in the level of manu
facturing employment alone explained 44,000 of the actual
239.000 increase in the number of professional workers.
The change in industry mix alone explained 36,000. And,
the change in staffing patterns alone explained 118,000. We
conclude from these three positive effects that unbundling of
professional-type activities did not occur.
Impact on producer services industries. What does the
44.000 decline in employment among clerical occupations
explained by changing staffing patterns mean? One possibil
ity is that individual manufacturing industries are employing
proportionately fewer clerical workers because of un
bundling. Unfortunately, available data do not permit us to
isolate the causes of changing staffing patterns. This esti
mate represents the net effects of many factors, such as
technology and the business cycle, as well as possible
unbundling.
If unbundling were the sole explanation for the changes in
staffing patterns, then the 44,000 estimate would be equiv
alent to about 2.8 percent of the employment growth of
producer services industries. The number of workers in
those industries increased by 1,544,000 between 1983 and
1986. (The 44,000 estimate could, of course, explain a
larger proportion of the employment of clerical workers in
producer services.) For the 44,000 estimate to reflect un
bundling would require all the producer services activities
related to these jobs to be simply transferred from manufac
turing industries to producer services industries.
However, we do not know whether a direct transfer of
clerical activities from manufacturing to producer services
has even occurred. We do know that unbundling did not
alter the staffing patterns in the producer services industries.
According to the Current Population Survey, the proportion
of producer services employment accounted for by clerical
workers changed very little between 1983 and 1986. This
fact strongly suggests that all activities within producer
services grew, and not just those of a clerical nature.
37
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Producer Services Industries
The analysis presented earlier indicated that the employment of
ser vi ce wor ke r s wi t hi n ma n u f a c t u r i n g decl i ned
33,000 because of changes in staffing patterns alone.
This estimate would be equivalent to about 2.1 percent of the
actual employment growth of the producer services industries.
According to the above calculations, unbundling is not
even a possible explanation for the trends of managerial and
professional, paraprofessional, and technical employment
within the producer service industries, because changes in
staffing patterns alone caused employment in these occupa
tions to increase within manufacturing industries.
Conclusions for unbundling. We conclude from the evi
dence presented above that unbundling has been a very
small factor in the employment growth of producer services.
Occupational employment trends within manufacturing
show that unbundling is not occurring for managerial, pro
fessional, and technical occupations within manufacturing,
for employment in these occupations is increasing. Un
bundling is potentially a factor in employment trends for the
clerical and service occupations within manufacturing if the
changes in staffing patterns demonstrated earlier were related to
unbundling. However, those employment shifts for the
broad clerical and service occupations that were due to changing
staffing patterns could account for only a small proportion
of the total employment growth of producer services.
A question not addressed here is whether unbundling
could be occurring within individual firms.10 The analysis
was conducted only for total manufacturing, and the trends
observed were the net effects of decisions by all the individ
ual firms at the industry or sector level. Thus, considerable
unbundling at some firms could have been offset by the
employment growth in the same occupation at other firms.
Other reasons to purchase producer services
Why have businesses demanded more producer services
inputs over time to make their products? We established that
changes in business practices explain a large proportion of
output growth of producer services. However, we have
demonstrated that unbundling is not important among those
changes. Thus, the increased contracting out must be for
new services. The remainder of this article lists possible
explanations for the increased contracting out but does not
attempt to review their merits.11
Information. The employment growth of producer serv
ices may be a response to increasing demands for informa
tion as the cost of purchasing information declines.12 The
computer and data processing services industry has spread
the costs of the computer-related technologies over many
users. Similarly, management and business consulting serv
ices, engineering and architectural services, and other pro
ducer services have spread the costs of acquiring technical
knowledge in demography, economics, marketing, engi
neering, and other fields among many customers.
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Higher level corporate services. The increasing number of
large companies and conglomerates may have created a demand
for producer services.13 According to this argument, today’s cor
poration is probably involved in many more fields or industries—
manufacturing, retail trade, transportation, personal services, and
so on—than its 1960’s counterpart. Thus, managers now must
increasingly rely on experts in sophisticatçd producer services,
such as business management and consulting, to ensure efficient
operations.
Government regulations and laws. Some argue there are
more lawyers, accountants, and other technical experts
today than in the 1950’s and 1960’s simply because of the
number of laws passed in recent years by Congress, State
legislatures, and city councils.14 Because many of these
regulations and laws deal with banking, construction, envi
ronment, labor relations and safety, transportation, and
other fields that touch on business interests, it seems logical
that the modern firm would periodically seek expert advice
and assistance by purchasing producer services.
International trade. The growth of producer services in
dustries may be explained by the expansion of foreign trade,
especially to the extent that producer services themselves
are being exported.15
Unbalanced growth. So far, we have focused on the de
mand side of the demand/supply scissors to offer explana
tions for the rapid employment trends for producer services.
However, the explanation may lie on the supply side of the
scissors.
One supply argument is that service-producing workers
and industries resist innovations over tim e.16 According to
this explanation, the economy is divided into two types of
industries— stagnant industries that resist innovations, and
progressive industries that readily incorporate change. Over
time, the stagnant industries would absorb more and more of
the economy’s inputs. According to this argument, lawyers,
janitors, and computer programmers are performing their
tasks about as efficiently today as they did 10 or 20 years
ago.
Data issues. Data problems and issues also affect any
analysis of employment and production trends. It is difficult
to measure outputs and prices. Collecting these data requires
defining what is being produced or serviced and determining
how to measure the activity. These problems are readily
apparent in the case of services, such as legal services,
automobile repair, or bank services, where there is little in
common from one transaction to the next in terms of either
quality or quantity.17 And such problems are particularly
acute in producer services. In contrast, transactions for
goods, such as automobiles or wheat, are more likely to be
well-defined and to occur in large volumes.
Another data issue is the relative durability and portability
of goods and services. As a rule, goods are thought to be
more durable, more portable than services. But, computer
software programs are both durable and portable. Some
producer services such as temporary help or janitorial serv
ices are neither durable nor portable. Other services such as
legal, engineering, and management consulting services are
portable via telecommunications and air travel. And the
technical expertise of a lawyer or engineer is as durable as
the output of many manufacturing industries.
Sum m ary
In this article, we reviewed several explanations for the
rapid relative growth of the producer services industries
over the postwar period. The most telling of these involved
changes in how our economy produces goods and services.
Based on the evidence presented here, unbundling ac
counted for at best only a small portion of producer services
industries’ above average growth.
Nevertheless, unbundling certainly could be occurring in
individual firms. The unbundling for individual firms could
be overwhelmed by the growth of in-house employment for
these activities in other firms. And in the individual un
bundling situations, there may be displacement— as op
posed to the transfer— of individual workers. Thus, the pos
sibility that such unbundling is adversely affecting
individuals must always be recognized.
-F O O T N O T E S
1 R e c e n t bls s tu d ie s a n a ly z in g b ro a d e m p lo y m e n t s h ifts in c lu d e M ic h a e l
6 W h e n v ie w e d in a d e s c r ip tiv e s e n s e , as a s y s te m o f d a ta c la s s if ic a tio n
U rq u h a rt, “ T h e e m p lo y m e n t s h ift to s e rv ic e s : w h e re d id it c o m e f r o m , ”
M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w , A p ril 1 9 8 4 , p p . 1 5 - 2 2 ; a n d R o n a ld E . K u ts c h e r
a n d a c c o u n tin g , in p u t- o u tp u t is g e n e r a lly a c c e p ta b le to all e c o n o m is ts .
H o w e v e r , h e re w e u se in p u t- o u tp u t as a th e o ry o f p r o d u c tio n w ith th e
a n d V a le r ie P e rs o n ic k , “ D e in d u s tr ia liz a tio n : th e s h ift to s e r v ic e s ,” M o n th ly
L a b o r R e v ie w , J u n e 1 9 8 6 , p p . 3 - 1 3 . R e c e n t s tu d ie s o n in d iv id u a l in d u s
a s s u m p tio n th a t th e c o e f f ic ie n ts c o m p r is e a s e t o f te c h n o lo g ic a l p a ra m e te r s
in a lin e a r h o m o g e n e o u s p r o d u c tio n fu n c tio n w ith fix e d p r o p o r tio n s a m o n g
trie s in c lu d e M a x C a r e y a n d K im H a z e lb a k e r, “ E m p lo y m e n t g r o w th in th e
te m p o ra ry h e lp in d u s tr y ,” M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w , A p ril 1 9 8 6 , p p . 3 7 - 4 4 ;
th e v a rio u s in p u ts . F o r a n o th e r e x a m p le o f th e a n a ly s is u s e d in th is a r tic le ,
s e e B u rea u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s e m p lo y m e n t p r o je c tio n s : d e ta ile d a n a ly s is o f
s e le c te d o c c u p a tio n s a n d in d u str ie s, R e p o r t N o . gao /oce -85-1 ( W a s h in g
to n , U .S . G e n e r a l A c c o u n tin g O f f ic e , A p ril 1 9 8 5 ).
a n d W a y n e H o w e , “ T h e b u s in e s s s e r v ic e s in d u s try s e ts p a c e in e m p lo y
m e n t g r o w th ,” M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w , A p ril 1 9 8 6 , p p . 2 9 - 3 6 .
O th e r re c e n t a rtic le s in c lu d e B o b b ie H . M c C ra c k in , “ W h y a re b u s in e s s
a n d p ro f e s s io n a l s e r v ic e s g r o w in g so ra p id ly ? ” E c o n o m ic R e v ie w (F e d e ra l
R e s e rv e B a n k o f A tla n ta ), A u g u s t 1 9 8 5 , p p . 1 5 - 2 8 ; L y n n E . B ro w n e ,
“ H ig h te c h n o lo g y a n d b u s in e s s s e r v ic e s ,” N e w E n g la n d E c o n o m ic R e v ie w ,
J u ly /A u g u s t 1 9 8 3 , p p . 5 - 1 7 ; a n d L y n n E . B ro w n e , “T a k in g in e a c h o t h e r ’s
la u n d ry — th e s e rv ic e e c o n o m y ,” N e w E n g la n d E c o n o m ic R e v ie w , J u ly /A u gust 1986, pp. 2 0 -3 1 .
2 S e e G a rth M a n g u m , D o n a ld M a y a ll, a n d K ris tin N e ls o n , “ T h e te m p o
ra ry h e lp m a r k e t,” I n d u s tr ia l a n d L a b o r R e la tio n s R e v ie w , v o l. 3 8 , n o . 4 ,
p p . 5 9 9 - 6 1 1 ; R o n a ld C . H e n s o n , “ C o p in g w ith f lu c tu a tin g w o rk -f o rc e
r e q u i r e m e n t s E m p lo y m e n t R e la tio n s T o d a y , S u m m e r 1 9 8 5 , p p . 1 4 9 - 5 6 ;
a n d M ic h a e l J . P io r e , “ P e rs p e c tiv e s o n L a b o r M a r k e t F le x ib ili ty ,” I n d u s
tr ia l R e la tio n s , v o l. 2 5 , n o . 2 , p p . 1 4 6 - 6 6 .
N o e c o n o m is t is d ire c tly id e n tifie d w ith th e u n b u n d lin g e x p la n a tio n ,
a lth o u g h m a n y a llu d e to th e e c o n o m ic , a c c o u n tin g , a n d o r g a n iz a tio n a l
th e o rie s th a t u n d e r lie th e th e s is .
3 In th is a rtic le , p r o d u c e r s e r v ic e s in c lu d e s b u s in e s s s e r v ic e s ( s ic 7 3 ) ,
le g a l s e r v ic e s ( s ic 8 1 ), a n d m is c e lla n e o u s p ro f e s s io n a l s e r v ic e s ( s ic 8 9 ).
T h is g ro u p o f i n d u s trie s — a lo n g w ith o th e r g r o u p s — h a v e b e e n s in g le d o u t
in s tu d ie s s u c h a s H a rry I. G re e n fie ld , M a n p o w e r a n d th e G r o w th o f
P r o d u c e r S e r v ic e s (N e w Y o rk , C o lu m b ia U n iv e rs ity P r e s s , 1 9 6 6 ); a n d
T h o m a s M . S ta n b e c k , J r ., U n d e rs ta n d in g th e S e r v ic e E c o n o m y ( B a lti
m o r e , J o h n s H o p k in s U n iv e rs ity P r e s s , 1 9 7 9 ).
T h e in p u t- o u tp u t ta b le s u s e d in th is a rtic le a re d e v e lo p e d b y th e B u re a u
o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s a n d a re b a s e d o n ta b le s p r e p a r e d b y th e U .S . D e p a r tm e n t
o f C o m m e r c e , B u re a u o f E c o n o m ic A n a ly s is . S e e “ T h e In p u t- O u tp u t
S tr u c tu re o f th e U .S . E c o n o m y , 1 9 7 7 ,” S u r v e y o f C u r r e n t B u s in e ss , M a y
1 9 8 4 , p p . 4 2 - 7 9 , f o r a d e s c r ip tio n o f in p u t- o u tp u t ta b le s .
In th e D e p a r tm e n t o f C o m m e r c e ’s in p u t- o u tp u t ta b le s , in d u s tria l p u r
c h a s e s o f p r o d u c e r s e r v ic e s a re u s u a lly b a s e d o n o c c u p a tio n a l e m p lo y m e n t
p a tte r n s . T o ta l r e c e ip ts o f a p a r tic u la r s e r v ic e a re u s u a lly d is tr ib u te d to th e
p u r c h a s in g in d u s try b a s e d o n th e n u m b e r o f p e rs o n s in a p a r tic u la r o c c u p a
tio n in th e p u r c h a s in g in d u s try .
S e e U .S .
D e p a r tm e n t o f C o m m e r c e
“ D e fin itio n s a n d c o n v e n tio n s o f th e 1 9 7 2 in p u t- o u tp u t s tu d y ” ( W a s h in g to n ,
B u re a u o f E c o n o m ic A n a ly s is ) .
7 S e e f o o tn o te 2 .
8 S e e M a n g u m , M a y a ll, a n d N e ls o n , “T h e te m p o r a r y h e lp m a r k e t” ; a n d
H e n s o n , “ C o p in g .” A ls o s e e M ic h a e l J . P io r e , “ P e r s p e c ti v e s .”
9 T h e O c c u p a tio n a l E m p lo y m e n t S ta tis tic s (oes ) s u rv e y is d e s ig n e d to
c o lle c t d a ta o n o c c u p a tio n a l e m p lo y m e n t o f w a g e a n d s a la ry w o rk e rs b y
in d u s try in n o n a g r ic u ltu r a l e s ta b lis h m e n ts . T h e B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s
p r o v id e s th e p r o c e d u r e s a n d te c h n ic a l a s s is ta n c e f o r th e s u r v e y , a n d S ta te
e m p lo y m e n t s e c u rity a g e n c ie s c o lle c t th e d a ta . E m p lo y m e n t is b a s e d u p o n
s u rv e y r e s u lts a d ju s te d to r e fle c t to ta l in d u s tr y e m p lo y m e n t. (S e e O c c u p a
tio n a l E m p lo y m e n t in M a n u fa c tu rin g I n d u s tr i e s , B u lle tin 2 2 4 8 (B u re a u o f
L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 5 )).
4 T h is a rtic le u s e s n u m e ro u s d a ta s o u rc e s . W h e n d e s c rib in g e m p lo y m e n t
T h e a n a ly s is p r e s e n te d in th is s e c tio n w a s re p e a te d w ith d a ta fr o m th e
tre n d s in th e n o n a g ric u ltu ra l in d u s trie s a n d p ro d u c e r s e r v ic e s , w e u s e th e
C u rre n t E m p lo y m e n t S ta tis tic s (ces ) s u rv e y . W h e n d e s c rib in g th e o c c u p a
tio n a l e m p lo y m e n t f o r m a n u fa c tu rin g in d u s trie s , w e u s e th e O c c u p a tio n a l
E m p lo y m e n t S u r v e y (oes ).
C u r r e n t P o p u la tio n s u rv e y . T h e r e s u lts fr o m th e cps a n a ly s is w e re v irtu a lly
id e n tic a l— th a t is , s o m e u n b u n d lin g m ig h t b e o c c u r r in g , b u t it w o u ld e x
p la in v e ry little o f th e e m p lo y m e n t g ro w th in th e p r o d u c e r s e r v ic e s in d u s
trie s . T h e cps p ro v id e s in f o r m a tio n o n s ta f fin g p a tte r n s th a t is s im ila r to th a t
fr o m th e OES. B u t th e OES, u n lik e th e cps , is d e s ig n e d s p e c ific a lly to c o lle c t
d a ta o n o c c u p a tio n a l e m p lo y m e n t a n d is b a s e d o n a s u b s ta n tia lly la rg e r
s a m p le .
A n a lte rn a tiv e in d u s try d a ta s o u rc e is th e C u rre n t P o p u la tio n S u r v e y
(CPS) w h ic h is c o m p ile d fr o m th e h o u s e h o ld in te rv ie w s . T h e r e a re im p o r
ta n t d iff e r e n c e s a m o n g th e s u rv e y s . In p a rtic u la r, th e CPS c o u n ts th e n u m b e r
o f p e rs o n s w h o a re e m p lo y e d ; th e CES a n d OES c o u n t jo b s . B e c a u s e o f th is
5 T h e s o u rc e o f th e s e e s tim a te s is th e N a tio n a l In c o m e a n d P r o d u c t
10 A n o th e r q u e s tio n th a t w ill n o t b e a d d r e s s e d in th is a rtic le is th e
im p lic a tio n s o f in c r e a s in g e m p lo y m e n t in m a n u f a c tu r in g o f p e r s o n s in
o c c u p a tio n s c lo s e ly id e n tif ie d w ith p r o d u c e r s e r v ic e s . It w o u ld b e in te r e s t
in g in th e s e in s ta n c e s to d e te r m in e w h e th e r th e p r o p o r tio n o f to ta l p r o d u c e r
s e r v ic e s a c tiv itie s d e m a n d e d b y m a n u f a c tu r in g in d u s trie s w a s b e in g s h ifte d
s ig n if ic a n tly fr o m in -h o u s e s ta f f to p r o d u c e r s e r v ic e s in d u s tr ie s . T h e a n
s w e r to th is q u e s tio n f o r th e 1 9 7 2 - 7 7 p e rio d is th a t th e p r o p o r tio n d id n o t
A c c o u n ts , d e v e lo p e d b y th e B u re a u o f E c o n o m ic A n a ly s is , U .S . D e p a r t
m e n t o f C o m m e rc e .
c h a n g e f o r m o s t a c tiv itie s . T h is c o n c lu s io n is b a s e d o n in f o r m a tio n fr o m
th e B u re a u o f E c o n o m ic A n a ly s is ’ 1 9 7 2 a n d 1977 in p u t- o u tp u t ta b le s ,
d iff e r e n c e , a p e rs o n h o ld in g tw o o r m o re jo b s w o u ld b e c o u n te d tw o tim e s
in th e CES a n d oes , b u t o n ly o n c e in th e CPS. A n o th e r d iff e r e n c e is th a t th e
CPS in c lu d e s e s tim a te s o f s e lf -e m p lo y e d w o rk e rs , u n p a id fa m ily w o r k e r s ,
a n d w a g e a n d s a la ry w o rk e rs ; th e CES a n d oes c o v e r o n ly w a g e a n d s a la ry
w o rk e rs .
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39
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Producer Services Industries
c o m b in e d w ith e m p lo y m e n t tre n d s fo r s e le c te d o c c u p a tio n s in b o th m a n u
fa c tu r in g a n d p r o d u c e r s e r v ic e s in d u s trie s . T h is a n a ly s is c a n n o t b e e x
te n d e d th ro u g h 1 9 8 2 o r la te r u n til in d e p e n d e n tly e s tim a te d in p u t- o u tp u t
ta b le s a re a v a ila b le fo r th e s e r e c e n t y e a rs .
11 F o r m o re in fo r m a tio n o n th e e x te n t o f c o n tra c tin g o u t b y b u s in e s s e s ,
s ee Business Contracting-Out Services , S u m m a r y R e p o r t 8 7 -8 (B u re a u o f
L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 7 ).
Trade in Services: Exports and
ota -ite -316 (W a s h in g to n , U .S . C o n
g r e s s , S e p te m b e r 1 9 8 6 ).
16 S e e W illia m J . B a u m o l, “ M a c r o e c o n o m ic s o f u n b a la n c e d g r o w th ,”
J u n e 1 9 6 7 , p p . 4 1 5 - 2 6 ; W illia m J . B a u m o l,
S u e A n n e B a te y B la c k m a n , a n d E d w a r d N . W o lf f , “ U n b a la n c e d g ro w th
r e v is ite d ; a s y m p to tic s ta g n a n c y a n d n e w e v id e n c e ,” American Economic
American Economic Review ,
Review,
S e p te m b e r 1 9 8 5 , p p . 8 0 6 - 1 7 ; L e s te r C . T h u r o w , “ P r u n in g o u r
w h ite - c o lla r r a n k s : a k e y to p r o d u c tiv ity ,” Technology Review, N o v e m b e r /
12 B r o w n e , “ H ig h te c h n o lo g y .”
13 S ta n b e c k ,
15 O f f ic e o f T e c h n o lo g y A s s e s s m e n t,
Foreign Revenues-Special Report,
Understanding the Service Economy,
p p . 1 8 - 2 1 . A ls o se e
D e c e m b e r 1 9 8 5 , p p . 1 4 - 1 5 ; a n d C e n te r f o r D e m o c r a tic P o lic y ,
ing the economy ( W a s h in g to n ) .
Strengthen
D o n a ld J . C o c h e b a , R o b e r t W . G ilm e r , a n d R ic h a r d S . M a c k , “ C a u s e s a n d
c o n s e q u e n c e s o f s lo w g ro w th in th e T e n n e s s e e V a lle y ’s s e r v ic e s e c to r ,”
Growth and Change, J a n u a ry 1 9 8 6 , p p . 5 1 - 6 5 .
Science,
14 T h e re is n o s p e c ific p r o p o n e n t o f th is e x p la n a tio n , b u t it is re v ie w e d
in m a n y s tu d ie s o f p r o d u c e r s e r v ic e s . S e e M c C r a c k in , “ W h y a re b u s in e s s
a n d p r o f e s s io n a l s e r v ic e s g ro w in g s o ra p id ly ? ” p . 2 3 .
17 S e e c h a p te r 7 o f b l s Handbook of Methods, B u lle tin 2 1 3 4 - 1 (B u re a u
o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 2 ) f o r a d is c u s s io n th e P r o d u c e r P r ic e I n d e x a n d
is s u e s c o n c e r n in g p r ic e in d e x e s .
APPENDIX:
Description o f the model
In this article, three factors or determinants of output and
employment trends are considered. In the input-output sec
tion, the analysis focuses on output trends. In the
unbundling section, the emphasis is on occupational em
ployment trends. This appendix describes the model on
which the analysis is based. However, to keep the mathe
matics simple, a model for only two factors is shown. A
three-factor model would be more complicated but similar.
Based on two factors, the analysis can be represented as
follows:
In year T 1, the dependent variable is expressed:
Dt = Ax * Bx
(1)
where: D = dependent variable;
A = first factor or explanatory variable;
B = second factor or explanatory variable; and
T = time.
The change in output between two periods is:
Dx—D0 = (AT * Bt ) —(A0 * B0)
(2)
Adding and subtracting several expressions on the righthand side of equation (2) yields:
Dt~D0 =
(Ax * Bx) —(A0 * Bq)
+ (Ax * B0) —(Ax * B0)
+ (A0 * Bx) —(A0 * Bx)
+ (A0 * B0) —(A0 * B0)
(3)
Rearranging the terms yields:
Dx—D0 =
(Ax * B0) —(A0 * B0)
+ (A0 * Bx) —(A0 * B0)
40
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S e e M a r tin N e il B a ily , “ W h a t h a s h a p p e n e d to p ro d u c tiv ity g r o w th ? ”
O c to b e r 1 9 8 6 , p p . 4 4 3 - 5 2 , f o r a s u m m a ry o f th is e x p la n a tio n .
(4)
+ (Ax * Bx) —(A0 * Bx)
—(Ax * B0) — (A0 * B0)
Combining the terms yields:
Dt—D0 =
(Ax —A0) * B0
+ (Bx —B0) * A0
+ (Ax —A0) * (Bx —B0)
(5)
where the first term on the right-hand side of equation (5),
(Ax —A0) * B0 , is the contribution of factor A to total
change of variable D ; the second term, (Bx —B0) * A0 , is
the contribution of factor B to total change of variable D ;
and the third term, (Ax —A0) * (Bx —B0), is the residual
change of variable D which is due to the interaction of
factors A and B .
The individual terms of equation (5) were used in the
article to determine or isolate factors. For example, in the
section on final demand, the following question was asked:
“What would the estimated change in the output for pro
ducer services have been if the composition of final demand
alone had changed and the g n p level and business practices
had not changed?” The answer to this question (shown in
table 2 of the text) was based on either the first or second
term of equation (5).
In the unbundling section, the interaction component is
shown. In the input-output section, the interaction compo
nent is combined with the effect of changing business prac
tices. This choice reflects the difficulties of measuring
changes in business practices (or input-output coefficients)
over time.
What is the effect of random variation
in State unemployment rates?
State and local users of the data may tend
to assume that the rates have low levels
of dispersion; however, a closer analysis reveals
large variances attributed to sample size
E
dw ard
W H ill
The reported monthly unemployment rate from the Current
Population Survey ( c p s ) is the best point estimate of labor
market activity available by State and local labor market
areas. Because of its timeliness, wide coverage, and com
prehensiveness, it is used by governments, planners, corpo
rations, and the media. However, statements are often made
about fluctuations in the unemployment rate which are un
warranted due to the variance of the data series.
The inverse of the unemployment rate is commonly used
as a proxy for gross regional product. It is also used intraregionally, as a coincident indicator of the local business
cycle. Interregionally, it is used as a sign of the relative
strength of local economies. The unemployment rate is also
an important instrument in public policy decisions. This is
especially true at the State and local levels where announce
ments in the rate can trigger political activity. The annual
rate is used by the Federal Government to redistribute funds
to the States. In many States, the rate is used as part of
formulae to redistribute funds from State to local govern
ments. It is also used to extend or contract the length of time
people are eligible for unemployment benefits.
Most of these uses of the unemployment rate for States
and localities assume that it has low levels of dispersion and
that month-to-month movements in the rate are meaningful.
Because users usually do not pay attention to error attributed
E d w a rd W . H ill is R e s e a r c h D ire c to r o f th e E c o n o m ic D e v e lo p m e n t P r o
g ra m , C o lle g e o f U rb a n A f f a ir s , C le v e la n d S ta te U n iv e rs ity .
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to random variation in sampling, they may be using the
unemployment rate to make inferences, decisions, resource
allocations, or policy statements which are unwarranted.
The first section of this article examines national c p s data
to indicate the impact which sample size has on the standard
error of subpopulations in the sample and to show how these
errors can influence policy conclusions.
The second section examines the unemployment rate
cross-sectionally for the 11 States for which data are avail
able from the April 1986 cp§? These data demonstrate that
the monthly unemployment rate should not be used to make
finely drawn distinctions between the States. This is espe
cially true if the data are used to make inferences about the
relative aggregate economic well-being of the States.
The third section uses monthly time series data, from
January 1982 to December 1986, for the State of Ohio.
These data are employed to examine the extent to which
movements in the reported monthly unemployment rate are
statistically significant.
Statistical error in the
cps
Reported differences in the variance for specific national
subpopulations are largely caused by relative suhsample
sizes. For instance, the expected coefficient of variation for
the civilian labor force and the number employed will be
lower than the coefficient of variation for the number unem
ployed and, correspondingly, for the unemployment rate.
Relative errors for demographically distinct subpopulations
also vary with size. It is shown in table 1 that as the size of
cps
41
/ycuyx
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Variation in State Unemployment Rates
the population decreases, the coefficient of variation and the
resulting confidence interval increases.
The c p s unemployment rate was 7 percent in April of
1986; with a coefficient of variation of 1.7 percent, the
95-percent confidence interval ranged from 6.76 percent to
7.24 percent. (The normal confidence level used for these
by b l s is 90 percent.) It is interesting to note that the levels
of dispersion for subpopulations, with which social policy
has been historically concerned, are of much greater magni
tude than those found for the sample as a whole. The re
ported unemployment rate for black men was 13.4 percent,
and the 95-percent confidence interval was from 12.04 per
cent to 14.69 percent. The rate for black teens was 40.7
percent, and the 95-percent confidence interval ranged from
36.40 percent to just under 44.68 percent. These are wide
error bands and are cause for concern if the rates ar^being
used for reasons other than business cycle analysis.2 Seem
ingly large changes in the unemployment rate for these
groups would actually not be significant. They could be a
fluke of the specific month’s sample.
It is instructive to calculate what the unemployment rate
would have to be in May to be significantly different, at the
95-percent confidence interval, from the April figures. This
can be done by using the standard error of month-to-month
variation in the unemployment rate. The overall unemploy
ment rate must either exceed 7.24 percent, or drop below
6.76 percent. The rate for nonteenage white men would
need to fall outside of the 5.05-percent to 5.67-percent
range, and the rate for nonteen black men would be outside
of the 12.04-percent to 14.69-percent range. The range for
black teens is from 36.40 percent to 44.69 percent^3. In each
case, the May rate fell inside of the confidence interval,
which implies that we cannot say with statistical certainty
that the May rates are different from those of April.
National data demonstrate how relatively small sample
sizes can influence the utility of the unemployment rate as
a social indicator. This is a task for which the metric is
frequently used. Dispersion caused by small sample sizes
makes movements in the monthly unemployment rate for
minority subpopulations nearly meaningless.
Cross-sectional variations
Few attempts are made to gauge the precision of the
States’ monthly unemployment estimates. However, the c p s
is designed to ensure that reported unemployment levels
have a coefficient of variatjoiKof 8 percent or less, at a
6-percent unemployment raW 4 This standard applies to
monthly unemployment rates which are reported for the 11
States with populations large enough to yield an adequate
sample (these will be referred to as “survey States” in this
article). It also applies to the annual unemployment esti
mates for all of the States and the District of Columbia. The
remaining 39 States and the District of Columbia use a
nonsurvey method to estimate their monthly and quarterly
rates.
42
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There are large differences in the estimated unemploy
ment rates among the States. However, finely drawn dis
tinctions among them may be misleading. This is especially
apparent when the data are viewed within the context of the
“common wisdom.” This wisdom holds that States on the
coasts have fared well in the current recovery, but the mid
section of the country is faring less well. This wisdom can
be questioned when variations in State estimates are consid
ered.
Table 2 lists the estimated unemployment rates, the coef
ficients of variation, and the 95-percent confidence intervals
for the survey States. There are substantial differences in the
levels of variation. The coefficient of variation is higher for
States with smaller populations and lower unemployment
rates; the average coefficient of variation is 7.11 percent.
The table contains two measures of relative dispersion, the
coefficient of variation and the range of the confidence
interval as a percentage of the estimate. The latter measure
divides the difference between the extremes of the 95percent confidence interval by the reported unemployment
rate. It is a measure of the relative width of the interval. The
average of this measure is 27.4 percent, indicating that the
interval is extremely wide.
A t-test of the difference in the unemployment rates be
tween any two of the survey States was conducted to exam
ine whether the differences were statistically significant. As
table 3 indicates, in several cases they were not.
The States can be placed into four groups. Massachusetts’
reported unemployment rate is significantly different from
New Jersey’s and it constitutes the first group. The second
group consists of New Jersey, North Carolina, and Florida.
Table 1. Month-to-month variation in the unemployment
rates for subpopulations in the Current Population Survey,
April 1986
Characteristic
Total, 16 years and
o ld e r.....................
White:
Men, 20 years and
o ld e r..........................
Women, 20 years and
o ld e r..........................
Both sexes, 16-19 . . . .
Black:
Total, 16 years and
o ld e r..........................
Men, 20 years and
o ld e r..........................
Women, 20 years and
o ld e r..........................
Both sexes, 16-19 . . . .
Estimated
unemployment
rates
Coefficient of
variation1
(percent)
7.0
95-percent
critical values2
Minimum
Maximum
1.70
6.76
7.24
5.4
2.59
5.05
5.67
5.2
15.7
2.50
3.69
4.86
14.44
5.45
16.83
14.6
4.04
13.42
15.76
13.4
4.92
12.04
14.69
12.0
40.7
4.50
4.98
10.82
36.40
13.06
44.68
1 The coefficient of variation is calculated by dividing the standard error (s) by the mean (x)
and multiplying the result by 100, ((s/x)*100).
2 The 95-percent confidence interval of the unemployment rate is calculated by multiplying
the standard error by 1.96 and adding or subtracting, that number from the reported unem
ployment rate (which is the estimate of this distribution), x±(1,96*s).
Source: The standard errors were obtained and calculated from E m p lo y m e n t a n d E arn
May 1986, tables A-6, C, and G. All calculations were made by the author.
in g s ,
The estimated mean unemployment rate of each State is not
statistically different from the other States in this group.
California, New York, and Pennsylvania constitute the third
group. When one puts aside glorified stories of the eco
nomic renaissance on the west coast, it appears that there is
no significant difference between California and Pennsylva
nia in terms of their mean levels of unemployment. The
hypothesis that Pennsylvania’s rate of 7 percent is not differ
ent from Ohio’s 7.9 percent cannot be rejected. But it ap
pears that Ohio is more closely associated with the high
unemployment group: Ohio, Illinois, Texas, and Michigan.
It is unwise to use monthly unemployment rates unac
companied by other data to make finely drawn distinctions
among the States. Cross-sectional data indicate that statisti
cal uncertainty, which is inherent in monthly State unem
ployment rates, results in confidence intervals that are
nearly 28 percent as large as the estimated unemployment
rate.
O hio’s tim e-series variation
Table 3. Differences between estimated unemployment
rates of the 11 survey States
Group 1
MA
MA
NJ
NC
FL
CA
NY
PA
OH
IL
TX
Ml
Group 2
NJ
NC
Group 3
FL
CA
NY
Group 4
PA
OH
IL
TX
Ml
1—1.65
1-3.67
1-2.82
1-2.32
1—1.88
1—1.88
-1.26 1—1.65
1 The reported unemployment rate for the State listed in the row is significantly different from
that of the State listed in the column, using a one-tailed t-test at the 95-percent critical value.
Note: Reported numbers are the value of the t-test on the difference between two means:
[Ui - Uj]/[(Sj2 + Sj2) 5]
where:
Uj is the reported unemployment rate for State i,
Uj is the reported unemployment rate for the State with the next highest rate (State j),
Sj is the standard deviation of the rate of State i,
Sj is the standard deviation of the rate of State j.
Source : See table 2.
Monthly data for Ohio are examined to determine the
frequency of significant differences in the reported unem
ployment rates. Seasonally adjusted time-series data from
January 1982 to December 1986 are used to examine
whether month-to-month changes in Ohio’s unemployment
rates are significant.
The 59 months of data plotted in chart 1 constitute a
particularly good period to examine movements in Ohio’s
monthly unemployment rate because of the wide range— a
high of 14.2 percent in January 1983, to a low of 7.4 percent
Table 2. Reported unemployment rates for 11
States, by levels of variation, April 1986
cps
survey
in March 1986. This was an especially difficult time for
Ohio. The people of the State experienced the usual cyclical
swings of an economy dependent on capital goods produc
tion. In addition, they had to contend with accelerated sec
ular change partially due to offshore competition.
To get a feeling for the amount of variance in the series,
measures of dispersion and central tendency were devel
oped.5 Normally, economists and planners use the monthly
unemployment rate as if each observation has no variation.
But as the series is constructed with monthly samples, each
observation has its own measure of dispersion.
The average monthly coefficient of variation of the unem
ployment
vivjj'iiicin rate
iaic over
uvci the
me time
lime period was 5.9
j . y percent.
jjcieciu. Thisj
mis
metric, in turn, had a coefficient of variation of 9.6 percent, C
which indicates that there was a range of statistical error, o r C ^
imprecision, in the data series. However, each month’s re
ported unemployment rate is an efficient point estimator and
the best unemployment data available for Ohio. It remains
to be determined if the dispersion is sufficiently low to
justify the robust way in which monthly changes in the
unemployment rate are used.
V
The values of the t-ratios of the difference in j each
months’ unemployment rate over time are plotted in chart 1.
The t-test used is slightly biased in favor of finding that each
month’s rate is not different from the previous month's rate
This is attributed to the fact that the correlation of the
month-to-month variances used in the computation of the
t-test is for the levels of unemploymentrTather than the
unemployment rates.6
The 66-percent and 95-percent critical values of the twotailed t-test are displayed; they are ±1.00 and ±1.96, re
spectively. If the ratio has a value which lies outside of the
range ±1.00, then there are at least 2 chances out of 3 that
the reported rate is significantly different from the previous
j j c iiu u
Area
95-percent
Estimated
Range of
Coefficient of
confidence interval4
unemployment
95-percent
variation2
rate1
confidence3
Minimum Maximum
Massachusetts . . . .
New J e rs e y ...........
North Carolina . . . .
Florida...................
California...............
New Y o rk...............
Pennsylvania........
Ohio .....................
Illinois ...................
Texas ...................
Michigan ...............
3.8
4.7
5.1
5.4
6.7
6.7
7.0
7.9
8.2
8.2
9.1
9.62
8.55
8.38
7.86
5.46
5.58
7.04
6.63
6.56
6.27
6.27
36.8
34.0
31.4
29.6
20.9
20.9
28.6
25.3
25.6
24.4
24.2
3.1
3.9
4.3
4.6
6.0
6.0
6.0
6.9
7.1
7.2
8.0
4.5
5.5
5.9
6.2
7.4
7.4
8.0
8.9
9.2
9.2
10.2
Average,
11 States........
—
7.11
27.4
—
—
1 Not seasonally adjusted.
2 Coefficient of variation is calculated by dividing the standard error (s) by the mean (x) and
multiplying the result by 100. ((s/x)*100).
3 Range of percent of employment estimate: [(95-percent confidence interval maximum - 95
percent confidence interval minimum)/(Unemployment rate)]*100.
4 The 95-percent confidence interval of the unemployment rate Is calculated by multiplying the
standard error by 1.96 and adding or subtracting that number from the reported unemployment
rate (which is the estimate of this distribution), x ± (1.96*s).
Source: Unemployment rate: E m p lo y m e n t a n d E a rn in g s, table D-1 (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 1986). Data and formulae to calculate standard errors: Charles D. Jones, “cps Vari
ances— Parameters Needed to Calculate State, Census Region, and Division Variances.” All
calculations made by author.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
43
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
i
December 1987 •
Variation in State Unemployment Rates
month’s rate; if it exceeds the range ±1.96, then there are
95 chances out of 100 that the actual rates are different in the
2 months. It is evident that most of the observations fall
within the ±1.00 range. The 95-percent test is very strin
gent; in fact, only two observations exceed the boundaries.
This means that reported unemployment rates were statisti
cally different from the previous month’s rates only twice
over this time period.
The 66-percent critical values appear to be a more sensi
ble standard, especially as the test is biased in favor of
finding no relationship.7 The reported unemployment rate
was significantly different from the previous month’s rate,
with 66-percent confidence, 12 times out of a total of 59, or
1 month out of every 5. The reported rate exceeded the
upper bound 5 times and the lower bound, 7 times.
Much of the reported movement in the unemployment
rate is not statistically significant. As a rule of thumb, the
reported unemployment rate in Ohio must change by, plus
or minus, 0.7 percent before it is considered to be signifi
cantly différent from the previous month’s rate with 66percent confidence. The same figure, with 95-percent confi
dence, is ±1.3 percent.8
The c p s State unemployment rates are important data;
they are provided on a regular and timely basis and are the
best available point estimates of the capacity of a State’s
labor market. Despite the large amount of random error in
each month’s estimates, they also provide information about
the direction in which a State’s economy is heading. A
moving average of the rate provides very reliable informa
tion about the trend of the State’s business cycle. But the
rate suffers as an indicator of social distress because it does
not include people who are not part of the labor force and it
weighs all employment equally (from 1 hour per week to 4 0 ^
hours per week).
Conclusion
Small sample sizes for specific subpopulations in the na
tional c p s yield relatively large variances for the reported
unemployment rates. This can lead to a problem in using the
rates as indicators of aggregate economic distress because
changes in the rate which look large may be attributed to
sampling error. This is an especially acute problem in using
the reported unemployment rates for minority teens.
The analysis of the reported unemployment rates for the
11 survey States for April 1986 indicates that economists
and planners should not use the unemployment rate to make
finely detailed distinctions among the States. Confidence
intervals are too wide to place much weight on finely drawn
differences between States.
The analysis of longitudinal data for the State of Ohio
indicates that most of the movement in the unemployment
rate is spurious. In Ohio, the rate must change from 0.7
Chart 1. Difference between Ohio’s month-to-month unemployment rates
using values of two-tailed t-tests, February 1982-December 1986
Feb.
1982
Jan.
1983
Jan.
1984
Jan.
1985
Jan.
1986
NOTE: Dashed grid indicates 95 percent critical values, solid grid indicates 66 percent critical values
44
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Dec.
1986
percent to 1.3 percent before it can be called statistically
new rate to lie outside of April’s interval (the May rate was
significant. This would be a minimum for States with either
8.1 percent).
smaller populations or lower unemployment rates.
The unemployment rate remains the best point estimate of
The c p s showed that 423,000 Ohioans were unemployed
local labor market activity, but it should be used cautiously.
in April 1986. The coefficient of variation indicates that
A large amount of the change in the monthly unemployment
there are 2 chances in 3 that the unemployment rate was in
rate appears, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, to be
a range from 7.4 percent to 8.6 percent.9 The reported rate ^ attributed to random error. There is nothing wrong with the
in Ohio was 8.0 percent. If the next month’s rate was within
definition of unemployment that has been captured by the
this range, then the new rate would not be statistically differ
unemployment rate, or in the way data are collected by the
ent from the old. This means that the change in the unem
c p s . The problem is with the way in which the rate is used
ployment rate would have to exceed ±0.6 percent for the
and interpreted.
FOOTNOTES
A cknowledgment : I th a n k J o h n B u s h e ry , B u re a u o f C e n s u s ; D ix ie S o m
m e rs a n d R o g e r F le m m in g , O h io B u re a u o f E m p lo y m e n t S e r v ic e s ’ L a b o r
M a r k e t In f o rm a tio n D iv is io n ; T im o th y K in s e lla , H a rry M a r g u lis , M a rk
S a ilin g , a n d M ic h a e l S p ic e r, C o lle g e o f U rb a n A ffa ir s a t C le v e la n d S ta te
U n iv e rs ity ; a n d J o h n C la ir T h o m p s o n , U n iv e rs ity o f C o n n e c tic u t, f o r th e ir
h e lp w ith th is r e p o rt. I a ls o th a n k C u y a h o g a C o u n ty C o m m is s io n e r M a r y
O . B o y le f o r d e m o n s tra tin g th e im p o r ta n c e o f th is is s u e o n in te r g o v e r n
m e n ta l tra n s fe rs w ith in O h io . W h ile th e h e lp o f th e s e p e o p le is g re a tly
a p p re c ia te d , th is a rtic le d o e s n o t r e p re s e n t th e ir v ie w s o r th e v ie w s o f th e ir
a g e n c ie s . T h is re p o rt w a s p re p a re d w ith th e fin a n c ia l s u p p o r t fr o m a U n i
v e rs ity C e n te r G ra n t fro m th e U .S . D e p a r tm e n t o f C o m m e r c e , E c o n o m ic
D e v e lo p m e n t A d m in is tra tio n , a n d fro m th e O h io B o a rd o f R e g e n ts th ro u g h
its U rb a n U n iv e rs ity P r o g ra m .
1 A p ro c e d u re d e v e lo p e d b y th e B u re a u o f th e C e n s u s is u s e d to c a lc u la te
th e s ta n d a rd e rro r s o f th e r e p o rte d u n e m p lo y m e n t ra te s f o r th e 11 s u rv e y
S ta te s . S e e C h a r le s D . J o n e s , “ cps V a ria n c e s — P a ra m e te rs N e e d e d to C a l
c u la te S ta te , C e n s u s R e g io n , a n d D iv is io n V a ria n c e s ” (B u re a u o f th e C e n
s u s , 1 9 8 5 ), u n p u b lis h e d m e m o ra n d u m . T h e 11 S ta te s a re C a lif o r n ia , F lo r
id a , I llin o is , M a s s a c h u s e tts , M ic h ig a n , N e w J e r s e y , N e w Y o rk , N o rth
C a r o lin a , O h io , P e n n s y lv a n ia , a n d T e x a s . S e e K a th le e n C r e ig h to n a n d
R o b e r t W ilk in s o n , “ R e d e s ig n o f th e S a m p le f o r th e C u rre n t P o p u la tio n
S u r v e y ,” E m p lo y m e n t a n d E a r n in g s , A p ril 1 9 8 4 , p p . 7 - 1 0 .
T h e C u rre n t P o p u la tio n S u r v e y is u s e d to c a lc u la te a n n u a l la b o r m a rk e t
s ta tis tic s fo r all o f th e S ta te s a n d th e D is tric t o f C o lu m b ia . T h e a n n u a l
fig u r e s c a n u s u a lly b e fo u n d in th e M a y is s u e o f E m p lo y m e n t a n d E a rn in g s.
U n o ffic ia l e s tim a te s o f a n n u a l a v e r a g e s o f e m p lo y m e n t, u n e m p lo y m e n t,
a n d th e u n e m p lo y m e n t ra te fo r m e tro p o lita n a re a s a n d a fe w c e n tr a l c itie s
a re p u b lis h e d in G e o g r a p h ic P r o file o f E m p lo y m e n t a n d U n e m p lo y m e n t,
1 9 8 5 , B u lle tin 2 2 6 6 (B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 6 ).
2 T h e u tility o f la b o r m a rk e t d a ta is ju d g e d b y th re e s ta n d a rd s : th e a b ility
to (1 ) m e a s u re la b o r m a rk e t c a p a c ity ; (2 ) e s tim a te th e p o s itio n o f th e
e c o n o m y in th e b u s in e s s c y c le ; a n d (3 ) p r o v id e in fo r m a tio n o n a g g r e g a te
e c o n o m ic d is tre s s . S e e G le n C . C a in , “ T h e u n e m p lo y m e n t ra te a s an
e c o n o m ic i n d ic a to r ,” M o n th ly L a b o r R e v i e w , M a rc h 1 9 7 9 , p p . 2 4 - 3 5 ; a n d
J u liu s S h is k in , “ E m p lo y m e n t a n d u n e m p lo y m e n t: th e d o u g h n u t o r th e
h o le ? ” M o n th ly L a b o r R e v i e w , F e b ru a ry 1 9 7 6 , p p . 3 - 1 0 . C a in p r o v id e s
p e rs u a s iv e e v id e n c e th a t th e u n e m p lo y m e n t ra te p e rfo r m s b e s t as a c o in c i
d e n t c y c lic a l in d ic a to r. A s a c y c lic a l in d ic a to r, c h a n g e in th e ra te is m o re
im p o r ta n t th a n its a b s o lu te p o s itio n . O th e rs h a v e in d ic a te d th a t it p e rfo r m s
le a s t w e ll b y th e th ird s ta n d a rd . F o r e x a m p le , s e e T e r r y F . B u s s ,
“ U n e m p lo y m e n t R a te s a n d T h e ir Im p lic a tio n s fo r H u m a n R e s o u r c e P la n
n i n g ,” J o u r n a l o f E c o n o m ic a n d S o c ia l M e a s u r e m e n t, N o . 14, 1 9 8 6 , p p .
1 - 1 8 ; J o h n C . R ie s , “ U n e m p lo y m e n t in 1982: B e y o n d th e O ffic ia l L a b o r
r y
F o rc e S ta tis tic s ,” N e w E n g la n d E c o n o m ic R e v i e w , M a y - J u n e 1 9 8 4 , p p .
V 2 9 - 3 7 ; a n d D ia n e W e m e k e , “ M e a s u rin g E c o n o m ic H a rd s h ip in th e L a b o r
\ y M a r k e t,” A m e ric a n E c o n o m ic R e v i e w , M a y 1 9 7 9 , p p . 4 3 - 4 7 .
3 T h e s e re s u lts w e re o b ta in e d u s in g a t-te s t f o r th e d iff e r e n c e b e tw e e n
tw o m e a n s , e v a lu a te d a t th e 9 5 -p e rc e n t c ritic a l v a lu e . T h e s ta n d a rd e r r o r
f o r m o n th - to -m o n th c h a n g e in th e u n e m p lo y m e n t ra te w a s u s e d in th e
d e n o m in a to r o f th e s ta tis tic . S o lv e th e fo llo w in g fo r u p
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
|u j - u 2]/s = ± 1 . 9 6
w h e re :
Ui is th e n e x t m o n th ’s ra te ,
u 2 is th e c u r r e n t m o n th ’s r a te , a n d
s is th e s ta n d a r d e r r o r o f m o n th - to - m o n th c h a n g e in th e ra te .
4 S e e C r e ig h to n a n d W ilk in s o n , “ R e d e s ig n o f th e S a m p le .”
5 E a c h m o n th ’s r e p o r te d u n e m p lo y m e n t ra te h a s its o w n s ta n d a rd d e v ia
tio n a n d c o e f f ic ie n t o f v a r ia tio n ( c v ) . T o d e te r m in e if th e a m o u n t o f d is p e r
s io n w a s r e la tiv e ly c o n s ta n t o v e r th e p e r io d , th e m e a n le v e l o f d is p e r s io n
w a s m e a s u r e d b y c a lc u la tin g th e a v e r a g e c o e f f ic ie n t o f v a ria tio n o v e r th e
p e r io d . T o m e a s u r e th e a m o u n t o f v a r ia n c e in th e s ta n d a rd e r r o r o v e r th e
tim e s e r ie s , th e c v o f e a c h m o n th ’s c v w a s c a lc u la te d . T h is la st m e a s u re
a s s u m e s th a t e a c h m o n th ’s ra te is in d e p e n d e n t fr o m th e p re v io u s ra te s . T h is
is n o t s tric tly tr u e , as u n e m p lo y m e n t ra te s a re s e r ia l c o r r e la te d . T h e c v o f
e a c h m o n th ’s c v s h o u ld b e re a d a s a r o u g h in d ic a tio n o f th e a m o u n t o f
\ m o n t h - t o - m o n t h d is p e r s io n in th e d a ta .
6 T h e c o r r e la tio n c o e f f ic ie n t o f th e v a ria n c e o f m o n th - to - m o n th c h a n g e s
in th e u n e m p lo y m e n t r a te w ill b e la r g e r th a n th a t o f m o n th - to - m o n th
c h a n g e s in th e le v e l o f u n e m p lo y m e n t d u e to th e b e h a v io r o f e n tr a n ts to th e
la b o r fo r c e . T h e n u m b e r e m p lo y e d is fa irly s ta b le o v e r th e b u s in e s s c y c le ,
c o m p a r e d w ith th e n u m b e r u n e m p lo y e d . M o n th ly f lu c tu a tio n s in th e u n e m
p lo y m e n t ra te a re m o re h e a v ily in f lu e n c e d b y flo w s in to , o r o u t o f , u n e m
p lo y m e n t fr o m n o t- in - th e - la b o r - f o r c e th a n in to , o r o u t o f , e m p lo y m e n t.
T h is im p lie s th a t c h a n g e s in th e u n e m p lo y m e n t r a te w ill b e p a rtia lly d a m p
e n e d b y th e re la tiv e s ta b ility o f th e n u m b e r e m p lo y e d in th e d e n o m in a to r
o f th e s ta tis tic . T h is , in tu r n , im p lie s th a t th e m o n th ly v a ria n c e s o f th e
u n e m p lo y m e n t ra te w ill b e m o r e c lo s e ly c o r r e la te d th a n th o s e o f th e n u m
b e r u n e m p lo y e d .
H o w e v e r , it is e x p e c te d th a t th e d if f e r e n c e in th e tw o c o r r e la tio n c o e f f i
c ie n ts w ill b e e x tr e m e ly s m a ll. T w o p ie c e s o f e v id e n c e a re o f f e r e d . F ir s t,
i f m o v e m e n ts in th e v a ria n c e o f th e u n e m p lo y m e n t ra te are d a m p e n e d b y
th e p r e s e n c e o f th e e m p lo y e d in th e d e n o m in a to r , th e a v e r a g e m o n th ly
c o e f f ic ie n t o f v a r ia tio n a n d th e c o e f f ic ie n t o f v a ria tio n o f th e m o n th ly
c o e f f ic ie n ts o f v a r ia tio n o f th e ra te w o u ld d if f e r fr o m th a t o f th e le v e l o f
u n e m p lo y m e n t. M o n th ly O h io d a ta in d ic a te th a t th is is n o t tru e :
U n e m p lo y m e n t
r a te
A v e ra g e c v . . . .
c v o f CVS .........
5 .9 0
9 .6 4
N um ber
N um ber
u n e m p lo y e d
e m p lo y e d
5 .9 9
9 .3 4
3 .3 3
1 .1 5
T h e a v e r a g e o f th e m o n th ly c o e f f ic ie n ts o f v a r ia tio n f o r th e u n e m p lo y m e n t
r a te is v e ry c lo s e to th a t o f th e n u m b e r u n e m p lo y e d , a s is th e c o e f f ic ie n t
o f v a r ia tio n o f th e m o n th ly c o e f f ic ie n ts o f v a r ia tio n . S e c o n d ly , th e s ta n d a r d
d e v ia tio n o f c h a n g e s in th e m o n th ly u n e m p lo y m e n t ra te a n d th e d e v ia tio n
o f le v e ls o f th e ra te f o r th e U n ite d S ta te s a re e q u a l. T h is im p lie s th a t
s ta n d a rd e rro r s f o r th e le v e ls a re c lo s e s u b s titu te s f o r c h a n g e s .
T h e t- te s t u s e d w a s o f th e fo rm :
[uj — u 2]/[v a r] + v a r 2 — 2 r ( v a r i* v a r 2)-5]-5
w h e re :
U| is th e m o n th ’s u n e m p lo y m e n t ra te ,
u 2 is th e p r e v io u s m o n th ’s ra te ,
v a r] is th e v a r ia n c e in th e m o n th ’s u n e m p lo y m e n t ra te ,
45
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Variation in State Unemployment Rates
v a r2 is th e v a ria n c e o f th e p re v io u s m o n th ’s ra te , a n d
r is th e c o rre la tio n o f th e v a ria n c e s o f th e m o n th ly le v e ls o f
u n e m p lo y m e n t.
1 in 3 0 . T h e s a m e is tru e a t th e 6 6 - p e r c e n t le v e l. I f th e d a ta w e re r a n d o m ,
b e tw e e n 19 a n d 2 0 o b s e r v a tio n s w o u ld b e s ig n if ic a n t, 1 m o n th in 4 .
I n s te a d , o n ly 12 a re o b s e r v e d , 1 m o n th in 5.
S e e O h io B u re a u o f E m p lo y m e n t S e rv ic e s , L a b o r M a r k e t R e v ie w (v a rio u s
is su e s ).
8 T h e u p p e r a n d lo w e r c ritic a l v a lu e s , a t b o th 9 5 - a n d 6 6 - p e r c e n t le v e ls
o f c o n f id e n c e , w e re c a lc u la te d f o r e a c h m o n th u s in g th e t-te s t o f th e
d if f e r e n c e in m e a n s , u s in g th e fo r m u la s h o w n in fo o tn o te 6 . T h e a v e ra g e
o f th e d if f e r e n c e b e tw e e n th e u p p e r b o u n d a n d th e r e p o r te d u n e m p lo y m e n t
ra te w a s c a lc u la te d .
7
C o n c e d in g th a t th e t-te s t u s e d is b ia s e d in fa v o r o f a c c e p tin g th e n u ll
h y p o th e s is , th e d a ta c a n b e re e x a m in e d to se e th e e ffe c t o f lo w e r in g th e
c r itic a l v a lu e s . It h a s little im p a c t o n th e re s u lts . If th e c ritic a l v a lu e w e re
lo w e re d fro m 1 .9 6 , th e 9 5 -p e rc e n t le v e l, to 1 .9 0 , n o a d d itio n a l o b s e r v a
tio n s w o u ld b e c o m e s ig n ific a n t. I f th e c ritic a l v a lu e w e re re d u c e d fro m
1 .0 0 , th e 6 6 -p e rc e n t v a lu e , to 0 .9 5 , fo u r a d d itio n a l o b s e r v a tio n s w o u ld
b e c o m e s ig n ific a n t. In b o th c a s e s , th e re s u lts a re b e lo w th o s e e x p e c te d if
th e e v e n ts w e re p u re ly ra n d o m . If th e b e h a v io r w e re ra n d o m , w e w o u ld
e x p e c t to s e e s ig n ific a n t re s u lts in 3 o b s e r v a tio n s o u t o f 5 9 , w ith 9 5 - p e r c e n t
c o n f id e n c e . T h is is e q u iv a le n t to 1 m o n th o u t o f 2 0 . In s te a d , th e ra te s in
o n ly 2 m o n th s w e re s ig n ific a n tly d iff e r e n t fro m th e p re v io u s m o n th ’s ra te ,
9 T h e s e r e s u lts w e re o b ta in e d u s in g th e f o r m u la s h o w n in f o o tn o te 6 . T h e
6 6 - p e r c e n t c ritic a l v a lu e c a n b e in te rp r e te d as m e a n in g th a t i f th e o b s e r v e d
ra te e x c e e d s th e c r itic a l ra te , th e re a re 2 c h a n c e s o u t o f 3 th a t th e o b s e r v e d
ra te is d if f e r e n t fr o m th e p r e v io u s m o n th ’s ra te . T h is c o r r e s p o n d s to p lu s
o r m in u s o n e s ta n d a rd d e v ia tio n fro m th e o b s e r v e d ra te . I f th e 9 5 - p e r c e n t
c ritic a l v a lu e s w e re u s e d , th e ra n g e w o u ld b e fr o m 6 . 9 to 9 .1 p e rc e n t a n d
th e c h a n g e in th e n e x t m o n th ’s u n e m p lo y m e n t ra te w o u ld h a v e to e x c e e d
± 1 . 1 p e rc e n t.
A note on com m unications
The Monthly Labor Review welcomes communications that supplement,
challenge, or expand on research published in its pages. To be considered
for publication, communications should be factual and analytical, not
polemical in tone. Communications should be addressed to the Editor-inChief, Monthly Labor Review, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Depart
ment of Labor, Washington, D C 20212.
46
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Technical Note
publishes average exchange rate
and foreign currency price indexes
bls
W illiam A lterman, D avid S. Johnson ,
G oth
and John
To facilitate analysis of price trends in U.S. international
trade, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has begun producing
several new index series on a quarterly basis. The new index
series comprise: (1) nominal average exchange rate indexes;
(2) nominal foreign currency price indexes; and, (3) real
foreign currency price indexes.
Information on how the export and import price indexes,
currently published by the bls in dollar terms, change when
presented in foreign currency terms adds significantly to
their usefulness in analyzing U.S. price competitiveness.
For example, movements in an import price index in foreign
currency terms might be used to observe fluctuations in the
revenues received by exporters to the United States, while
a U.S. export price index in foreign currency terms could
show the price movement of U.S. exports as viewed by the
foreign buyer.
The foreign currency price indexes measure U.S. export
and import price trends in foreign currency terms, and the
average exchange rate indexes measure the change in the
price of trade-weighted baskets of currencies against the
dollar. These indexes have been designed to match the ex
port and import price index series published by bls at the
2-digit, 1-digit, all-export, and all-import levels according
to the Standard Industrial Trade Classification (sue), Rev.
II system. The nominal average exchange rate index series,
which are calculated from the first quarter of 1985, exclude
those countries whose inflation rates have varied signifi
cantly from that of the United States. The nominal foreign
currency price index series are calculated by multiplying the
nominal average exchange rate index for a specific sitc
category by the corresponding su e export or import dollar
price index published by bls . The nominal series contain
exchange rate data from 41 countries. (See exhibit 1.) The
real foreign currency price index series, which are calcu
lated from the first quarter of 1977, use aggregate foreign
W illia m A lte rm a n is a s u p e r v is o r y e c o n o m is t a n d D a v id S . J o h n s o n a n d
J o h n G o th a re e c o n o m is ts in th e D iv is io n o f In te rn a tio n a l P r ic e s , O ffic e o f
P ric e s a n d L iv in g C o n d itio n s , B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s .
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
consumer price index data to deflate the nominal foreign
currency price index series, and are produced with a one
quarter lag because of the difficulty in obtaining foreign cpi
data on a timely basis. The real foreign currency price index
series contain exchange rate data from 64 countries.
The export and import nominal average exchange rate,
nominal foreign currency price, and real foreign currency
price indexes are calculated using a weighted geometric
mean:
AERIJu 41 = 10o| J” [ (ERj ,/ERj 0)wi'4
NFCPIyJ41 = USPI * AERIyJ41
n
RFCPIyJ64 = NFCPIy J64/
(CPIj t)Wi 1
AERI =
NFCPI =
RFCPI =
ERj t/ERj o =
nominal average exchange rate index;
nominal foreign currency price index;
real foreign currency price index;
foreign currency per dollar exchange rate
relative for country i in period t to the rela
tive in base period 0;
USPI = United States import or export price index;
CPIj t = consumer price index for country i in pe
riod t\
Wj y = normalized unilateral (export or import)
trade weight of country i in su e category y ;
y = su e export or import group for which the
index is calculated;
t = index reference period;
i = a particular country; and
n —total number of countries.
The export and import weights used in the bls average
exchange rate and foreign currency price index series are
based on 1985 trade values collected by the Bureau of the
Census. The 7-digit Schedule B values (from U.S. ExportsSchedule B Commodity by Country, Report FT-410) and the
7-digit Tariff Schedules United States Annotated (tsusa )
values (from U.S. Imports for Consumption and General
Imports, Report FT-246) were mapped to the 5-digit sue
level by country. The 5-digit sue export and import trade
values were then aggregated by country up to the 2-digit,
47
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Technical Notes
1-digit, all-export, and all-import levels. To match the
weight structure of the s i t c export and import price indexes
published by b l s , military and commercial aircraft export
trade values were excluded from the s i t c 79 export weight
category, and all export and import trade values were ex
cluded from s i t c 9 except for the s i t c 971 export and import
weight categories. Separate export and import trade weights
are used to calculate the separate export and import index
series:
n
M W ;,, =
M j y -
2
M ,.y
j=l
n
XW i.y = X , y -y 2
Xi.y
j= l
where:
MWj y = normalized unilateral import weight for country
i in s i t c category y ;
XWi.y = normalized unilateral export weight for country
i in s i t c category y ;
Mj = imports from country i in s i t c category y ; and
Xj y = exports to country i in s i t c category y.
As mentioned above, these weights refer to U.S. import
and export trade only for the year 1985 and therefore do not
reflect the change in the structure of U.S. trade over time.
One would expect that the depreciation of the dollar against
other currencies would eventually be accompanied by a
change in the relative weights among the United States’
trade partners. For example, with the depreciation of the
dollar against the yen, we might expect imports to decrease
from Japan but to increase from other Pacific Rim countries.
Therefore, for periods other than 1985, the importance of
some trade partners may be either underweighted or over
weighted relative to that of other U.S. trade partners.
The trade partners included in the index series were se
lected on the basis of: (1) their importance in U.S. trade; (2)
their exchange rate practices; (3) their rate of inflation; and
(4) the availability of data. Countries with a relatively in
significant amount of trade in an import or export product
weight category were not included so long as at least 75
percent of trade was otherwise covered in that category. In
most cases, trade coverage was over 90 percent in each
category. A master list of countries that met this specifica
tion was then compiled and was further pruned on the basis
of the remaining specifications for selecting countries to be
used in the index series. Countries with “nonmarket”
economies, whose exchange rates do not reflect market
forces, were excluded. Countries using multitiered ex
change rate systems were excluded if the rate structure did
not mesh easily with the s i t c export or import weight cate
gories or if historical exchange rate series were not avail
able. Excluded from the nominal series were those countries
whose annual rates of inflation (as measured by the Con
48
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
sumer Price Index) deviated more than 10 percent from the
U.S. rate of inflation in 1985, 1986, or 1987. The actual
inflation differentials were used for the years 1985 and
1986, whereas the differential rates were estimated for 1987
using the exponential smoothing forecast method.1 Those
countries which do not produce consumer price indexes
were excluded from both the nominal index series and the
real foreign currency price index series. The beginning point
of the nominal series will be moved forward one year on an
annual basis. At the same time, the above method will be
used to determine which countries are to be included or
excluded from the nominal exchange rate series.
The International Monetary Fund publication, Exchange
Arrangements & Exchange Restrictions, and the World
Currency Yearbook were very helpful in resolving problems
connected with the exchange rate practices of U.S. trade
partners.2 Other problems were resolved through personal
communication with professionals specializing in the eco
nomic activities of these countries. The 41 countries used in
the nominal exchange rate and foreign currency price index
series account for 79 percent of total trade. For an individual
product category to be published, the nominal index series
had to include at least 50 percent of the import or export
trade in that category. The 64 countries used in the real
foreign currency price index series account for 93 percent of
total trade. To be published, a real foreign currency price
index category had to include at least 65 percent of the
import or export trade in that category.
Exchange rate data are from the International Financial
Statistics ( i f s ) data base of the International Monetary Fund
and from the Bank of America. The Bank of America data
are received on a more timely basis and are used to update
the current quarter exchange rates which are lacking in the
i f s data base. Monthly exchange rate averages for the final
month of each quarter are used.
Foreign consumer price data are also taken from the i f s
data base. Data which are not found in that source are
extracted from the information banks of Data Resources,
Inc., a private economic research firm. Because of problems
in receiving foreign consumer price data on a timely basis,
the Bureau’s real index series are lagged one quarter behind
the nominal index series. However, the most recent pub
lished quarterly data still do not include all 64 countries
mapped to the real foreign currency price index series. Be
cause the basket of countries used in the real index series
varies during some quarters, the real foreign currency price
index series are calculated as chained indexes.
Average exchange rate indexes have been produced by
the U.S. Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the Morgan
Guaranty Trust Co., the International Monetary Fund, the
Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank, the U.S. Department of
Commerce, the U.S. Department of Treasury, the Interna
tional Trade Commission, the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank,
and Manufacturers Hanover Trust, among others. These
indexes differ from one another according to (1) the type of
Exhibit 1.
Countries represented in real and nominal
Europe
Asia
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Yugoslavia
B LS
foreign currency price index series for U.S. imports and exports
Bangladesh
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Japan
Korea
Malaysia
Pakistan
Philippines
Singapore
Taiwan
Thailand
Latin America
Oceania
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Ecuador
El Salvador
X Honduras
Mexico
X Panama
Venezuela
X Australia
New Zealand
The Caribbean
Africa
X
X
X
X
Botswana
Cote D’Ivoire
Gabon
Kenya
Liberia
X Nigeria
South Africa
Swaziland
Uganda
X Bahamas
Dominican Republic
Haiti
Jamaica
X Trinidad
North America
Middle East
X Canada
X
X
X
X
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Morocco
Saudi Arabia
Turkey
X = c o u n try in c lu d e d in n o m in a l in d e x s e rie s .
weight used (bilateral trade, multilateral, elasticity-based,
production-based, and so forth); (2) the commodity cover
age of the weights (manufactured products only, all com
modities or some other system); (3) the reference periods
chosen for the weights (fixed-period weights, moving pe
riod weights, and so forth); (4) the number of trading part
ners included (for example, industrial countries only, all
countries, or selected industrial and nonindustrial countries;
and, (5) the calculation methodology. The above indexes
can appear in nominal (undeflated) form or real form (de
flated by the differential inflation rates between the base
country and comparison countries). The major difference
between these other index series and the b l s series is that the
b l s series are specially designed to examine U.S. export and
A cknowledgment :
S p e c ia l th a n k s to J e f fre y S m ith o f th e In d e x N u m b e r
R e s e a r c h B ra n c h fo r h is a s s is ta n c e in th e p re p a ra tio n o f th is te c h n ic a l n o te .
1 In fla tio n d iff e r e n tia ls w e re c a lc u la te d u s in g lo g c h a n g e as a p e rc e n t
c h a n g e m e a s u re o f th e fo re ig n cpi to U .S . cpi ra tio b e tw e e n tw o p e rio d s .
A n y c o u n try w ith a lo g c h a n g e g re a te r th a n 0 .1 (1 0 p e rc e n t) w a s e lim in a te d
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
import price movements in foreign currency terms at de
tailed export and import product category levels. For exam
ple, for s i t c 73 (Metalworking Machinery), separate import
and export index series are calculated for the nominal aver
age exchange rate, nominal foreign currency price, and real
foreign currency price index series.
h e e x c h a n g e r a t e and foreign currency price indexes will
be included in the quarterly press release published by the
b l s Division of International Prices. For further informa
tion, please call (202) 272-5020 or write to William Alterman, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 3302, 600 E Street,
N.W., Washington, D C 20212.
□
T
fro m th e n o m in a l s e r ie s .
2 S e e A n n u a l R e p o r t o n E x ch a n g e A r r a n g e m e n ts a n d E x ch a n g e R e s tr ic
tio n s, 1 9 8 6 (W a s h in g to n , In te rn a tio n a l M o n e ta r y F u n d , 1 9 8 6 ); a n d P h ilip
P . C o v itt, e d ., 1 9 8 4 W o r ld C u r r e n c y Y e a r b o o k (S h a r o n , ct , G re y H o u se
P u b lis h in g , I n c ., 1 9 8 5 .)
49
Major Agreements
Expiring Next Month
This list o f selected collective bargaining agreem ents expiring in January is based on information collected by
the Bureau’s O ffice o f Wages and Industrial Relations. The list includes agreem ents covering 1,000 workers
or m ore. Private industry is arranged in order of Standard Industrial Classification.
Em ployer and location
Industry o r activity
N um ber of
workers
L abor organization1
Private
Mining ................................................
Bituminous Coal Operators Association (Interstate) .................................
Mine Workers .....................................
105,000
C onstruction.......................................
National Electrical Contractors Association, Northwest Line
Constructors (Interstate)
Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors Association (Honolulu, HI) . . . .
Electrical Workers ( ibew ) .................
1,200
Plumbers .............................................
1,000
Suear companies negotiating committee (Hawaii) ...................................
Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union (Ind.)
6.500
Food products ..................................
Textiles
.............................................
7 500
1 600
Petroleum ...........................................
Atlantic Richfield Co. and Arco Pipe Line Co. (Interstate)....................
American Oil Co. (Interstate)........................................................................
Ashland Oil Co. (Interstate) ..........................................................................
Chevron, formerly Gulf Oil Co. (Interstate) ..............................................
Mobil Oil Corp. (Interstate) ..........................................................................
Shell Oil Co. (Interstate) ..............................................................................
Texaco. Inc. (Interstate) ................................................................................
Union Oil Co. of California (Interstate) ....................................................
Phillips Petroleum (Interstate) .....................................................................
Oil,
Oil.
Oil,
Oil,
Oil,
Oil,
Oil,
Oil,
Oil,
Primary m e ta ls...................................
American Insulated Wire Corp. (Interstate)................................................
Electrical Workers (IBEW).................
1,000
Machinery .........................................
Danly Machine Corp. (Cicero, il ) ...............................................................
Steelworkers
1.200
Chemical
Chemical
Chemical
Chemical
Chemical
Chemical
Chemical
Chemical
Chemical
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
and
Atomic
Atomic
Atomic
Atomic
Atomic
Atomic
Atomic
Atomic
Atomic
Workers
Workers
Workers
Workers
Workers
Workers
Workers
Workers
Workers
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.......................................
Electrical p ro d u cts............................
3,200
4,800
1,250
5.450
2.000
4,500
7.100
1.900
1,000
uoo
(Bloomington, IL)
Transportation equipment ...............
Kelsey-Hayes Co. (Romulus, Ml) ...............................................................
Jeep Corp. (Toledo, oh ) ................................................................................
Auto Workers .....................................
Auto Workers .....................................
1.200
6.000
Miscellaneous manufacturing .........
Milton Bradley Co. (Springfield. MA) ........................................................
Retail, Wholesale, Department Store
Union
1,100
Utilities ..............................................
Northern Illinois Gas Co. (Illinois) .............................................................
Electrical Workers (ibew ) .................
1.750
Retail trade .......................................
Wm. Filene’s Sons Co. (Boston. MA) ........................................................
Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. (M ichigan)....................................................
Southern California Food Employers Council (C alifornia)......................
Food and Commercial Workers . . . .
Food and Commercial Workers . . . .
Service Employees ............................
3,700
1.700
1.400
Services ..............................................
Yale University, clerical and technical (New Haven, CT) ......................
Hotel Employees and Restaurant
Employees
Hotel Employees and Restaurant
Employees
2,600
State, County and Municipal
Employees
Professional Peace Officers Association (Ind.)
2,250
Los Angeles County Fire Department ................................
Fire Fighters .......................................
1.450
Michigan:
Detroit Board of Education, paraprofessionals
1.400
Ohio:
Toledo Board of Education, teachers ...................................
Detroit Association of Educational
Employees (Ind.)
T eachers................................................
Yale University, service and maintenance (New Haven, ct ) .................
1.000
Public
Law enforcem ent..............................
California:
Los Angeles County deputy probation officers .................
Los Angeles County supervisory peace officers
Fire protection ...................................
E ducatio n ...........................................
'Affiliated with
AFL-CIO
except where noted as independent (Ind).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
...............
.................
1.100
2,500
Developments in
Industrial Relations
gm-uaw
settlement
General Motors Corp. (gm) settled with the United Auto
Workers (uaw ) on terms similar to those the union negoti
ated with Ford Motor Co., despite gm ’s initial contention
that it required special provisions to overcome a cost advan
tage held by Ford. The advantage, gm said, results from the
fact that Ford buys a higher percentage of its automotive
parts from subcontractors than gm does, giving Ford an edge
because purchased parts are generally less costly than parts
manufactured by Ford or gm . A gm proposal to counter the
cost disparity by establishing production bonuses was re
jected by the uaw . The bonuses would have varied from
plant to plant, based on quantity and quality of output, with
employees in parts plants being eligible for smaller pay
ments than those in assembly plants.
The uaw broke off concurrent negotiations with the com
panies, and focused on Ford, settling in September (see
Monthly Labor Review, November 1987, pp. 31-33). Sub
sequently, gm Chairman Roger Smith opened the door to a
settlement by indicating that he believed that the new job
security program at Ford contained enough flexibility to
permit temporary layoffs when sales are slow. The re
opened negotiations between gm and uaw resulted in a
settlement for the 335,000 workers without the threat of a
work stoppage.
The new job security program at gm , Secure Employment
Numbers, differs only in name from the Guaranteed Em
ployment Numbers program at Ford. In operation, the pro
grams are essentially identical, except that gm ’s financial
commitment is $1.3 billion, compared with $500 million at
Ford, because the gm program covers more workers.
Similarly, both settlements provided for the same in
crease in payments to the regular Supplemental Unemploy
ment Benefits fund— to a range of 24 to 34 cents per straight
time hour worked (varying according to the fund level) from
a 21- to 33-cent range— but gm ’s contingent liability to the
Advance Credit Account was increased by $250 million,
compared with $75 million at Ford. This account is drawn
on if the regular fund becomes depleted.
Workers’ security was also enhanced by a new gm com
mitment not to close any plants during the 3-year agreement
“ D e v e lo p m e n ts in In d u s tria l R e la tio n s ” is p re p a re d b y G e o r g e R u b e n o f th e
D iv is io n o f D e v e lo p m e n ts in L a b o r- M a n a g e m e n t R e la tio n s , B u r e a u o f
L a b o r S ta tis tic s , a n d is la rg e ly b a s e d o n in fo r m a tio n fr o m s e c o n d a ry
s o u rc e s .
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
term, except for closings that had been announced prior to
the start of negotiations in July. These closings, scheduled
to be completed by 1991, involve 16 plants and 37,000
employees. (Ford also agreed to a “no-closing” provision in
1987 and, unlike gm , had also agreed to a closing ban in the
1984 settlement. To some extent, Ford’s earlier acceptance
of a closing ban resulted from the fact that it had moved
earlier than gm to slim down its operations in the face of the
intense international competition that has developed in the
industry in the 1980’s.)
From gm ’s view, the major advantage of the new job
security program is a uaw commitment to joint efforts to
improve production output and quality, mirroring the initia
tive at Ford. The program, to be directed by a national
committee and local committees, will examine a variety of
methods for improving operations, such as adopting workteam concepts, revising job duties, and cutting absenteeism.
In the economic area, the profit-sharing formula at GM
was revised to match the improved formula at Ford. Under
the 1984 agreements, Ford’s formula was more liberal than
gm ’s , contributing to average payouts per employee that
totaled $5,300 at Ford and $900 at gm over the 1984-86
period.
Nabisco pact rewards attendance
A settlement between Nabisco Brands, Inc. and the Bak
ery, Confectionery and Tobacco Workers provided for wage
increases totaling $1.50 an hour and a new attendance bonus
plan. The wage increases, which apply to more than 8,000
workers at 13 plants in 10 States, are 50 cents retroactive to
September 1, 1987, 25 cents effective on September 1,
1988, and March 1, 1989, and 50 cents on September 11,
1989.
The attendance plan provides for annual payments in De
cember based on each employee’s record during the preced
ing 12 months. The reward is $10 for perfect attendance in
the first month, followed by progressively larger amounts
for each succeeding month of perfect attendance, to a max
imum total of $500 for the entire 12 months. This plan
replaced one that gave employees a maximum of 3 days of
pay or 3 days of paid time off per year. Reportedly, Nabisco
was not satisfied with that plan because most eligible em
ployees chose the time off, which hampered production.
A company official said that it will also benefit from
negotiated changes in work rules that will increase output.
51
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Developments in Industrial Relations
Benefit changes included a two-step increase in the nor
mal pension to $750 a month, from $650; a two-step in
crease in sickness and accident benefits to $160 a week,
from $140; and a 25-cent-an-hour increase in Nabisco’s
financing of the health insurance plan, which was modified
to cover organ transplants.
Clothing workers accept 3-year accord
More than 45,000 employees in the men’s and boys’
apparel industry were covered by a settlement between the
Clothing Manufacturers Association and the Amalgamated
Clothing and Textile Workers Union. The manufacturers
did not win the elimination of a contract ban on purchasing
apparel abroad, but Association President John R. Meinert
still hailed the accord because its longer duration— 3 years,
compared with 2 years for the preceding agreement— would
give the industry more time to “plan its strategy” for coun
tering increasing foreign sales in the United States.
Union President Jack Sheinkman said that the domestic
apparel and textile industries have been growing about 1
percent a year, while imports have been rising 17 percent a
year, leading the bargaining parties to establish a joint com
mittee to press the Congress to adopt limits on imports. He
also said that the union had refused to end a contract provi
sion prohibiting Association companies from contracting
out work to nonunion firms.
Wage terms of the new contract include increases of 30
cents immediately, 30 cents in October 1988, and 25 cents
in October 1989, bringing base pay to $7.45 an hour. There
were no wage increases under the previous agreement, but
the workers did receive lump-sum payments of $500 in
December 1985 and $600 in December 1986.
One benefit change was adoption of a provision for up to
6 weeks of unpaid parental leave every 2 years for the birth
or serious illness of a child. The parent taking the leave will
be guaranteed a job at the end of the leave and health
insurance will be maintained during the leave.
Other benefit changes included adoption of prescription
drug and vision care plans; increased life and disability
insurance; improved funeral leave; and retention of vacation
rights for employees laid off and then re-employed in the
same geographic market area. The settlement covers ap
proximately 700 shops in a number of States, with the
largest concentration in the New York City area.
Oregon em ployees settle after 8-day strike
The first major strike by employees of the State of Oregon
ended when members of the Oregon Public Employees
Union agreed to a contract running to June 30, 1989. The
overall costs of the contract negotiated by the unit of the
Service Employees International Union were comparable to
those of the same-duration contracts negotiated by eight
other unions, although there were variations in components
52
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
of the accords, such as in the size and effective dates of
wage increases.
In the 8-day Service Employees stoppage, which report
edly was triggered by a disagreement with the State on how
to distribute pay equity adjustments from a fund established
earlier by the legislature, not all 16,500 employees were out
for the entire period. Instead, the stoppage was staggered on
an agency-by-agency basis to minimize the financial impact
on individual employees.
The Service Employees accord provided for a 2-percent
pay raise retroactive to July 1, 1987, and a 4-percent raise
on January 1, 1989. The portion of the $22.6 million fund
allocated to Service Employees-represented employees was
used to provide additional adjustments to 5,500 workers. Of
the 5,500 workers, 4,000 received either 5- or 10-percent
adjustments. Similar adjustments for some workers, ranging
as high as 25 percent, were also provided by settlements
with the other unions, such as the State, County and Munic
ipal Employees, which represents a total of 5,200 workers.
Contracts with all unions established an “array of bene
fits” health insurance program giving each employee the
option of selecting from various plans and receiving the
difference in cash if the plan costs less than the State’s
financing obligation. The settlements with all of the unions
covered a total of 25,000 workers.
Police offered incentives to delay retirem ent
Length-of-service pay allowances were adopted in a
3-year agreement between the District of Columbia and the
Fraternal Order of Police. The annual allowances, payable
only to officers with 20 years of service, were intended to
induce them to delay retiring. According to the city, 2,351
of the 3,880 officers will attain the 20 years’ pension eligi
bility requirement by 1992.
The accord gives all officers wage increases totaling 9
percent over the 3-year term; improves optical, dental, and
legal benefits; credits officers with 1.5 times the amount of
planned paid time off they are unable to take because of duty
requirements; and guarantees that officers accused of using
deadly force in the line of duty will be returned to duty
immediately after being cleared in an internal investigation,
rather than having to await the outcome of a grand jury
investigation.
Despite this settlement, the seven unions representing
15,500 other District of Columbia workers declared that
bargaining was at an impasse, triggering a mediation proc
ess. If this does not lead to settlements, binding arbitration
follows.
The 1987 round of bargaining for all union-represented
employees is the third since the District of Columbia
separated its employees from the Federal Government in
1980.
□
Current
Labor Statistics
Schedule o f release dates for major
statistical series
bls
54
Notes on Current Labor Statistics
55
Com parative indicators
1. Labor market indicators...................................................................................................................................................................................................
2. Annual and quarterly percent changes in compensation, prices, and productivity ........................................................................................
3. Alternative measures of wage and compensation changes ...................................................................................................................................
54
65
65
Labor force data
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Employment status of the total population, data seasonally adjusted.................................................................................................................
Employment status of the civilian population, data seasonally adjusted ..........................................................................................................
Selected employment indicators, data seasonally adjusted ...................................................................................................................................
Selected unemployment indicators, data seasonally adjusted ...............................................................................................................................
Unemployment rates by sex and age, data seasonally adjusted ..........................................................................................................................
Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment, data seasonally a d ju sted .................................................................................................
Duration of unemployment, data seasonally adjusted
Unemployment rates o f civilian workers, by State .
Employment of workers by State ................................
66
67
68
69
70
70
13. E m p lo y m e n t o f w o rk e rs b y in d u s try , d a ta s e a s o n a lly a d j u s t e d .................................................................................................................................................
72
14. A v e ra g e w e e k ly h o u rs b y in d u s try , d a ta s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d
^
15. A v e ra g e h o u rly e a r n in g s b y in d u s try
....................................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................................................................................
-74
16. A v e ra g e w e e k ly e a r n in g s b y i n d u s t r y ......................................................................................................................................................................................................
75
17. H o u rly E a rn in g s In d e x b y i n d u s t r y ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
^
18. In d e x e s o f d iffu s io n : p r o p o r tio n o f in d u s trie s in w h ic h e m p lo y m e n t in c re a s e d , s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d
...............................................................
76
............................................................................................................................
76
19. A n n u a l d a ta : E m p lo y m e n t s ta tu s o f th e n o n in s titu tio n a l p o p u la tio n
2 0 . A n n u a l d a ta : E m p lo y m e n t le v e ls b y in d u s try
.
..............................................................................................................................................................................
76
2 1 . A n n u a l d a ta : A v e ra g e h o u rs a n d e a r n in g s le v e ls b y i n d u s t r y ....................................................................................................................................................
77
Labor com pensation and collective bargaining data
....................................................................................................................
78
2 3 . E m p lo y m e n t C o s t In d e x , w a g e s a n d s a la rie s , b y o c c u p a tio n a n d in d u s try g r o u p .........................................................................................................
2 2 . E m p lo y m e n t C o s t In d e x , c o m p e n s a tio n , b y o c c u p a tio n a n d in d u s try g ro u p
79
2 4 . E m p lo y m e n t C o s t In d e x , p riv a te n o n fa rm w o rk e rs , b y b a rg a in in g s ta tu s , re g io n , a n d a re a s i z e ...........................................................................
80
2 5 . S p e c ifie d c o m p e n s a tio n a n d w a g e a d ju s tm e n ts fr o m c o n tra c t s e ttle m e n ts , a n d e ffe c tiv e w a g e a d ju s tm e n ts ,
s itu a tio n s c o v e r in g 1 ,0 0 0 w o rk e rs o r m o re
...........................................................................................................................................................................
81
2 6 . A v e ra g e s p e c ifie d c o m p e n s a tio n a n d w a g e a d ju s tm e n ts , b a rg a in in g s itu a tio n s c o v e r in g 1 ,0 0 0 w o rk e rs o r m o r e ............................................
81
2 7 . A v e ra g e e ffe c tiv e w a g e a d ju s tm e n ts , b a rg a in in g s itu a tio n s c o v e r in g 1 ,0 0 0 w o rk e rs
.................................................................................
82
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
g2
o r m o re
2 8 . S p e c ifie d c o m p e n s a tio n a n d w a g e a d ju s tm e n ts , S ta te a n d lo c a l g o v e rn m e n t b a rg a in in g
s itu a tio n s c o v e r in g 1 ,0 0 0 w o rk e rs o r m o re
2 9 . W o rk s to p p a g e s in v o lv in g 1 ,0 0 0 w o rk e rs o r m o re
.........................................................................................................................................................................
82
Price data
3 0 . C o n s u m e r P ric e In d e x : U .S . c ity a v e r a g e , b y e x p e n d itu re c a te g o r y a n d c o m m o d ity a n d s e rv ic e g r o u p s .........................................................
83
3 1 . C o n s u m e r P ric e In d e x : U .S . c ity a v e r a g e a n d lo c a l
86
d a ta , a ll i t e m s ........................................................................................................................................
3 2 . A n n u a l d a ta : C o n s u m e r P ric e In d e x , all ite m s a n d m a jo r g r o u p s
3 3 . P r o d u c e r P ric e In d e x e s b y s ta g e o f p ro c e s s in g
.........................................................................................................................................
g7
.................................................................................................................................................................................
88
3 4 . P r o d u c e r P ric e In d e x e s , b y d u ra b ility o f p ro d u c t
............................................................................................................................................................................
89
3 5 . A n n u a l d a ta : P r o d u c e r P ric e In d e x e s b y s ta g e o f p r o c e s s i n g ....................................................................................................................................................
89
3 6 . U .S . e x p o rt p ric e in d e x e s b y S ta n d a rd In te rn a tio n a l T r a d e C l a s s i f i c a t i o n ..........................................................................................................................
90
3 7 . U .S . im p o r t p ric e in d e x e s b y S ta n d a rd In te rn a tio n a l T r a d e C l a s s i f i c a t i o n ...........................................................................................................................
91
3 8 . U .S . e x p o rt p ric e in d e x e s b y e n d -u s e c a te g o r y
92
..................
3 9 . U .S . im p o rt p ric e in d e x e s b y e n d -u s e c a t e g o r y .................................................................................................................................................................................
92
4 0 . U .S . e x p o rt p ric e in d e x e s b y S ta n d a rd In d u s tria l C l a s s i f i c a t i o n ................................................................................................................................................
92
4 1 . U .S . im p o rt p ric e in d e x e s b y S ta n d a rd In d u s tria l C la s s if ic a tio n
93
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
..............................................................................................................................................
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics
Contents— Continued
Productivity data
42.
In d e x e s o f p ro d u c tiv ity , h o u rly c o m p e n s a tio n , a n d u n it c o s ts , d a ta s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d
4 3 . A n n u a l in d e x e s o f m u ltif a c to r p ro d u c tiv ity
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
94
4 4 . A n n u a l in d e x e s o f p ro d u c tiv ity , h o u rly c o m p e n s a tio n , u n it c o s ts , a n d p r i c e s ..................................................................................................................
95
International com parisons
4 5 . U n e m p lo y m e n t ra te s in n in e c o u n tr ie s , d a ta s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d
.....................................
4 6 . A n n u a l d a ta : E m p lo y m e n t s ta tu s o f c iv ilia n w o rk in g - a g e p o p u la tio n , te n c o u n tr ie s
4 7 . A n n u a l in d e x e s o f p r o d u c tiv ity a n d re la te d m e a s u re s , tw e lv e c o u n tr ie s
............................................................................................................................
98
4 8 . A n n u a l d a ta : O c c u p a tio n a l in ju ry a n d illn e s s in c id e n c e r a t e s ....................................................................................................................................................
99
Injury and illness data
Schedule of release dates for
bls
statistical series
Release
date
Period
covered
Nonfinancial corporations.....................
December 3
3rd quarter
Employment situation ..............................
December 4
November
January 19
December
February 17
January
1; 4-21
Producer Price Index................................
December 11
November
January 15
December
February 12
January
2; 33-35
Consumer Price Index..............................
December 18
November
January 20
December
February 26
January
2: 30-32
Real earnings ...........................................
December 18
November
January 20
December
February 26
January
14-17
Major collective
bargaining settlements..........................
January 26
4th quarter
3; 25-28
Employment Cost Index ..........................
January 26
4th quarter
1-3; 22-24
U.S. Import and Export
Price Indexes.........................................
January 28
4th quarter
Series
Release
date
Period
covered
Productivity and costs:
Nonfarm business and manufacturing ..
54
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Release
date
Period
covered
MLR table
number
February 4
4th quarter
2; 42-44
2; 42-44
36-41
NOTES ON CURRENT LABOR STATISTICS
T h is s e c tio n o f th e R e v ie w p re s e n ts th e p rin c ip a l s ta tis tic a l s e r ie s c o lle c te d
a n d c a lc u la te d b y th e B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s : s e rie s o n la b o r fo r c e ,
Adjustments for price changes.
S o m e d a ta — s u c h as th e H o u rly
E a rn in g s I n d e x in ta b le 17— a re a d ju s te d to e lim in a te th e e f f e c t o f c h a n g e s
e m p lo y m e n t, u n e m p lo y m e n t, c o lle c tiv e b a rg a in in g s e ttle m e n ts , c o n s u m e r ,
in p ric e . T h e s e a d ju s tm e n ts a re m a d e b y d iv id in g c u r r e n t d o lla r v a lu e s b y
p ro d u c e r, a n d in te rn a tio n a l p ric e s , p ro d u c tiv ity , in te rn a tio n a l c o m p a r is o n s ,
th e C o n s u m e r P r ic e In d e x o r th e a p p r o p r ia te c o m p o n e n t o f th e in d e x , th e n
a n d in ju ry a n d illn e s s s ta tis tic s . In th e n o te s th a t fo llo w , th e d a ta in e a c h
m u ltip ly in g b y 1 0 0 . F o r e x a m p le , g iv e n a c u r r e n t h o u rly w a g e ra te o f $ 3
g ro u p o f ta b le s a re b rie fly d e s c rib e d , k e y d e fin itio n s a re g iv e n , n o te s o n th e
a n d a c u r r e n t p ric e in d e x n u m b e r o f 1 5 0 , w h e re 1 9 7 7 = 1 0 0 , th e h o u rly rate
d a ta a re se t fo r th , a n d s o u rc e s o f a d d itio n a l in fo r m a tio n a re c ite d .
e x p r e s s e d in 1 9 7 7 d o lla r s is $ 2 ( $ 3 /1 5 0
x
100 = $ 2 ). T h e $ 2 ( o r a n y o th e r
r e s u ltin g v a lu e s ) a re d e s c r ib e d as “ r e a l , ” “ c o n s ta n t,” o r “ 1 9 7 7 ” d o lla rs .
General notes
Additional information
T h e fo llo w in g n o te s a p p ly to s e v e ra l ta b le s in th is s e c tio n :
D a ta th a t s u p p le m e n t th e ta b le s in th is s e c tio n a re p u b lis h e d b y th e
Seasonal adjustment.
C e r ta in m o n th ly a n d q u a rte rly d a ta a re a d ju s te d
B u re a u in a v a rie ty o f s o u rc e s . N e w s re le a s e s p ro v id e th e la te s t s ta tis tic a l
to e lim in a te th e e ffe c t o n th e d a ta o f s u c h fa c to rs a s c lim a tic c o n d itio n s ,
in f o r m a tio n p u b lis h e d b y th e B u re a u ; th e m a jo r re c u r r in g re le a s e s are
in d u s try p ro d u c tio n s c h e d u le s , o p e n in g a n d c lo s in g o f s c h o o ls , h o lid a y
p u b lis h e d a c c o r d in g to th e s c h e d u le p r e c e d in g th e s e g e n e r a l n o te s . M o re
b u y in g p e rio d s , a n d v a c a tio n p ra c tic e s , w h ic h m ig h t p r e v e n t s h o r t- te r m
in fo r m a tio n a b o u t la b o r fo r c e , e m p lo y m e n t, a n d u n e m p lo y m e n t d a ta an d
e v a lu a tio n o f th e s ta tis tic a l s e r ie s . T a b le s c o n ta in in g d a ta th a t h a v e b e e n
th e h o u s e h o ld a n d e s ta b lis h m e n t s u rv e y s u n d e r ly in g th e d a ta a re a v a ila b le
a d ju s te d a re id e n tifie d a s “ s e a s o n a lly a d ju s t e d .” (A ll o th e r d a ta a re n o t
in E m p lo y m e n t a n d E a r n in g s , a m o n th ly p u b lic a tio n o f th e B u re a u . M o re
s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d .) S e a s o n a l e ffe c ts a re e s tim a te d o n th e b a s is o f p a s t
d a ta fr o m th e h o u s e h o ld s u rv e y a re p u b lis h e d in th e tw o -v o lu m e d a ta
e x p e r ie n c e . W h e n n e w s e a s o n a l fa c to rs a re c o m p u te d e a c h y e a r , re v is io n s
b o o k — L a b o r F o r c e S ta tis tic s D e r iv e d F ro m th e C u r re n t P o p u la tio n S u r
m a y a ffe c t s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d d a ta fo r s e v e ra l p re c e d in g y e a r s . ( S e a s o n
v e y , B u lle tin 2 0 9 6 . M o re d a ta fro m th e e s ta b lis h m e n t s u rv e y a p p e a r in tw o
a lly a d ju s te d d a ta a p p e a r in ta b le s 1 - 3 , 4 - 1 0 , 13, 14, 17, a n d 1 8 .) B e g in
d a ta b o o k s — E m p lo y m e n t, H o u r s , a n d E a rn in g s , U n ite d S ta te s , a n d E m
n in g in J a n u a ry 1 9 8 0 , th e bls in tr o d u c e d tw o m a jo r m o d if ic a tio n s in th e
p lo y m e n t, H o u r s , a n d E a rn in g s , S ta te s a n d A r e a s , a n d th e a n n u a l s u p p le
s e a s o n a l a d ju s tm e n t m e th o d o lo g y fo r la b o r fo rc e d a ta . F ir s t, th e d a ta are
m e n ts to th e s e d a ta b o o k s . M o re d e ta ile d in f o r m a tio n o n e m p lo y e e c o m
s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d w ith a p ro c e d u re c a lle d x —11 arima , w h ic h w a s d e v e l
p e n s a tio n a n d c o lle c tiv e b a r g a in in g s e ttle m e n ts is p u b lis h e d in th e m o n th ly
o p e d at S ta tis tic s C a n a d a as a n e x te n s io n o f th e s ta n d a rd X-n m e th o d
p e r io d ic a l, C u r r e n t W a g e D e v e lo p m e n ts . M o re d e ta ile d d a ta o n c o n s u m e r
p re v io u s ly u s e d b y BLS. A d e ta ile d d e s c rip tio n o f th e p ro c e d u r e a p p e a rs in
a n d p r o d u c e r p ric e s a re p u b lis h e d in th e m o n th ly p e rio d ic a ls , T h e cpi
T h e x - i i arima S e a s o n a l A d ju s tm e n t M e th o d b y E s te la B e e D a g u m (S ta tis
D e ta ile d R e p o r t, a n d P r o d u c e r P r ic e s a n d P r ic e I n d e x e s . D e ta ile d d a ta o n
tic s C a n a d a , C a ta lo g u e N o . 1 2 - 5 6 4 E , F e b ru a ry 1 9 8 0 ). T h e s e c o n d c h a n g e
all o f th e s e r ie s in th is s e c tio n a re p r o v id e d in th e H a n d b o o k o f L a b o r
is th a t s e a s o n a l fa c to rs a re c a lc u la te d f o r u s e d u rin g th e first 6 m o n th s o f
S ta tis tic s , w h ic h is p u b lis h e d b ie n n a lly b y th e B u re a u , bls b u lle tin s are
th e y e a r , ra th e r th a n fo r th e e n tire y e a r , a n d th e n a re c a lc u la te d a t m id y e a r
is s u e d c o v e r in g p r o d u c tiv ity , in ju ry a n d illn e s s , a n d o th e r d a ta in th is
fo r th e J u ly - D e c e m b e r p e rio d . H o w e v e r, re v is io n s o f h is to ric a l d a ta c o n
s e c tio n . F in a lly , th e M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w c a r r ie s a n a ly tic a l a rtic le s o n
tin u e to be m a d e o n ly at th e e n d o f e a c h c a le n d a r y e a r.
a n n u a l a n d lo n g e r te rm d e v e lo p m e n ts in la b o r f o r c e , e m p lo y m e n t, a n d
S e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d la b o r fo rc e d a ta in ta b le s 1 a n d 4 - 1 0 w e re re v is e d
in th e F e b ru a ry 1987 is s u e o f th e R e v ie w , to re fle c t e x p e r ie n c e th ro u g h
1986.
A n n u a l re v is io n s o f th e s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d p a y ro ll d a ta s h o w n in ta b le s
13, 14, a n d 18 w e re m a d e in th e J u ly 1986 R e v ie w u s in g th e X -n arima
u n e m p lo y m e n t; e m p lo y e e c o m p e n s a tio n a n d c o lle c tiv e b a r g a in in g ; p ric e s;
p r o d u c tiv ity ; in te rn a tio n a l c o m p a r is o n s ; a n d in ju ry a n d illn e s s d a ta .
Symbols
p = p r e lim in a r y . T o in c re a s e th e tim e lin e s s o f s o m e s e r ie s , p r e lim
s e a s o n a l a d ju s tm e n t m e th o d o lo g y . N e w s e a s o n a l fa c to rs f o r p ro d u c tiv ity
d a ta in ta b le 4 2 a re u s u a lly in tr o d u c e d in th e S e p te m b e r is su e . S e a s o n a lly
in a ry fig u r e s are is s u e d b a s e d o n re p r e s e n ta tiv e b u t in c o m
a d ju s te d in d e x e s a n d p e rc e n t c h a n g e s fro m m o n th to m o n th a n d fro m
p le te re tu rn s .
r = r e v is e d . G e n e r a lly , th is re v is io n re f le c ts th e a v a ila b ility o f la te r
q u a r te r to q u a r te r a re p u b lis h e d fo r n u m e ro u s C o n s u m e r a n d P r o d u c e r P ric e
d a ta b u t m a y a ls o r e f le c t o th e r a d ju s tm e n ts ,
In d e x s e rie s . H o w e v e r, s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d in d e x e s a re n o t p u b lis h e d fo r
th e U .S . a v e ra g e A ll Ite m s cpi . O n ly s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d p e r c e n t c h a n g e s
n . e . c . = n o t e ls e w h e r e c la s s if ie d ,
a re a v a ila b le fo r th is s e rie s .
n . e . s . = n o t e ls e w h e r e s p e c ifie d .
COMPARATIVE INDICATORS
(Tables 1-3)
C o m p a ra tiv e in d ic a to rs ta b le s p ro v id e a n o v e rv ie w a n d c o m p a r is o n o f
m a jo r bls s ta tis tic a l s e rie s . C o n s e q u e n tly , a lth o u g h m a n y o f th e in c lu d e d
s e rie s a re a v a ila b le m o n th ly , a ll m e a s u re s in th e s e c o m p a r a tiv e ta b le s are
p re s e n te d q u a rte rly a n d a n n u a lly .
Labor market indicators in c lu d e
e m p lo y m e n t m e a s u r e s fr o m tw o m a
bargaining status, is chosen from a variety of bls compensation and wage
measures because it provides a comprehensive measure o f em ployer costs
for hiring labor, not just outlays for wages, and it is not affected by
employment shifts among occupations and industries.
D a ta o n
changes in compensation, prices, and productivity a re
p re
j o r s u rv e y s a n d in fo r m a tio n o n ra te s o f c h a n g e in c o m p e n s a tio n p ro v id e d
s e n te d in ta b le 2 . M e a s u re s o f ra te s o f c h a n g e o f c o m p e n s a tio n a n d w a g e s
b y th e E m p lo y m e n t C o s t In d e x ( eci ) p ro g r a m . T h e la b o r fo r c e p a r tic ip a tio n
fr o m th e E m p lo y m e n t C o s t In d e x p r o g r a m a re p r o v id e d f o r all c iv ilia n
ra te , th e e m p lo y m e n t-to - p o p u la tio n ra tio , a n d u n e m p lo y m e n t ra te s fo r
n o n fa rm w o rk e rs ( e x c lu d in g F e d e ra l a n d h o u s e h o ld w o rk e rs ) a n d fo r all
m a jo r d e m o g ra p h ic g ro u p s b a s e d o n th e C u rre n t P o p u la tio n (“ h o u s e h o ld ’’)
p riv a te n o n f a r m w o rk e rs . M e a s u r e s o f c h a n g e s in: c o n s u m e r p ric e s f o r all
S u rv e y a re p re s e n te d , w h ile m e a s u re s o f e m p lo y m e n t a n d a v e r a g e w e e k ly
u rb a n c o n s u m e r s ; p r o d u c e r p ric e s b y s ta g e o f p ro c e s s in g ; a n d th e o v e ra ll
h o u rs by m a jo r in d u s try s e c to r a re g iv e n u s in g n o n a g ric u ltu r a l p a y ro ll d a ta .
e x p o r t a n d im p o r t p ric e in d e x e s a re g iv e n . M e a s u r e s o f p ro d u c tiv ity (o u tp u t
T h e E m p lo y m e n t C o s t In d e x (c o m p e n s a tio n ) , b y m a jo r s e c to r a n d b y
p e r h o u r o f all p e r s o n s ) a re p r o v id e d f o r m a jo r s e c to rs .
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
55
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics
Alternative measures of wage and compensation rates of change,
s e c tio n s o f th e s e n o te s d e s c r ib in g e a c h s e t o f d a ta . F o r d e ta ile d d e s c rip tio n s
w h ic h r e fle c t th e o v e ra ll tre n d in la b o r c o s ts , a re s u m m a riz e d in ta b le 3 .
o f e a c h d a ta s e r ie s , s e e bls H a n d b o o k o f M e th o d s , V o lu m e s I a n d II,
D if f e r e n c e s in c o n c e p ts a n d s c o p e , re la te d to th e s p e c ific p u rp o s e s o f th e
B u lle tin s 2 1 3 4 - 1 a n d 2 1 3 4 - 2 (B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 2 a n d 1 9 8 4 ,
s e r ie s , c o n trib u te to th e v a ria tio n in c h a n g e s a m o n g th e in d iv id u a l m e a
r e s p e c tiv e ly ) , a s w e ll a s th e a d d itio n a l b u lle tin s , a r tic le s , a n d o th e r p u b li
s u re s .
c a tio n s n o te d in th e s e p a r a te s e c tio n s o f th e R e v ie w 's “ C u r r e n t L a b o r
Notes on the data
b o o k o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , B u lle tin 2 2 1 7 (B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 5 ).
S ta tis tic s N o te s .” H is to ric a l d a ta f o r m a n y s e r ie s a re p r o v id e d in th e H a n d
U s e rs m a y a ls o w is h to c o n s u lt M a jo r P r o g r a m s , B u r ea u o f L a b o r S ta tis
D e fin itio n s o f e a c h s e rie s a n d n o te s o n th e d a ta a re c o n ta in e d in la te r
tic s , R e p o r t 7 1 8 (B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 5 ).
EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT DATA
(Tables 1; 4-21)
H o u seh o ld su rv e y d ata
th e v a rio u s d a ta s e r ie s a p p e a r in th e E x p la n a to r y N o te s o f E m p lo y m e n t a n d
E a rn in g s .
D a ta in ta b le s 4 - 1 0 a re s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d , b a s e d o n th e s e a s o n a l
Description of the series
e x p e r ie n c e th r o u g h D e c e m b e r 1 9 8 6 .
employment data in th is s e c tio n a re o b ta in e d fr o m th e C u rre n t P o p u la tio n
S u r v e y , a p ro g r a m o f p e rs o n a l in te rv ie w s c o n d u c te d m o n th ly b y th e B u re a u
Additional sources of information
o f th e C e n s u s fo r th e B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s . T h e s a m p le c o n s is ts o f
a b o u t 5 9 ,5 0 0 h o u s e h o ld s s e le c te d to re p re s e n t th e U .S . p o p u la tio n 16 y e a r s
o f a g e a n d o ld e r. H o u s e h o ld s a re in te rv ie w e d o n a r o ta tin g b a s is , so th a t
th r e e - f o u r th s o f th e s a m p le is th e s a m e f o r a n y 2 c o n s e c u tiv e m o n th s .
F o r d e ta ile d e x p la n a tio n s o f th e d a ta , s ee bls H a n d b o o k o f M e th o d s ,
B u lle tin 2 1 3 4 - 1 (B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 2 ), c h a p te r 1, a n d f o r
a d d itio n a l d a ta , H a n d b o o k o f L a b o r S ta t is tic s , B u lle tin 2 2 1 7 (B u re a u o f
L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 5 ). A d e ta ile d d e s c r ip tio n o f th e C u r r e n t P o p u la tio n
S u r v e y as w e ll as a d d itio n a l d a ta a re a v a ila b le in th e m o n th ly B u re a u o f
Definitions
L a b o r S ta tis tic s p e r io d ic a l, E m p lo y m e n t a n d E a r n in g s . H is to ric a l d a ta
Employed persons in c lu d e
(1 ) a ll c iv ilia n s w h o w o rk e d f o r p a y a n y tim e
d u r in g th e w e e k w h ic h in c lu d e s th e 1 2 th d a y o f th e m o n th o r w h o w o rk e d
u n p a id f o r 15 h o u rs o r m o re in a f a m ily - o p e r a te d e n te rp ris e a n d ( 2 ) th o s e
w h o w e re te m p o ra rily a b s e n t fr o m th e ir r e g u la r jo b s b e c a u s e o f illn e s s ,
v a c a tio n , in d u s tria l d is p u te , o r s im ila r re a s o n s . M e m b e rs o f th e A rm e d
F o r c e s s ta tio n e d in th e U n ite d S ta te s a re a ls o in c lu d e d in th e e m p lo y e d
to ta l. A p e rs o n w o rk in g a t m o re th a n o n e jo b is c o u n te d o n ly in th e jo b a t
fr o m 1 9 4 8 to 1981 a re a v a ila b le in L a b o r F o r c e S ta tis tic s D e r iv e d f r o m th e
C u r r e n t P o p u la tio n S u rv e y : A D a ta b o o k , V o ls . I a n d II , B u lle tin 2 0 9 6
(B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 2 ).
A c o m p r e h e n s iv e d is c u s s io n o f th e d if f e r e n c e s b e tw e e n h o u s e h o ld a n d
e s ta b lis h m e n t d a ta o n e m p lo y m e n t a p p e a rs in G lo r ia P . G r e e n , “ C o m p a r in g
e m p lo y m e n t e s tim a te s f r o m h o u s e h o ld a n d p a y r o ll s u r v e y s ,” M o n th ly
L a b o r R e v ie w , D e c e m b e r 1 9 6 9 , p p . 9 - 2 0 .
w h ic h h e o r s h e w o rk e d th e g re a te s t n u m b e r o f h o u rs .
Unemployed persons a re
Establishment survey data
th o s e w h o d id n o t w o rk d u rin g th e s u rv e y
w e e k , b u t w e re a v a ila b le f o r w o rk e x c e p t f o r te m p o ra ry illn e s s a n d h a d
lo o k e d f o r jo b s w ith in th e p re c e d in g 4 w e e k s . P e rs o n s w h o d id n o t lo o k f o r
Description of the series
w o rk b e c a u s e th e y w e re o n la y o ff o r w a itin g to s ta rt n e w jo b s w ith in th e
Employment, hours, and earnings data
n e x t 3 0 d a y s a re a ls o c o u n te d a m o n g th e u n e m p lo y e d . T h e
ployment rate re p re s e n ts
th e n u m b e r u n e m p lo y e d as a p e rc e n t o f th e la b o r
f o r c e , in c lu d in g th e r e s id e n t A rm e d F o r c e s . T h e
rate re p r e s e n ts
overall unem
civilian unemployment
th e n u m b e r u n e m p lo y e d a s a p e rc e n t o f th e c iv ilia n la b o r
fo r c e .
The
labor force c o n s is ts
L a b o r S ta tis tic s a n d its c o o p e r a tin g S ta te a g e n c ie s b y m o re th a n 2 9 0 ,0 0 0
e s ta b lis h m e n ts re p r e s e n tin g a ll in d u s trie s e x c e p t a g r ic u ltu r e . In m o s t in d u s
tr ie s , th e s a m p lin g p r o b a b ilitie s a re b a s e d o n th e s iz e o f th e e s ta b lis h m e n t;
m o s t la rg e e s ta b lis h m e n ts a re th e r e f o r e in th e s a m p le . (A n e s ta b lis h m e n t is
o f all e m p lo y e d o r u n e m p lo y e d c iv ilia n s p lu s
m e m b e rs o f th e A rm e d F o rc e s s ta tio n e d in th e U n ite d S ta te s . P e rs o n s
in the labor force a re
in th is s e c tio n a re c o m p ile d fro m
p a y r o ll r e c o r d s r e p o r te d m o n th ly o n a v o lu n ta r y b a s is to th e B u re a u o f
not
th o s e n o t c la s s ifie d a s e m p lo y e d o r u n e m p lo y e d ; th is
g r o u p in c lu d e s p e rs o n s w h o a re re tir e d , th o s e e n g a g e d in th e ir o w n h o u s e
w o r k , th o s e n o t w o rk in g w h ile a tte n d in g s c h o o l, th o s e u n a b le to w o rk
n o t n e c e s s a r ily a fir m ; it m a y b e a b ra n c h p la n t, f o r e x a m p le , o r w a r e
h o u s e .) S e lf - e m p lo y e d p e rs o n s a n d o th e r s n o t o n a r e g u la r c iv ilia n p a y ro ll
a re o u ts id e th e s c o p e o f th e s u rv e y b e c a u s e th e y a re e x c lu d e d fr o m e s ta b
lis h m e n t r e c o rd s . T h is la rg e ly a c c o u n ts f o r th e d if f e r e n c e in e m p lo y m e n t
fig u r e s b e tw e e n th e h o u s e h o ld a n d e s ta b lis h m e n t s u rv e y s .
b e c a u s e o f lo n g -te rm illn e s s , th o s e d is c o u r a g e d fr o m s e e k in g w o rk b e c a u s e
o f p e rs o n a l o r jo b - m a r k e t fa c to rs , a n d th o s e w h o a re v o lu n ta rily id le . T h e
noninstitutional population
c o m p ris e s a ll p e rs o n s 16 y e a rs o f a g e a n d
o ld e r w h o a re n o t in m a te s o f p e n a l o r m e n ta l in s titu tio n s , s a n ita r iu m s , o r
h o m e s f o r th e a g e d , in firm , o r n e e d y , a n d m e m b e rs o f th e A rm e d F o r c e s
s ta tio n e d in th e U n ite d S ta te s . T h e
labor force participation rate is
th e
p ro p o r tio n o f th e n o n in s titu tio n a l p o p u la tio n th a t is in th e la b o r fo rc e . T h e
employment-population ratio is
to ta l e m p lo y m e n t (in c lu d in g th e re s id e n t
A rm e d F o rc e s ) a s a p e rc e n t o f th e n o n in s titu tio n a l p o p u la tio n .
Definitions
An
establishment is
a n e c o n o m ic u n it w h ic h p ro d u c e s g o o d s o r s e r v ic e s
(s u c h a s a fa c to ry o r s to re ) at a s in g le lo c a tio n a n d is e n g a g e d in o n e ty p e
o f e c o n o m ic a c tiv ity .
Employed persons a re
all p e rs o n s w h o r e c e iv e d p a y (in c lu d in g h o lid a y
a n d s ic k p a y ) f o r a n y p a rt o f th e p a y ro ll p e rio d in c lu d in g th e 1 2 th o f th e
m o n th . P e r s o n s h o ld in g m o re th a n o n e jo b ( a b o u t 5 p e r c e n t o f all p e rs o n s
in th e la b o r fo r c e ) a re c o u n te d in e a c h e s ta b lis h m e n t w h ic h r e p o rts th e m .
Notes on the data
Production workers in
m a n u f a c tu r in g in c lu d e w o rk in g s u p e r v is o r s a n d
a ll n o n s u p e r v is o r y w o r k e r s c lo s e ly a s s o c ia te d w ith p ro d u c tio n o p e ra tio n s .
F r o m tim e to tim e , a n d e s p e c ia lly a f te r a d e c e n n ia l c e n s u s , a d ju s tm e n ts
T h o s e w o rk e rs m e n tio n e d in ta b le s 1 2 - 1 7 in c lu d e p ro d u c tio n w o rk e rs in
a re m a d e in th e C u rre n t P o p u la tio n S u rv e y fig u r e s to c o rre c t f o r e s tim a tin g
m a n u f a c tu r in g a n d m in in g ; c o n s tr u c tio n w o rk e rs in c o n s tr u c tio n ; a n d n o n
e rro r s d u r in g th e p re c e d in g y e a r s . T h e s e a d ju s tm e n ts a ffe c t th e c o m p a r a b il
s u p e r v is o r y w o rk e rs in th e fo llo w in g in d u s trie s : tra n s p o r ta tio n a n d p u b lic
ity o f h is to ric a l d a ta . A d e s c rip tio n o f th e s e a d ju s tm e n ts a n d th e ir e ffe c t o n
u tilitie s ; w h o le s a le a n d re ta il tra d e ; f in a n c e , in s u r a n c e , a n d re a l e s ta te ; a n d
56
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
s e r v ic e s . T h e s e g ro u p s a c c o u n t fo r a b o u t f o u r -fif th s o f th e to ta l e m p lo y
m e n t o n p riv a te n o n a g ric u tu ra l p a y ro lls .
Earnings
a re th e p a y m e n ts p ro d u c tio n o r n o n s u p e r v is o r y w o r k e r s r e
c e iv e d u rin g th e s u rv e y p e r io d , in c lu d in g p re m iu m p a y f o r o v e r tim e o r
la te -s h ift w o rk b u t e x c lu d in g irr e g u la r b o n u s e s a n d o th e r s p e c ia l p a y m e n ts .
Real earnings a re
e a r n in g s a d ju s te d to re fle c t th e e ffe c ts o f c h a n g e s in
c o n s u m e r p ric e s . T h e d e f la to r fo r th is s e rie s is d e riv e d fr o m th e C o n s u m e r
P ric e In d e x f o r U rb a n W a g e E a rn e rs a n d C le ric a l W o rk e rs (C P l-w ). T h e
Hourly Earnings Index
is c a lc u la te d fr o m a v e r a g e h o u rly e a r n in g s d a ta
a d ju s te d to e x c lu d e th e e ffe c ts o f tw o ty p e s o f c h a n g e s th a t a re u n r e la te d
to u n d e rly in g w a g e - ra te d e v e lo p m e n ts : f lu c tu a tio n s in o v e r tim e p r e m iu m s
in m a n u fa c tu rin g (th e o n ly s e c to r fo r w h ic h o v e rtim e d a ta a re a v a ila b le )
a n d th e e ffe c ts o f c h a n g e s a n d s e a s o n a l fa c to rs in th e p ro p o r tio n o f w o rk e rs
in h ig h -w a g e a n d lo w -w a g e in d u s trie s .
Hours re p re s e n t
th e a v e r a g e w e e k ly h o u rs o f p ro d u c tio n o r n o n s u p e r v i
Additional sources of information
D e ta ile d n a tio n a l d a ta fr o m th e e s ta b lis h m e n t s u rv e y a re p u b lis h e d
m o n th ly in th e bls p e r io d ic a l, E m p lo y m e n t a n d E a rn in g s . E a r lie r c o m p a r a
b le u n a d ju s te d a n d s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d d a ta a re p u b lis h e d in E m p lo y m e n t,
H o u r s , a n d E a rn in g s , U n ite d S ta te s , 1 9 0 9 - 8 4 , B u lle tin 1 3 1 2 - 1 2 (B u re a u
o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 5 ) a n d its a n n u a l s u p p le m e n t. F o r a d e ta ile d d is c u s
s io n o f th e m e th o d o lo g y o f th e s u r v e y , se e bls H a n d b o o k o f M e th o d s,
B u lle tin 2 1 3 4 - 1 ( B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 2 ), c h a p te r 2 . F o r a d d i
tio n a l d a ta , se e H a n d b o o k o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , B u lle tin 2 2 1 7 (B u re a u o f
L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 5 ).
A c o m p r e h e n s iv e d is c u s s io n o f th e d if f e r e n c e s b e tw e e n h o u s e h o ld a n d
e s ta b lis h m e n t d a ta o n e m p lo y m e n t a p p e a rs in G lo r ia P . G r e e n , “ C o m p a r in g
e m p lo y m e n t e s tim a te s fr o m h o u s e h o ld a n d p a y r o ll s u r v e y s , ” M o n th ly
L a b o r R e v ie w , D e c e m b e r 1 9 6 9 , p p . 9 - 2 0 .
s o ry w o rk e rs fo r w h ic h p a y w a s re c e iv e d a n d a re d iff e r e n t fr o m s ta n d a rd
Overtime hours
o r s c h e d u le d h o u rs .
p re m iu m s w e re p a id .
The Diffusion Index,
U n e m p lo y m e n t d a ta by S ta te
re p re s e n t th e p o rtio n o f a v e r a g e
w e e k ly h o u rs w h ic h w a s in e x c e s s o f r e g u la r h o u rs a n d fo r w h ic h o v e rtim e
in tr o d u c e d in th e M a y 1983 R e v i e w , r e p r e s e n ts
th e p e rc e n t o f 185 n o n a g ric u ltu ra l in d u s trie s in w h ic h e m p lo y m e n t w a s
ris in g o v e r th e in d ic a te d p e rio d . O n e - h a lf o f th e in d u s trie s w ith u n c h a n g e d
e m p lo y m e n t a re c o u n te d as r is in g . In lin e w ith B u re a u
p r a c tic e , d a ta fo r
th e 1-, 3 - , a n d 6 - m o n th s p a n s a re s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d , w h ile th o s e f o r th e
1 2 -m o n th s p a n a re u n a d ju s te d . T h e d iff u s io n in d e x is u s e f u l f o r m e a s u r
in g th e d is p e r s io n o f e c o n o m ic g a in s o r lo s s e s a n d is a ls o a n e c o n o m ic
in d ic a to r.
Description of the series
D a ta p r e s e n te d in th is s e c tio n a re o b ta in e d fr o m tw o m a jo r s o u r c e s — th e
C u r r e n t P o p u la tio n S u r v e y (cps ) a n d th e L o c a l A r e a U n e m p lo y m e n t S ta tis
tic s ( laus ) p r o g r a m , w h ic h is c o n d u c te d in c o o p e r a tio n w ith S ta te e m p lo y
m e n t s e c u rity a g e n c ie s .
M o n th ly e s tim a te s o f th e la b o r f o r c e , e m p lo y m e n t, a n d u n e m p lo y m e n t
f o r S ta te s a n d s u b -S ta te a re a s a re a k e y in d ic a to r o f lo c a l e c o n o m ic c o n d i
tio n s a n d fo r m th e b a s is f o r d e te r m in in g th e e lig ib ility o f a n a re a fo r
b e n e f its u n d e r F e d e ra l e c o n o m ic a s s is ta n c e p r o g r a m s s u c h as th e J o b T r a i n
in g P a r tn e r s h ip A c t a n d th e P u b lic W o rk s a n d E c o n o m ic D e v e lo p m e n t A c t.
I n s o f a r a s p o s s ib le , th e c o n c e p ts a n d d e fin itio n s u n d e r ly in g th e s e d a ta are
Notes on the data
th o s e u s e d in th e n a tio n a l e s tim a te s o b ta in e d f r o m th e cps .
E s ta b lis h m e n t d a ta c o lle c te d b y th e B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s a re p e r i
o d i c a l l y a d j u s t e d to c o m p r e h e n s i v e c o u n t s o f e m p l o y m e n t ( c a l l e d
“ b e n c h m a r k s ” ). T h e la te s t c o m p le te a d ju s tm e n t w a s m a d e w ith th e re le a s e
o f M a y 1987 d a ta , p u b lis h e d in th e J u ly 1987 is s u e o f th e R e v ie w . C o n s e
q u e n tly , d a ta p u b lis h e d in th e R e v ie w p rio r to th a t is s u e a re n o t n e c e s s a rily
c o m p a ra b le to c u rre n t d a ta . U n a d ju s te d d a ta h a v e b e e n r e v is e d b a c k to
A p ril 1 9 8 5 ; s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d d a ta h a v e b e e n re v is e d b a c k to J a n u a ry
1 9 8 2 . T h e s e r e v is io n s w e re p u b lis h e d in th e S u p p le m e n t to E m p lo y m e n t
a n d E a rn in g s (B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 7 ). U n a d ju s te d d a ta fro m
A p ril 1 9 8 6 fo r w a rd , a n d s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d d a ta fr o m J a n u a r y 1 9 8 3 f o r
Notes on the data
D a ta r e f e r to S ta te o f re s id e n c e . M o n th ly d a ta f o r 11 S ta te s — C a lif o r n ia ,
F lo r id a , Illin o is , M a s s a c h u s e tts , M ic h ig a n , N e w Y o r k , N e w J e r s e y , N o rth
C a r o lin a , O h io , P e n n s y lv a n ia , a n d T e x a s — a re o b ta in e d d ire c tly fr o m th e
cps , b e c a u s e th e s iz e o f th e s a m p le is la rg e e n o u g h to m e e t bls s ta n d a rd s
o f r e lia b ility . D a ta f o r th e re m a in in g 3 9 S ta te s a n d th e D is tric t o f C o lu m b ia
a re d e r iv e d u s in g s ta n d a r d iz e d p r o c e d u r e s e s ta b lis h e d b y bls . O n c e a y e a r ,
e s tim a te s f o r th e 11 S ta te s a re re v is e d to n e w p o p u la tio n c o n tr o ls . F o r th e
r e m a in in g S ta te s a n d th e D is tric t o f C o lu m b ia , d a ta a re b e n c h m a r k e d to
a n n u a l a v e r a g e cps le v e ls .
w a rd a re s u b je c t to r e v is io n in fu tu re b e n c h m a r k s .
In th e e s ta b lis h m e n t s u rv e y , e s tim a te s fo r th e 2 m o s t r e c e n t m o n th s are
b a s e d o n in c o m p le te re tu rn s a n d a re p u b lis h e d as p r e lim in a r y in th e ta b le s
Additional sources of information
(1 3 to 18 in th e R e v ie w ) . W h e n a ll re tu rn s h a v e b e e n r e c e iv e d , th e e s ti
I n f o r m a tio n o n th e c o n c e p ts , d e f in itio n s , a n d te c h n ic a l p r o c e d u r e s u s e d
m a te s a re re v is e d a n d p u b lis h e d a s fin a l in th e th ird m o n th o f th e ir a p p e a r
to d e v e lo p la b o r fo r c e d a ta f o r S ta te s a n d s u b - S ta te a re a s a s w e ll as a d d i
a n c e . T h u s , A u g u s t d a ta a re p u b lis h e d as p re lim in a ry in O c to b e r a n d
tio n a l d a ta o n s u b - S ta te s a re p ro v id e d in th e m o n th ly B u re a u o f L a b o r
N o v e m b e r a n d as fin a l in D e c e m b e r. F o r th e s a m e re a s o n , q u a r te r ly e s ta b
S ta tis tic s p e r io d ic a l, E m p lo y m e n t a n d E a rn in g s , a n d th e a n n u a l r e p o r t,
lis h m e n t d a ta (ta b le 1 ) a re p re lim in a ry fo r th e firs t 2 m o n th s o f p u b lic a tio n
G e o g r a p h ic P r o file o f E m p lo y m e n t a n d U n e m p lo y m e n t ( B u re a u o f L a b o r
a n d fin a l in th e th ird m o n th . T h u s , s e c o n d -q u a rte r d a ta a re p u b lis h e d as
S ta tis tic s ) . S e e a ls o bls H a n d b o o k o f M e th o d s , B u lle tin 2 1 3 4 - 1 (B u re a u o f
p r e lim in a ry in A u g u s t a n d S e p te m b e r a n d as fin a l in O c to b e r .
L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 2 ), c h a p te r 4 .
C O M P E N S A T IO N A N D W A G E D A T A
(Tables 1-3; 22-29)
C ompensation
and wage data a re g a th e re d b y th e B u re a u fr o m b u s in e s s
la b o r — s im ila r in c o n c e p t to th e C o n s u m e r P r ic e I n d e x ’s fix e d m a rk e t
e s ta b lis h m e n ts , S ta te a n d lo c a l g o v e rn m e n ts , la b o r u n io n s , c o lle c tiv e b a r
b a s k e t o f g o o d s a n d s e r v ic e s — to m e a s u re c h a n g e o v e r tim e in e m p lo y e r
g a in in g a g re e m e n ts o n file w ith th e B u re a u , a n d s e c o n d a ry s o u rc e s .
c o s ts o f e m p lo y in g la b o r. T h e in d e x is n o t s e a s o n a lly a d ju s te d .
S ta tis tic a l s e r ie s o n to ta l c o m p e n s a tio n c o s ts a n d o n w a g e s a n d s a la rie s
a re a v a ila b le f o r p riv a te n o n f a r m w o rk e rs e x c lu d in g p r o p r ie to r s , th e se lf-
E m p lo y m e n t C o st In d ex
e m p lo y e d , a n d h o u s e h o ld w o rk e rs . B o th s e r ie s a re a ls o a v a ila b le f o r S ta te
a n d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n t w o rk e rs a n d f o r th e c iv ilia n n o n fa rm e c o n o m y ,
Description of the series
w h ic h c o n s is ts o f p riv a te in d u s try a n d S ta te a n d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n t w o rk e rs
c o m b in e d . F e d e ra l w o r k e r s a re e x c lu d e d .
Employment Cost Index (eci) is
a q u a rte rly m e a s u re o f th e r a te o f
T h e E m p lo y m e n t C o s t In d e x p r o b a b ility s a m p le c o n s is ts o f a b o u t 2 ,2 0 0
c h a n g e in c o m p e n s a tio n p e r h o u r w o rk e d a n d in c lu d e s w a g e s , s a la r ie s , a n d
p riv a te n o n f a r m e s ta b lis h m e n ts p ro v id in g a b o u t 1 2 , 0 0 0 o c c u p a tio n a l o b
e m p lo y e r c o s ts o f e m p lo y e e b e n e f its . It u s e s a fix e d m a rk e t b a s k e t o f
s e r v a tio n s a n d 7 0 0 S ta te a n d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n t e s ta b lis h m e n ts p r o v id in g
The
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
57
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics
3 ,5 0 0 o c c u p a tio n a l o b s e r v a tio n s s e le c te d to re p re s e n t to ta l e m p lo y m e n t in
(w a g e a n d b e n e f it c o s ts ) a n d w a g e s a lo n e , q u a r te r ly f o r p riv a te in d u s try a n d
e a c h s e c to r. O n a v e r a g e , e a c h re p o rtin g u n it p ro v id e s w a g e a n d c o m p e n s a
s e m ia n n u a lly f o r S ta te a n d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n t. C o m p e n s a tio n m e a s u re s
tio n in fo rm a tio n o n fiv e w e ll-s p e c if ie d o c c u p a tio n s . D a ta a re c o lle c te d e a c h
c o v e r all c o lle c tiv e b a r g a in in g s itu a tio n s in v o lv in g 5 ,0 0 0 w o rk e rs o r m o re
q u a r te r fo r th e p a y p e rio d in c lu d in g th e 12th d a y o f M a r c h , J u n e , S e p te m
a n d w a g e m e a s u r e s c o v e r all s itu a tio n s in v o lv in g 1 , 0 0 0 w o rk e rs o r m o re .
b e r, a n d D e c e m b e r.
T h e s e d a ta , c o v e r in g p riv a te n o n a g r ic u ltu r a l in d u s trie s a n d S ta te a n d lo c a l
B e g in n in g w ith J u n e 1986 d a ta , fix e d e m p lo y m e n t w e ig h ts fro m th e
g o v e r n m e n ts , a re c a lc u la te d u s in g in fo r m a tio n o b ta in e d fr o m b a r g a in in g
1 9 8 0 C e n s u s o f P o p u la tio n a re u s e d e a c h q u a r te r to c a lc u la te th e in d e x e s
a g r e e m e n ts o n file w ith th e B u r e a u , p a rtie s to th e a g r e e m e n ts , a n d s e c o n d
f o r c iv ilia n , p riv a te , a n d S ta te a n d lo c a l g o v e rn m e n ts . (P rio r to J u n e 1 9 8 6 ,
a ry s o u r c e s , s u c h as n e w s p a p e r a c c o u n ts . T h e d a ta a re n o t s e a s o n a lly
th e e m p lo y m e n t w e ig h ts a re fro m th e 1 9 7 0 C e n s u s o f P o p u la tio n .) T h e s e
a d ju s te d .
fix e d w e ig h ts , a ls o u s e d to d e riv e all o f th e in d u s try a n d o c c u p a tio n s e rie s
S e ttle m e n t d a ta a re m e a s u r e d in te rm s o f fu tu r e s p e c if ie d a d ju s tm e n ts :
in d e x e s , e n s u r e th a t c h a n g e s in th e s e in d e x e s re fle c t o n ly c h a n g e s in c o m
th o s e th a t w ill o c c u r w ith in 12 m o n th s a fte r c o n tr a c t r a tif ic a tio n — fir s t-
p e n s a tio n , n o t e m p lo y m e n t s h ifts a m o n g in d u s trie s o r o c c u p a tio n s w ith
y e a r — a n d a ll a d ju s tm e n ts th a t w ill o c c u r o v e r th e life o f th e c o n tra c t
d if f e r e n t le v e ls o f w a g e s a n d c o m p e n s a tio n . F o r th e b a rg a in in g s ta tu s ,
e x p r e s s e d as a n a v e r a g e a n n u a l ra te . A d ju s tm e n ts a re w o r k e r w e ig h te d .
r e g io n , a n d m e tro p o lita n /n o n m e tr o p o lita n a re a s e r ie s , h o w e v e r , e m p lo y
B o th fir s t- y e a r a n d o v e r - th e - lif e m e a s u re s e x c lu d e w a g e c h a n g e s th a t m a y
m e n t d a ta b y in d u s try a n d o c c u p a tio n a re n o t a v a ila b le fro m th e c e n s u s .
o c c u r u n d e r c o s t- o f - liv in g c la u s e s th a t a re tr ig g e r e d b y fu tu r e m o v e m e n ts
In s te a d , th e 1980 e m p lo y m e n t w e ig h ts a re re a llo c a te d w ith in th e s e s e rie s
in th e C o n s u m e r P r ic e In d e x .
e a c h q u a r te r b a s e d o n th e c u rre n t s a m p le . T h e re fo r e , th e s e in d e x e s a re n o t
s tric tly c o m p a ra b le to th o s e fo r th e a g g re g a te , in d u s try , a n d o c c u p a tio n
s e r ie s .
Effective wage adjustments m e a s u re
all a d ju s tm e n ts o c c u r r in g in th e
re fe r e n c e p e r io d , re g a r d le s s o f th e s e ttle m e n t d a te . In c lu d e d a re c h a n g e s
fr o m s e ttle m e n ts re a c h e d d u r in g th e p e r io d , c h a n g e s d e f e r r e d fr o m c o n
tr a c ts n e g o tia te d in e a r lie r p e r io d s , a n d c h a n g e s u n d e r c o s t- o f - liv in g a d ju s t
Definitions
m e n t c la u s e s . E a c h w a g e c h a n g e is w o r k e r w e ig h te d . T h e c h a n g e s are
Total compensation c o s ts
in c lu d e w a g e s , s a la rie s , a n d th e e m p lo y e r ’s
Wages and salaries c o n s is t
p r o r a te d o v e r a ll w o rk e rs u n d e r a g r e e m e n ts d u r in g th e r e f e r e n c e p e rio d
y ie ld in g th e a v e r a g e a d ju s tm e n t.
c o s ts f o r e m p lo y e e b e n e fits .
o f e a r n in g s b e fo re p a y ro ll d e d u c tio n s , in
c lu d in g p ro d u c tio n b o n u s e s , in c e n tiv e e a r n in g s , c o m m is s io n s , a n d c o s t- o f-
Definitions
liv in g a d ju s tm e n ts .
Benefits in c lu d e
( in c lu d in g
th e c o s t to e m p lo y e rs f o r p a id le a v e , s u p p le m e n ta l p a y
n o n p r o d u c tio n b o n u s e s ), in s u ra n c e , r e tir e m e n t a n d s a v in g s
p la n s , a n d le g a lly re q u ire d b e n e f its (s u c h a s S o c ia l S e c u rity , w o r k e r s ’
c o m p e n s a tio n , a n d u n e m p lo y m e n t in s u ra n c e ).
Wage rate changes a re
c a lc u la te d b y d iv id in g n e w ly n e g o tia te d w a g e s
b y th e a v e r a g e h o u r ly e a r n in g s , e x c lu d in g o v e r tim e , a t th e tim e th e a g r e e
m e n t is re a c h e d . C o m p e n s a tio n c h a n g e s a re c a lc u la te d b y d iv id in g th e
c h a n g e in th e v a lu e o f th e n e w ly n e g o tia te d w a g e a n d b e n e f it p a c k a g e b y
E x c lu d e d fro m w a g e s a n d s a la rie s a n d e m p lo y e e b e n e f its a re s u c h ite m s
a s p a y m e n t-in -k in d , fre e ro o m a n d b o a rd , a n d tip s .
e x is tin g a v e r a g e h o u r ly c o m p e n s a tio n , w h ic h in c lu d e s th e c o s t o f p r e v i
o u s ly n e g o tia te d b e n e f its , le g a lly r e q u ire d s o c ia l in s u ra n c e p r o g r a m s , a n d
a v e r a g e h o u r ly e a r n in g s .
Notes on the data
Compensation changes a re
c a lc u la te d b y p la c in g a v a lu e o n th e b e n e f it
T h e E m p lo y m e n t C o s t In d e x d a ta s e rie s b e g a n in th e fo u rth q u a rte r o f
p o rtio n o f th e s e ttle m e n ts a t th e tim e th e y a re re a c h e d . T h e c o s t e s tim a te s
1 9 7 5 , w ith th e q u a rte rly p e rc e n t c h a n g e in w a g e s a n d s a la rie s in th e p riv a te
a re b a s e d o n th e a s s u m p tio n th a t c o n d itio n s e x is tin g a t th e tim e o f s e ttle
n o n f a r m s e c to r. D a ta o n e m p lo y e r c o s ts fo r e m p lo y e e b e n e f its w e re in
m e n t ( f o r e x a m p le , m e th o d s o f fin a n c in g p e n s io n s o r c o m p o s itio n o f la b o r
c lu d e d in 1980 to p ro d u c e , w h e n c o m b in e d w ith th e w a g e s a n d s a la rie s
fo r c e ) w ill r e m a in c o n s ta n t. T h e d a ta , th e r e f o r e , a re m e a s u r e s o f n e g o tia te d
s e r ie s , a m e a s u re o f th e p e rc e n t c h a n g e in e m p lo y e r c o s ts fo r e m p lo y e e
c h a n g e s a n d n o t o f to ta l c h a n g e s in e m p lo y e r c o s t.
to ta l c o m p e n s a tio n . S ta te a n d lo c a l g o v e rn m e n t u n its w e re a d d e d to th e eci
Contract duration ru n s
fr o m th e e f f e c tiv e d a te o f th e a g r e e m e n t to th e
c o v e r a g e in 1 9 8 1 , p ro v id in g a m e a s u re o f to ta l c o m p e n s a tio n c h a n g e in th e
e x p ir a tio n d a te o r fir s t w a g e r e o p e n in g d a te , i f a p p lic a b le . A v e r a g e a n n u a l
c iv ilia n n o n fa rm e c o n o m y ( e x c lu d in g F e d e ra l e m p lo y e e s ). H is to ric a l in
p e r c e n t c h a n g e s o v e r th e c o n tr a c t te rm ta k e a c c o u n t o f th e c o m p o u n d in g o f
d e x e s (J u n e 1981 = 100) o f th e q u a rte rly ra te s o f c h a n g e a re p re s e n te d in th e
s u c c e s s iv e c h a n g e s .
M a y is su e o f th e bls m o n th ly p e rio d ic a l, C u r r e n t W a g e D e v e lo p m e n ts .
Notes on the data
Additional sources of information
F o r a m o re d e ta ile d d is c u s s io n o f th e E m p lo y m e n t C o s t In d e x , se e th e
C a r e s h o u ld b e e x e r c is e d in c o m p a r in g th e s iz e a n d n a tu re o f th e s e ttle
H a n d b o o k o f M e th o d s , B u lle tin 2 1 3 4 - 1 (B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 2 ),
m e n ts in S ta te a n d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n t w ith th o s e in th e p riv a te s e c to r b e c a u s e
c h a p te r
o f d if f e r e n c e s in b a r g a in in g p r a c tic e s a n d s e ttle m e n t c h a r a c te r is tic s . A
11, and
th e
f o llo w in g M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w
a rtic le s :
“ E m p lo y m e n t C o s t In d e x : a m e a s u re o f c h a n g e in th e ‘p ric e o f la b o r ’, ” J u ly
p r in c ip a l d if f e r e n c e is th e in c id e n c e o f c o s t- o f - liv in g a d ju s tm e n t (cola )
1 9 7 5 ; “ H o w b e n e f its w ill b e in c o rp o ra te d in to th e E m p lo y m e n t C o s t I n
c la u s e s w h ic h c o v e r o n ly a b o u t 2 p e r c e n t o f w o rk e rs u n d e r a fe w lo c a l
d e x , ” J a n u a ry
g o v e r n m e n t s e ttle m e n ts , b u t c o v e r 5 0 p e r c e n t o f w o rk e rs u n d e r p riv a te
19 7 8 ; “ E s tim a tio n p ro c e d u re s fo r th e E m p lo y m e n t C o s t
I n d e x ,” M a y 19 8 2 ; a n d “ In tr o d u c in g n e w w e ig h ts fo r th e E m p lo y m e n t C o s t
s e c to r s e ttle m e n ts . A g r e e m e n ts w ith o u t cola ’s te n d to p r o v id e la r g e r s p e c i
I n d e x ,” J u n e 19 8 5 .
fie d w a g e in c re a s e s th a n th o s e w ith cola ’s . A n o th e r d if f e r e n c e is th a t S ta te
D a ta o n th e eci a re a ls o a v a ila b le in bls q u a rte rly p re s s re le a s e s is s u e d
a n d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n t b a r g a in in g f r e q u e n tly e x c lu d e s p e n s io n b e n e f its
in th e m o n th f o llo w in g th e re fe re n c e m o n th s o f M a r c h , J u n e , S e p te m b e r ,
w h ic h a re o f te n p r e s c r ib e d b y la w . In th e p riv a te s e c to r , in c o n tr a s t,
a n d D e c e m b e r; a n d fro m th e H a n d b o o k o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , B u lle tin 2 2 1 7
p e n s io n s a re ty p ic a lly a b a r g a in in g is su e .
( B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 5 ).
C o lle ctiv e b a rg a in in g se ttle m e n ts
Additional sources of information
F o r a m o re d e ta ile d d is c u s s io n o n th e s e r ie s , se e th e bls H a n d b o o k o f
Description of the series
M e th o d s , B u lle tin 2 1 3 4 - 1 (B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 2 ), c h a p te r 10.
Collective bargaining settlements d a ta
p ro v id e s ta tis tic a l m e a s u r e s o f
n e g o tia te d a d ju s tm e n ts (in c re a s e s , d e c r e a s e s , a n d fr e e z e s ) in c o m p e n s a tio n
58
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
C o m p r e h e n s iv e d a ta a re p u b lis h e d in p re s s r e le a s e s is s u e d q u a r te r ly (in
Jan u a ry ,
A p r il,
J u ly ,
and
O c to b e r )
f o r p riv a te
in d u s tr y ,
and
se m i-
a n n u a lly (in F e b ru a ry a n d A u g u s t) fo r S ta te a n d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n t. H is to r
m o n th ly p e r io d ic a l, C u r re n t W a g e D e v e lo p m e n ts . H is to ric a l d a ta a p p e a r in
ical d a ta a n d a d d itio n a l d e ta ile d ta b u la tio n s fo r th e p rio r c a le n d a r y e a r
th e bls H a n d b o o k o f L a b o r S t a t i s t i c s .
a p p e a r in th e A p ril is su e o f th e BLS m o n th ly p e rio d ic a l. C u r re n t W a g e
O th e r co m p e n sa tio n d ata
D e v e lo p m e n ts .
O th e r bls d a ta o n p a y a n d b e n e f its , n o t in c lu d e d in th e C u r r e n t L a b o r
W o rk sto p p a g es
S ta tis tic s s e c tio n o f th e M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w , a p p e a r in a n d c o n s is t o f th e
f o llo w in g :
Description of the series
In d u s try W a g e S u r v e y s p ro v id e d a ta f o r s p e c ific o c c u p a tio n s s e le c te d to
m e a s u re th e n u m b e r a n d d u r a tio n o f m a jo r
r e p r e s e n t an in d u s tr y ’s w a g e s tru c tu re a n d th e ty p e s o f a c tiv itie s p e r f o r m e d
s trik e s o r lo c k o u ts ( in v o lv in g 1 ,0 0 0 w o rk e rs o r m o re ) o c c u r r in g d u r in g th e
b y its w o rk e rs . T h e B u re a u c o lle c ts in fo r m a tio n o n w e e k ly w o rk s c h e d u le s ,
m o n th (o r y e a r ), th e n u m b e r o f w o rk e rs in v o lv e d , a n d th e a m o u n t o f tim e
s h ift o p e r a tio n s a n d p a y d if f e r e n tia ls , p a id h o lid a y a n d v a c a tio n p r a c tic e s ,
D a ta o n
work stoppages
a n d in f o r m a tio n o n in c id e n c e o f h e a lth , in s u r a n c e , a n d r e tir e m e n t p la n s .
lo st b e c a u s e o f s to p p a g e .
D a ta a re la rg e ly fro m n e w s p a p e r a c c o u n ts a n d c o v e r o n ly e s ta b lis h m e n ts
R e p o r ts a re is s u e d th r o u g h o u t th e y e a r as th e s u rv e y s are c o m p le te d .
d ire c tly in v o lv e d in a s to p p a g e . T h e y d o n o t m e a s u re th e in d ir e c t o r s e c o n d
S u m m a r ie s o f th e d a ta a n d s p e c ia l a n a ly s e s a ls o a p p e a r in th e M o n th ly
a ry e ffe c t o f s to p p a g e s o n o th e r e s ta b lis h m e n ts w h o s e e m p lo y e e s a re id le
L a b o r R e v ie w .
A r e a W a g e S u r v e y s a n n u a lly p ro v id e d a ta f o r s e le c te d o f f ic e , c le r ic a l,
o w in g to m a te ria l s h o rta g e s o r la c k o f s e rv ic e .
p r o f e s s io n a l,
te c h n ic a l,
m a in te n a n c e ,
to o lr o o m ,
p o w e r p la n t,
m a te ria l
m o v e m e n t, a n d c u s to d ia l o c c u p a tio n s c o m m o n to a w id e v a rie ty o f in d u s
Definitions
trie s in th e a re a s ( la b o r m a rk e ts ) s u rv e y e d . R e p o r ts a re is s u e d th ro u g h o u t
Number of stoppages:
T h e n u m b e r o f s trik e s a n d lo c k o u ts in v o lv in g
Workers involved:
th e y e a r as th e s u rv e y s a re c o m p le te d . S u m m a r ie s o f th e d a ta a n d s p e c ia l
a n a ly s e s a ls o a p p e a r in th e R e v ie w .
1 , 0 0 0 w o rk e rs o r m o re a n d la s tin g a fu ll s h ift o r lo n g e r.
T h e n u m b e r o f w o rk e rs d ire c tly in v o lv e d in th e
T h e N a tio n a l S u rv e y o f P r o fe s s io n a l, A d m in is tr a tiv e , T e c h n ica l, a n d
C le r ic a l P a y p ro v id e s d e ta ile d in fo r m a tio n a n n u a lly o n s a la ry le v e ls a n d
s to p p a g e .
Number of days idle:
T h e a g g re g a te n u m b e r o f w o rk d a y s lo s t b y
d is tr ib u tio n s f o r th e ty p e s o f jo b s m e n tio n e d in th e s u r v e y ’s title in p riv a te
e m p lo y m e n t. A lth o u g h th e d e f in itio n s o f th e jo b s s u rv e y e d r e fle c t th e
w o rk e rs in v o lv e d in th e s to p p a g e s .
Days of idleness as a percent of estimated working time:
A g g re g a te
w o rk d a y s lo s t as a p e rc e n t o f th e a g g re g a te n u m b e r o f s ta n d a rd w o rk d a y s
d u tie s a n d r e s p o n s ib ilitie s in p riv a te in d u s tr y , th e y a re d e s ig n e d to m a tc h
s p e c ific p a y g ra d e s o f F e d e ra l w h ite - c o lla r e m p lo y e e s u n d e r th e G e n e r a l
S c h e d u le p a y s y s te m . A c c o r d in g ly , th is s u rv e y p ro v id e s th e le g a lly r e
in th e p e rio d m u ltip lie d b y to ta l e m p lo y m e n t in th e p e rio d .
q u ire d in fo r m a tio n f o r c o m p a r in g th e p a y o f s a la rie d e m p lo y e e s in th e
F e d e ra l c iv il s e r v ic e w ith p a y in p riv a te in d u s try . (S e e F e d e ra l P a y C o m
Notes on the data
p a r a b ility A c t o f 1 9 7 0 , 5 u .s .c . 5305.) D a ta a re p u b lis h e d in a bls n e w s
T h is s e rie s is n o t c o m p a ra b le w ith th e o n e te rm in a te d in 1981 th a t
r e le a s e is s u e d in th e s u m m e r a n d in a b u lle tin e a c h fa ll; s u m m a rie s a n d
c o v e r e d s trik e s in v o lv in g six w o rk e rs o r m o re .
a n a ly tic a l a r tic le s a ls o a p p e a r in th e R e v ie w .
Additional sources of information
d e n c e a n d c h a r a c te r is tic s o f e m p lo y e e b e n e f it p la n s in m e d iu m a n d la rg e
E m p lo y e e B e n e fits S u rv e y p r o v id e s n a tio n w id e in f o r m a tio n o n th e in c i
e s ta b lis h m e n ts in th e U n ite d S ta te s , e x c lu d in g A la s k a a n d H a w a ii. D a ta are
D a ta fo r e a c h c a le n d a r y e a r a re re p o rte d in a bls p re s s re le a s e is s u e d in
th e firs t q u a r te r o f th e f o llo w in g y e a r. M o n th ly d a ta a p p e a r in th e bls
p u b lis h e d in a n a n n u a l bls n e w s r e le a s e a n d b u lle tin , as w e ll as in s p e c ia l
a rtic le s a p p e a r in g in th e R e v ie w .
P R IC E D A T A
(Tables 2; 30-41)
P rice
data a re g a th e re d b y th e B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s fr o m re ta il a n d
p rim a r y m a rk e ts in th e U n ite d S ta te s . P ric e in d e x e s are g iv e n in r e la tio n to
a b a s e p e rio d (1 9 6 7 = 100, u n le s s o th e rw is e n o te d ).
and clerical workers, the cpi- u covers professional, managerial, and tech
nical workers, the self-em ployed, short-term workers, the unemployed,
retirees, and others not in the labor force.
T h e cpi is b a s e d o n p r ic e s o f f o o d , c lo th in g , s h e lte r , f u e l, d r u g s , tr a n s
C o n su m e r P rice In d e x es
Consumer Price Index (cpi) is
th a t p e o p le b u y f o r d a y - to - d a y liv in g . T h e q u a n tity a n d q u a lity o f th e s e
ite m s a re k e p t e s s e n tia lly u n c h a n g e d b e tw e e n m a jo r r e v is io n s so th a t o n ly
Description of the series
The
p o r ta tio n f a r e s , d o c to r s ’ a n d d e n tis ts ’ f e e s , a n d o th e r g o o d s a n d s e r v ic e s
p ric e c h a n g e s w ill b e m e a s u r e d . A ll ta x e s d ire c tly a s s o c ia te d w ith th e
a m e a s u re o f th e a v e r a g e c h a n g e in
p u r c h a s e a n d u s e o f ite m s a re in c lu d e d in th e in d e x .
th e p ric e s p a id b y u rb a n c o n s u m e rs fo r a fix e d m a rk e t b a s k e t o f g o o d s a n d
D a ta c o lle c te d fr o m m o re th a n 2 1 ,0 0 0 re ta il e s ta b lis h m e n ts a n d 6 0 ,0 0 0
s e r v ic e s . T h e cpi is c a lc u la te d m o n th ly fo r tw o p o p u la tio n g ro u p s , o n e
h o u s in g u n its in 91 u rb a n a re a s a c r o s s th e c o u n try are u s e d to d e v e lo p th e
c o n s is tin g o n ly o f u rb a n h o u s e h o ld s w h o s e p rim a r y s o u rc e o f in c o m e is
“ U .S . c ity a v e r a g e .” S e p a ra te e s tim a te s f o r 2 7 m a jo r u rb a n c e n te r s are
d e riv e d fro m th e e m p lo y m e n t o f w a g e e a r n e r s a n d c le ric a l w o r k e r s , a n d th e
p r e s e n te d in ta b le 3 1 . T h e a re a s lis te d a re a s in d ic a te d in fo o tn o te 1 to th e
o th e r c o n s is tin g o f all u rb a n h o u s e h o ld s . T h e w a g e e a r n e r in d e x ( cpi- w ) is
ta b le . T h e a r e a in d e x e s m e a s u r e o n ly th e a v e r a g e c h a n g e in p ric e s f o r e a c h
a c o n tin u a tio n o f th e h is to ric in d e x th a t w a s in tr o d u c e d w e ll o v e r a h a lf-
a r e a s in c e th e b a s e p e r io d , a n d d o n o t in d ic a te d if f e r e n c e s in th e le v e l o f
c e n tu ry a g o f o r u s e in w a g e n e g o tia tio n s . A s n e w u s e s w e re d e v e lo p e d f o r
p ric e s a m o n g c itie s .
th e cpi in re c e n t y e a r s , th e n e e d fo r a b ro a d e r a n d m o re re p r e s e n ta tiv e in d e x
b e c a m e a p p a r e n t. T h e all u rb a n c o n s u m e r in d e x (cpi- u ), in tr o d u c e d in
Notes on the data
1 9 7 8 , is re p re s e n ta tiv e o f th e 1 9 8 2 - 8 4 b u y in g h a b its o f a b o u t 8 0 p e rc e n t
o f th e n o n in s titu tio n a l p o p u la tio n o f th e U n ite d S ta te s a t th a t tim e , c o m
In J a n u a r y 1 9 8 3 , th e B u re a u c h a n g e d th e w a y in w h ic h h o m e o w n e r s h ip
p a re d w ith 3 2 p e rc e n t r e p re s e n te d in th e cpi- w . In a d d itio n to w a g e e a r n e r s
c o s ts a re m e a s u r e d f o r th e cpi- u . A re n ta l e q u iv a le n c e m e th o d re p la c e d th e
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
59
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics
a s s e t- p ric e a p p ro a c h to h o m e o w n e r s h ip c o s ts fo r th a t s e r ie s . In J a n u a r y
c o v e r a g e o f th e n e t o u tp u t o f v irtu a lly all in d u s trie s in th e m in in g a n d
1 9 8 5 , th e s a m e c h a n g e w a s m a d e in th e cpi- w . T h e c e n tra l p u rp o s e o f th e
m a n u f a c tu r in g s e c to rs ; a s h ift fr o m a c o m m o d ity to an in d u s try o rie n ta tio n ;
c h a n g e w a s to s e p a ra te s h e lte r c o s ts fro m th e in v e s tm e n t c o m p o n e n t o f
th e e x c lu s io n o f im p o r ts f r o m , a n d th e in c lu s io n o f e x p o r ts in , th e s u rv e y
h o m e o w n e r s h ip so th a t th e in d e x w o u ld re fle c t o n ly th e c o s t o f s h e lte r
u n iv e rs e ; a n d th e r e s p e c if ic a tio n o f c o m m o d itie s p ric e d to c o n fo rm to
s e r v ic e s p ro v id e d b y o w n e r-o c c u p ie d h o m e s . A n u p d a te d cpi-u a n d cpi w
w e re in tro d u c e d w ith re le a s e o f th e J a n u a ry 1987 d a ta .
B u re a u o f th e C e n s u s d e f in itio n s . T h e s e a n d o th e r c h a n g e s h a v e b e e n
p h a s e d in g r a d u a lly s in c e 1 9 7 8 . T h e re s u lt is a s y s te m o f in d e x e s th a t is
e a s ie r to u s e in c o n ju n c tio n w ith d a ta o n w a g e s , p ro d u c tiv ity , a n d e m p lo y
m e n t a n d o th e r s e r ie s th a t a re o r g a n iz e d in te rm s o f th e S ta n d a rd In d u s tria l
Additional sources of information
C la s s if ic a tio n a n d th e C e n s u s p r o d u c t c la s s d e s ig n a tio n s .
F o r a d is c u s s io n o f th e g e n e r a l m e th o d fo r c o m p u tin g th e c pi , se e
bls
H a n d b o o k o f M e th o d s , V o lu m e II, Th e C o n s u m e r P r ic e I n d e x , B u lle tin
Additional sources of information
2 1 3 4 - 2 (B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 4 ). T h e re c e n t c h a n g e in th e m e a
s u r e m e n t o f h o m e o w n e r s h ip c o s ts is d is c u s s e d in R o b e rt G illin g h a m a n d
F o r a d is c u s s io n o f th e m e th o d o lo g y f o r c o m p u tin g P r o d u c e r P ric e In
W a lte r L a n e , “ C h a n g in g th e tre a tm e n t o f s h e lte r c o s ts f o r h o m e o w n e r s in
d e x e s , s e e b l s H a n d b o o k o f M e th o d s , B u lle tin 2 1 3 4 - 1 ( B u re a u o f L a b o r
S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 2 ), c h a p te r 7 .
th e CPI, M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w , J u ly 1 9 8 2 , p p . 9 —14. A n o v e rv ie w o f th e
re c e n tly in tr o d u c e d re v is e d cpi , re fle c tin g 1 9 8 2 - 8 4 e x p e n d itu re p a tte r n s , is
A d d itio n a l d e ta ile d d a ta a n d a n a ly s e s o f p ric e c h a n g e s a re p r o v id e d
c o n ta in e d in T h e C o n s u m e r P r ic e In d e x : 1 9 8 7 R e v is io n , R e p o rt 7 3 6 ( B u
m o n th ly in P r o d u c e r P r ic e I n d e x es. S e le c te d h is to ric a l d a ta m a y b e f o u n d
re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 7 ).
in th e H a n d b o o k o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , B u lle tin 2 2 1 7 (B u re a u o f L a b o r
S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 5 ).
A d d itio n a l d e ta ile d cpi d a ta a n d r e g u la r a n a ly s e s o f c o n s u m e r p ric e
c h a n g e s a re p ro v id e d in th e
c p i
D e ta ile d R e p o r t, a m o n th ly p u b lic a tio n o f
th e B u re a u . H is to ric a l d a ta f o r th e o v e ra ll cpi a n d fo r s e le c te d g r o u p in g s
In te r n a tio n a l P rice In d e x es
m a y b e fo u n d in th e H a n d b o o k o f L a b o r S t a t i s t i c s , B u lle tin 2 2 1 7 (B u re a u
o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 985).
Description of the series
P ro d u c e r P rice In d e x es
T h e bls
International Price Program p r o d u c e s
q u a r te r ly e x p o r t a n d
im p o r t p ric e in d e x e s f o r n o n m ilita r y g o o d s tra d e d b e tw e e n th e U n ite d
S ta te s a n d th e re s t o f th e w o rld . T h e e x p o r t p ric e in d e x p r o v id e s a m e a s u re
Description of the series
o f p ric e c h a n g e f o r all p ro d u c ts s o ld b y U .S . r e s id e n ts to f o r e ig n b u y e rs .
Producer Price Indexes ( ppi)
m e a s u re a v e r a g e c h a n g e s in p ric e s r e
c e iv e d in p rim a r y m a rk e ts o f th e U n ite d S ta te s b y p ro d u c e rs o f c o m m o d i
tie s in all s ta g e s o f p ro c e s s in g . T h e s a m p le u s e d f o r c a lc u la tin g th e s e
in d e x e s c u rre n tly c o n ta in s a b o u t 3 ,2 0 0 c o m m o d itie s a n d a b o u t 6 0 ,0 0 0
q u o ta tio n s p e r m o n th s e le c te d to re p re s e n t th e m o v e m e n t o f p ric e s o f all
c o m m o d itie s p ro d u c e d in th e m a n u fa c tu rin g , a g ric u ltu re , fo r e s try , fis h in g ,
m in in g , g a s a n d e le c tr ic ity , a n d p u b lic u tilitie s s e c to rs . T h e s ta g e o f p r o c
e s s in g s tru c tu re o f P r o d u c e r P ric e In d e x e s o rg a n iz e s p r o d u c ts b y c la s s o f
b u y e r a n d d e g re e o f fa b ric a tio n (th a t is , fin is h e d g o o d s , in te rm e d ia te
g o o d s , a n d c ru d e m a te ria ls ) . T h e tra d itio n a l c o m m o d ity s tru c tu re o f ppi
o r g a n iz e s p ro d u c ts b y s im ila rity o f e n d u s e o r m a te ria l c o m p o s itio n .
T o th e e x te n t p o s s ib le , p ric e s u s e d in c a lc u la tin g P r o d u c e r P ric e In d e x e s
a p p ly to th e firs t s ig n ific a n t c o m m e rc ia l tra n s a c tio n in th e U n ite d S ta te s
fr o m th e p ro d u c tio n o r c e n tra l m a rk e tin g p o in t. P ric e d a ta a re g e n e r a lly
c o lle c te d m o n th ly , p rim a r ily b y m a il q u e s tio n n a ir e . M o s t p ric e s a re o b
ta in e d d ire c tly fr o m p ro d u c in g c o m p a n ie s o n a v o lu n ta ry a n d c o n fid e n tia l
b a s is . P r ic e s g e n e r a lly a re r e p o rte d f o r th e T u e s d a y o f th e w e e k c o n ta in in g
th e 13 th d a y o f th e m o n th .
S in c e J a n u a ry 1 9 8 7 , p ric e c h a n g e s fo r th e v a rio u s c o m m o d itie s h a v e
b e e n a v e r a g e d to g e th e r w ith im p lic it q u a n tity w e ig h ts re p re s e n tin g th e ir
im p o r ta n c e in th e to ta l n e t s e llin g v a lu e o f all c o m m o d itie s as o f 1 9 8 2 . T h e
d e ta ile d d a ta a re a g g re g a te d to o b ta in in d e x e s fo r s ta g e -o f -p ro c e s s in g
g r o u p in g s , c o m m o d ity g ro u p in g s , d u ra b ility - o f-p r o d u c t g ro u p in g s , a n d a
n u m b e r o f s p e c ia l c o m p o s ite g ro u p s . A ll P r o d u c e r P ric e In d e x d a ta a re
s u b je c t to re v is io n 4 m o n th s a f te r o rig in a l p u b lic a tio n .
(“ R e s id e n ts ” is d e f in e d a s in th e n a tio n a l in c o m e a c c o u n ts : it in c lu d e s
c o r p o r a tio n s , b u s in e s s e s , a n d in d iv id u a ls b u t d o e s n o t r e q u ir e th e o r g a n iz a
tio n s to b e U .S . o w n e d n o r th e in d iv id u a ls to h a v e U .S . c itiz e n s h ip .) T h e
im p o r t p ric e in d e x p r o v id e s a m e a s u r e o f p ric e c h a n g e f o r g o o d s p u rc h a s e d
fr o m o th e r c o u n tr ie s b y U .S . re s id e n ts . W ith p u b lic a tio n o f an a ll- im p o r t
in d e x in F e b r u a r y 1 9 8 3 a n d a n a ll- e x p o r t in d e x in F e b ru a ry 1 9 8 4 , all U .S .
m e r c h a n d is e im p o r ts a n d e x p o r ts n o w a re r e p r e s e n te d in th e s e in d e x e s . T h e
r e f e r e n c e p e r io d f o r th e in d e x e s is 1 9 7 7 = 1 0 0 , u n le s s o th e r w is e in d ic a te d .
T h e p r o d u c t u n iv e r s e f o r b o th th e im p o r t a n d e x p o r t in d e x e s in c lu d e s ra w
m a te r ia ls , a g r ic u ltu r a l p r o d u c ts , s e m if in is h e d m a n u f a c tu r e s , a n d fin is h e d
m a n u f a c tu r e s , in c lu d in g b o th c a p ita l a n d c o n s u m e r g o o d s . P r ic e d a ta f o r
th e s e ite m s a re c o lle c te d q u a r te r ly b y m a il q u e s tio n n a ir e . In n e a r ly all
c a s e s , th e d a ta a re c o lle c te d d ire c tly fr o m th e e x p o r te r o r im p o r te r , a l
th o u g h in a fe w c a s e s , p ric e s a re o b ta in e d fr o m o th e r s o u rc e s .
T o th e e x te n t p o s s ib le , th e d a ta g a th e r e d r e f e r to p ric e s a t th e U .S . b o r d e r
f o r e x p o r ts a n d a t e ith e r th e f o r e ig n b o r d e r o r th e U .S . b o r d e r f o r im p o r ts .
F o r n e a r ly a ll p r o d u c ts , th e p ric e s r e f e r to tr a n s a c tio n s c o m p le te d d u r in g th e
fir s t 2 w e e k s o f th e th ir d m o n th o f e a c h c a le n d a r q u a r te r — M a r c h , J u n e ,
S e p te m b e r , a n d D e c e m b e r . S u r v e y r e s p o n d e n ts a re a s k e d to in d ic a te all
d is c o u n ts , a llo w a n c e s , a n d re b a te s a p p lic a b le to th e r e p o rte d p r ic e s , so th a t
th e p ric e u s e d in th e c a lc u la tio n o f th e in d e x e s is th e a c tu a l p ric e f o r w h ic h
th e p r o d u c t w a s b o u g h t o r s o ld .
In a d d itio n to g e n e r a l in d e x e s o f p ric e s f o r U .S . e x p o r ts a n d im p o r ts ,
in d e x e s a re a ls o p u b lis h e d f o r d e ta ile d p r o d u c t c a te g o r ie s o f e x p o r ts a n d
im p o r ts . T h e s e c a te g o r ie s a re d e f in e d b y th e 4 - a n d 5 - d ig it le v e l o f d e ta il
o f th e S ta n d a r d I n d u s tr ia l T r a d e C la s s if ic a tio n S y s te m ( sitc ). T h e c a l c u la
tio n o f in d e x e s b y sitc c a te g o r y f a c ilita te s th e c o m p a r is o n o f U .S . p ric e
Notes on the data
tre n d s a n d s e c to r p ro d u c tio n w ith s im ila r d a ta f o r o th e r c o u n tr ie s . D e ta ile d
in d e x e s a re a ls o c o m p u te d a n d p u b lis h e d o n a S ta n d a rd In d u s tria l C la s s if i
B e g in n in g w ith th e J a n u a ry 1 9 8 6 is s u e , th e R e v ie w is n o lo n g e r p re s e n t
c a tio n ( s ic - b a s e d ) b a s is , a s w e ll a s b y e n d - u s e c la s s .
in g ta b le s o f P r o d u c e r P ric e In d e x e s f o r c o m m o d ity g ro u p in g s , s p e c ia l
c o m p o s ite g ro u p s , o r s ic in d u s trie s . H o w e v e r, th e s e d a ta w ill c o n tin u e to
Notes on the data
b e p r e s e n te d in th e B u r e a u ’s m o n th ly p u b lic a tio n P r o d u c e r P r ic e I n d e x e s .
T h e B u re a u h a s c o m p le te d th e firs t m a jo r s ta g e o f its c o m p re h e n s iv e
T h e e x p o r t a n d im p o r t p ric e in d e x e s a re w e ig h te d in d e x e s o f th e
o v e rh a u l o f th e th e o r y , m e th o d s , a n d p ro c e d u re s u s e d to c o n s tr u c t th e
L a s p e y r e s ty p e . P r ic e r e la tiv e s a re a s s ig n e d e q u a l im p o r ta n c e w ith in e a c h
P r o d u c e r P ric e In d e x e s . C h a n g e s in c lu d e th e r e p la c e m e n t o f ju d g m e n t
w e ig h t c a te g o r y a n d a re th e n a g g r e g a te d to th e s u e le v e l. T h e v a lu e s
s a m p lin g w ith p r o b a b ility s a m p lin g te c h n iq u e s ; e x p a n s io n to s y s te m a tic
a s s ig n e d to e a c h w e ig h t c a te g o r y a re b a s e d o n tra d e v a lu e fig u r e s c o m p ile d
60
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
b y th e B u re a u o f th e C e n s u s . T h e tra d e w e ig h ts c u rre n tly u s e d to c o m p u te
b o th in d e x e s re la te to 19 8 0 .
A n a tte m p t is m a d e to c o lle c t tw o p ric e s f o r im p o r ts . T h e fir s t is th e im p o rt
p ric e f . o .b . a t th e f o r e ig n p o rt o f e x p o r ta tio n , w h ic h is c o n s is te n t w ith th e
B e c a u s e a p ric e in d e x d e p e n d s o n th e s a m e ite m s b e in g p ric e d fro m
b a s is f o r v a lu a tio n o f im p o r ts in th e n a tio n a l a c c o u n ts . T h e s e c o n d is th e
p e rio d to p e rio d , it is n e c e s s a ry to re c o g n iz e w h e n a p r o d u c t’s s p e c if ic a
im p o r t p ric e c . i . f . (c o s t, in s u r a n c e , a n d fr e ig h t) a t th e U .S . p o rt o f im p o r
tio n s o r te rm s o f tr a n s a c tio n h a v e b e e n m o d if ie d . F o r th is r e a s o n , th e
ta tio n , w h ic h a ls o in c lu d e s th e o th e r c o s ts a s s o c ia te d w ith b rin g in g th e
B u r e a u ’s q u a rte rly q u e s tio n n a ir e re q u e s ts d e ta ile d d e s c rip tio n s o f th e p h y s
p r o d u c t to th e U .S . b o r d e r . It d o e s n o t, h o w e v e r , in c lu d e d u ty c h a r g e s .
ic a l a n d fu n c tio n a l c h a r a c te ris tic s o f th e p ro d u c ts b e in g p ric e d , a s w e ll as
in fo r m a tio n o n th e n u m b e r o f u n its b o u g h t o r s o ld , d is c o u n ts , c r e d it te rm s ,
p a c k a g in g , c la s s o f b u y e r o r s e lle r , a n d so fo rth . W h e n th e re a re c h a n g e s
Additional sources of information
F o r a d is c u s s io n o f th e g e n e r a l m e th o d o f c o m p u tin g In te rn a tio n a l P ric e
in e ith e r th e s p e c ific a tio n s o r te rm s o f tr a n s a c tio n o f a p ro d u c t, th e d o lla r
In d e x e s , se e
v a lu e o f e a c h c h a n g e is d e le te d fro m th e to ta l p ric e c h a n g e to o b ta in th e
S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 2 ), c h a p te r 8 .
“ p u re ” c h a n g e . O n c e th is v a lu e is d e te rm in e d , a lin k in g p r o c e d u r e is
e m p lo y e d w h ic h a llo w s f o r th e c o n tin u e d r e p ric in g o f th e ite m .
bls
H a n d b o o k o f M e th o d s , B u lle tin 2 1 3 4 - 1 (B u re a u o f L a b o r
A d d itio n a l d e ta ile d d a ta a n d a n a ly s e s o f in te rn a tio n a l p ric e d e v e lo p
m e n ts a re p r e s e n te d in th e B u r e a u ’s q u a r te r ly p u b lic a tio n U .S . I m p o rt a n d
F o r th e e x p o rt p ric e in d e x e s , th e p re fe rr e d p ric in g b a s is is f . a . s . (f re e
E x p o r t P r ic e I n d e x e s a n d in o c c a s io n a l M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w a rtic le s
a lo n g s id e sh ip ) U .S . p o rt o f e x p o rta tio n . W h e n firm s re p o rt e x p o r t p ric e s
p r e p a r e d b y bls a n a ly s ts . S e le c te d h is to ric a l d a ta m a y b e fo u n d in th e
f .o .b . (fre e o n b o a rd ), p ro d u c tio n p o in t in fo r m a tio n is c o lle c te d w h ic h
H a n d b o o k o f L a b o r S t a t i s t i c s , B u lle tin 2 2 1 7 ( B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s ,
e n a b le s th e B u re a u to c a lc u la te a s h ip m e n t c o s t to th e p o rt o f e x p o r ta tio n .
1 9 8 5 ).
P R O D U C T IV IT Y D A T A
(T a b les 2; 4 2 - 4 7 )
U . S . p r o d u c tiv ity an d rela ted d ata
Unit profits in c lu d e
c o r p o r a te p ro f its a n d th e v a lu e o f in v e n to ry a d ju s t
m e n ts p e r u n it o f o u tp u t.
Description of the series
Hours of all persons a re
th e to ta l h o u rs p a id o f p a y ro ll w o rk e rs , self-
e m p lo y e d p e r s o n s , a n d u n p a id f a m ily w o rk e rs .
T h e p ro d u c tiv ity m e a s u re s re la te re a l p h y s ic a l o u tp u t to re a l in p u t. A s
s u c h , th e y e n c o m p a s s a fa m ily o f m e a s u re s w h ic h in c lu d e s in g le fa c to r
Capital services is
th e flo w o f s e r v ic e s fr o m th e c a p ita l s to c k u s e d in
p r o d u c tio n . It is d e v e lo p e d fr o m m e a s u re s o f th e n e t s to c k o f p h y s ic a l
in p u t m e a s u re s , s u c h as o u tp u t p e r u n it o f la b o r in p u t (o u tp u t p e r h o u r) o r
a s s e ts — e q u ip m e n t, s tr u c tu r e s , la n d , a n d in v e n to r ie s — w e ig h te d b y re n ta l
o u tp u t p e r u n it o f c a p ita l in p u t, as w e ll a s m e a s u re s o f m u ltif a c to r p r o d u c
p r ic e s f o r e a c h ty p e o f a s s e t.
tiv ity (o u tp u t p e r u n it o f la b o r a n d c a p ita l in p u ts c o m b in e d ) . T h e B u re a u
in d e x e s s h o w th e c h a n g e in o u tp u t re la tiv e to c h a n g e s in th e v a rio u s in p u ts .
Labor and capital inputs c o m b in e d
a re d e r iv e d b y c o m b in in g c h a n g e s
in la b o r a n d c a p ita l in p u ts w ith w e ig h ts w h ic h re p r e s e n t e a c h c o m p o n e n t’s
T h e m e a s u re s c o v e r th e b u s in e s s , n o n fa rm b u s in e s s , m a n u f a c tu r in g , a n d
s h a r e o f to ta l o u tp u t. T h e in d e x e s f o r c a p ita l s e r v ic e s a n d c o m b in e d u n its
n o n fin a n c ia l c o rp o r a te s e c to rs .
o f la b o r a n d c a p ita l a re b a s e d o n c h a n g in g w e ig h ts w h ic h a re a v e r a g e s o f
C o rre s p o n d in g in d e x e s o f h o u rly c o m p e n s a tio n , u n it la b o r c o s ts , u n it
n o n la b o r p a y m e n ts , a n d p ric e s a re a ls o p ro v id e d .
th e s h a r e s in th e c u r r e n t a n d p r e c e d in g y e a r (th e T o m q u is t in d e x -n u m b e r
f o r m u la ).
Notes on the data
Definitions
O u tp u t m e a s u re s f o r th e b u s in e s s s e c to r a n d th e n o n fa rm b u s in e s s s s e c to r
( la b o r p r o d u c tiv ity ) is th e v a lu e o f
e x c lu d e th e c o n s ta n t d o lla r v a lu e o f o w n e r - o c c u p ie d h o u s in g , re s t o f w o rld ,
g o o d s a n d s e r v ic e s in c o n s ta n t p ric e s p ro d u c e d p e r h o u r o f la b o r in p u t.
h o u s e h o ld s a n d in s titu tio n s , a n d g e n e r a l g o v e r n m e n t o u tp u t fr o m th e c o n
Output per hour of all persons
p r o d u c tiv ity ) is th e v a lu e o f
s ta n t d o lla r v a lu e o f g ro s s n a tio n a l p ro d u c t. T h e m e a s u r e s a re d e riv e d fro m
g o o d s a n d s e r v ic e s in c o n s ta n t d o lla rs p ro d u c e d p e r u n it o f c a p ita l s e r v ic e s
d a ta s u p p lie d b y th e B u re a u o f E c o n o m ic A n a ly s is , U .S . D e p a r tm e n t o f
in p u t.
C o m m e r c e , a n d th e F e d e ra l R e s e rv e B o a r d . Q u a r te r ly m a n u fa c tu rin g o u t
Output per unit of capital services (c a p ita l
Multifactor productivity is
th e ra tio o u tp u t p e r u n it o f la b o r a n d c a p ita l
p u t in d e x e s a re a d ju s te d b y th e B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s to a n n u a l e s ti
in p u ts c o m b in e d . C h a n g e s in th is m e a s u re re fle c t c h a n g e s in a n u m b e r o f
m a te s o f o u tp u t ( g r o s s p r o d u c t o r ig in a tin g ) fr o m th e B u re a u o f E c o n o m ic
fa c to rs w h ic h a ffe c t th e p ro d u c tio n p ro c e s s s u c h as c h a n g e s in te c h n o lo g y ,
A n a ly s is . C o m p e n s a tio n a n d h o u rs d a ta a re d e v e lo p e d fr o m d a ta o f th e
s h ifts in th e c o m p o s itio n o f th e la b o r fo r c e , c h a n g e s in c a p a c ity u tiliz a tio n ,
B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s a n d th e B u re a u o f E c o n o m ic A n a ly s is .
re s e a rc h a n d d e v e lo p m e n t, s k ill a n d e ffo r ts o f th e w o rk fo r c e , m a n a g e
T h e p r o d u c tiv ity a n d a s s o c ia te d c o s t m e a s u r e s in ta b le s 4 2 - 4 4 d e s c rib e
m e n t, a n d so fo rth . C h a n g e s in th e o u tp u t p e r h o u r m e a s u re s r e fle c t th e
th e re la tio n s h ip b e tw e e n o u tp u t in re a l te rm s a n d th e la b o r tim e a n d c a p ita l
im p a c t o f th e s e fa c to rs as w e ll as th e s u b s titu tio n o f c a p ita l f o r la b o r.
Compensation per hour
is th e w a g e s a n d s a la rie s o f e m p lo y e e s p lu s
s e r v ic e s in v o lv e d in its p r o d u c tio n . T h e y s h o w th e c h a n g e s fro m p e rio d to
p e r io d in th e a m o u n t o f g o o d s a n d s e r v ic e s p r o d u c e d p e r u n it o f in p u t.
e m p lo y e r s ’ c o n trib u tio n s f o r s o c ia l in s u ra n c e a n d p riv a te b e n e f it p la n s , a n d
A lth o u g h th e s e m e a s u re s re la te o u tp u t to h o u rs a n d c a p ita l s e r v ic e s , th e y
th e w a g e s , s a la rie s , a n d s u p p le m e n ta ry p a y m e n ts fo r th e s e lf - e m p lo y e d
d o n o t m e a s u r e th e c o n tr ib u tio n s o f la b o r , c a p ita l, o r a n y o th e r s p e c ific
(e x c e p t
fo r
n o n fin a n c ia l
c o rp o ra tio n s
in
e m p lo y e d )— th e s u m d iv id e d b y h o u rs p a id fo r.
hour
se lf-
f a c to r o f p ro d u c tio n . R a th e r , th e y r e f le c t th e jo in t e f f e c t o f m a n y in f lu
Real compensation per
e n c e s , in c lu d in g c h a n g e s in te c h n o lo g y ; c a p ita l in v e s tm e n t; le v e l o f o u tp u t;
w h ic h
th e re
a re
no
is c o m p e n s a tio n p e r h o u r d e fla te d b y th e c h a n g e in th e C o n s u m e r
Unit labor costs
a re th e la b o r c o m p e n s a tio n c o s ts e x p e n d e d in th e
p ro d u c tio n o f a u n it o f o u tp u t a n d a re d e riv e d b y d iv id in g c o m p e n s a tio n b y
o u tp u t.
u tiliz a tio n o f c a p a c ity , e n e r g y , a n d m a te ria ls ; th e o r g a n iz a tio n o f p ro d u c
tio n ; m a n a g e r ia l s k ill; a n d th e c h a r a c te r is tic s a n d e ffo r ts o f th e w o rk fo r c e .
P ric e In d e x fo r A ll U rb a n C o n s u m e rs .
Unit nonlabor payments
in c lu d e p ro f its , d e p re c ia tio n , in te re s t,
Additional sources of information
D e s c r ip tio n s o f m e th o d o lo g y u n d e rly in g th e m e a s u r e m e n t o f o u tp u t p e r
a n d in d ir e c t ta x e s p e r u n it o f o u tp u t. T h e y a re c o m p u te d b y s u b tra c tin g
h o u r a n d m u ltif a c to r p r o d u c tiv ity a re f o u n d in th e
c o m p e n s a tio n o f all p e rs o n s fr o m c u rre n t d o lla r v a lu e o f o u tp u t a n d d iv id
o d s , B u lle tin 2 1 3 4 - 1 (B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 2 ), c h a p te r 13. H is
in g b y o u tp u t.
Unit nonlabor costs c o n ta in
n o n la b o r p a y m e n ts e x c e p t u n it p ro fits .
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
all th e c o m p o n e n ts o f u n it
bls
H a n d b o o k o f M e th
to ric a l d a ta f o r s e le c te d in d u s trie s a re p r o v id e d in th e B u r e a u ’s H a n d b o o k
o f L a b o r S t a t i s t i c s , 1 9 8 5 , B u lle tin 2 2 1 7 .
61
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics
INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS
(Tables 45-47)
Labor force and unemployment
S ta te s , C a n a d a , J a p a n , a n d n in e E u r o p e a n c o u n tr ie s . T h e s e m e a s u re s are
lim ite d to tr e n d c o m p a r is o n s — th a t is , in te r c o u n tr y s e r ie s o f c h a n g e s o v e r
Description of the series
tim e — r a th e r th a n le v e l c o m p a r is o n s b e c a u s e re lia b le in te r n a tio n a l c o m
p a r is o n s o f th e le v e ls o f m a n u f a c tu r in g o u tp u t a re u n a v a ila b le .
T a b le s 4 5 a n d 4 6 p re s e n t c o m p a ra tiv e m e a s u re s o f th e la b o r fo r c e ,
e m p lo y m e n t, a n d u n e m p lo y m e n t— a p p r o x im a tin g U .S . c o n c e p ts — f o r th e
U n ite d S ta te s , C a n a d a , A u s tra lia , J a p a n , a n d six E u r o p e a n c o u n trie s . T h e
u n e m p lo y m e n t s ta tis tic s (a n d , to a le s s e r e x te n t, e m p lo y m e n t s ta tis tic s )
Definitions
p u b lis h e d b y o th e r in d u s tria l c o u n trie s a re n o t, in m o s t c a s e s , c o m p a r a b le
to U .S . u n e m p lo y m e n t s ta tis tic s . T h e r e f o r e , th e B u re a u a d ju s ts th e fig u r e s
f o r s e le c te d c o u n trie s , w h e re n e c e s s a ry , f o r all k n o w n m a jo r d e fin itio n a l
d if f e r e n c e s . A lth o u g h p re c is e c o m p a ra b ility m a y n o t b e a c h ie v e d , th e s e
a d ju s te d fig u r e s p ro v id e a b e tte r b a s is f o r in te rn a tio n a l c o m p a ris o n s th a n
Output is
c o n s ta n t v a lu e o u tp u t (v a lu e a d d e d ) , g e n e r a lly ta k e n fr o m th e
n a tio n a l a c c o u n ts o f e a c h c o u n tr y . W h ile th e n a tio n a l a c c o u n tin g m e th o d s
f o r m e a s u r in g re a l o u tp u t d if f e r c o n s id e r a b ly a m o n g th e 1 2 c o u n tr ie s , th e
u s e o f d if f e r e n t p r o c e d u r e s d o e s n o t, in its e lf , c o n n o te la c k o f c o m p a r a b il
th e fig u r e s r e g u la rly p u b lis h e d b y e a c h c o u n try .
ity — r a th e r , it r e f le c ts d if f e r e n c e s a m o n g c o u n tr ie s in th e a v a ila b ility a n d
r e lia b ility o f u n d e r ly in g d a ta s e r ie s .
Definitions
Hours r e f e r
F o r th e p rin c ip a l U .S . d e fin itio n s o f th e
unemployment, se e
labor force, employment,
and
th e N o te s s e c tio n o n E M P L O Y M E N T D A T A : H o u s e
h o ld S u rv e y D a ta .
Notes on the data
T h e a d ju s te d s ta tis tic s h a v e b e e n a d a p te d to th e a g e a t w h ic h c o m p u ls o r y
s c h o o lin g e n d s in e a c h c o u n try , ra th e r th a n to th e U .S . s ta n d a rd o f 16 y e a r s
o f a g e a n d o v e r. T h e re fo r e , th e a d ju s te d s ta tis tic s re la te to th e p o p u la tio n
a g e 16 a n d o v e r in F r a n c e , S w e d e n , a n d fr o m 1973 o n w a rd , th e U n ite d
K in g d o m ; 16 a n d o v e r in C a n a d a , A u s tra lia , J a p a n , G e rm a n y , th e N e th e r
la n d s , a n d p r io r to 1 9 7 3 , th e U n ite d K in g d o m ; a n d 14 a n d o v e r in Ita ly . T h e
in s titu tio n a l p o p u la tio n is in c lu d e d in th e d e n o m in a to r o f th e la b o r fo r c e
p a r tic ip a tio n ra te s a n d e m p lo y m e n t-p o p u la tio n ra tio s fo r J a p a n a n d G e r
m a n y ; it is e x c lu d e d fo r th e U n ite d S ta te s a n d th e o th e r c o u n trie s .
In th e U .S . la b o r fo rc e s u rv e y , p e rs o n s o n la y o f f w h o a re a w a itin g re c a ll
to all e m p lo y e d p e rs o n s in c lu d in g th e s e lf - e m p lo y e d in th e
U n ite d S ta te s a n d C a n a d a ; to a ll w a g e a n d s a la ry e m p lo y e e s in th e o th e r
c o u n tr ie s . T h e U .S . h o u rs m e a s u r e is h o u rs p a id ; th e h o u rs m e a s u r e s f o r th e
o th e r c o u n tr ie s a re h o u rs w o rk e d .
Compensation (labor cost) in c lu d e s
all p a y m e n ts in c a s h o r k in d m a d e
d ir e c tly to e m p lo y e e s p lu s e m p lo y e r e x p e n d itu r e s f o r le g a lly r e q u ir e d in
s u ra n c e p r o g r a m s a n d c o n tr a c tu a l a n d p riv a te b e n e f it p la n s . In a d d itio n , f o r
s o m e c o u n tr ie s , c o m p e n s a tio n is a d ju s te d f o r o th e r s ig n if ic a n t ta x e s o n
p a y r o lls o r e m p lo y m e n t ( o r r e d u c e d to re f le c t s u b s id ie s ) , e v e n if th e y are
n o t f o r th e d ir e c t b e n e f it o f w o r k e r s , b e c a u s e s u c h ta x e s a re re g a r d e d as
la b o r c o s ts . H o w e v e r , c o m p e n s a tio n d o e s n o t in c lu d e a ll ite m s o f la b o r
c o s t. T h e c o s ts o f r e c r u itm e n t, e m p lo y e e tra in in g , a n d p la n t f a c ilitie s a n d
s e r v ic e s — s u c h as c a f e te r ia s a n d m e d ic a l c lin ic s — a re n o t c o v e r e d b e c a u s e
d a ta a re n o t a v a ila b le f o r m o s t c o u n tr ie s . S e lf - e m p lo y e d w o rk e rs a re in
c lu d e d in th e U .S . a n d C a n a d ia n c o m p e n s a tio n fig u r e s b y a s s u m in g th a t
th e ir h o u r ly c o m p e n s a tio n is e q u a l to th e a v e r a g e f o r w a g e a n d s a la ry
e m p lo y e e s .
to th e ir jo b a re c la s s ifie d as u n e m p lo y e d . E u r o p e a n a n d J a p a n e s e la y o f f
p r a c tic e s a re q u ite d iff e r e n t in n a tu re fr o m th o s e in th e U n ite d S ta te s ;
th e r e f o re , s tric t a p p lic a tio n o f th e U .S . d e fin itio n h a s n o t b e e n m a d e o n th is
p o in t. F o r f u r th e r in fo r m a tio n , s e e M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w , D e c e m b e r
Notes on the data
1981, pp. 8 -1 1 .
T h e fig u r e s f o r o n e o r m o re re c e n t y e a rs f o r F r a n c e , G e rm a n y , I ta ly , th e
N e th e r la n d s , a n d th e U n ite d K in g d o m a re c a lc u la te d u s in g a d ju s tm e n t
fa c to r s b a s e d o n la b o r fo rc e s u rv e y s f o r e a r lie r y e a rs a n d a re c o n s id e r e d
p r e lim in a ry . T h e r e c e n t-y e a r m e a s u re s f o r th e s e c o u n trie s a re , th e r e f o r e ,
s u b je c t to re v is io n w h e n e v e r d a ta fr o m m o re c u rre n t la b o r fo rc e s u rv e y s
b e c o m e a v a ila b le .
F o r m o s t o f th e c o u n tr ie s , th e m e a s u r e s r e f e r to to ta l m a n u f a c tu r in g as
d e f in e d b y th e I n te r n a tio n a l S ta n d a r d In d u s tria l C la s s if ic a tio n . H o w e v e r,
th e m e a s u r e s f o r F r a n c e (b e g in n in g 1 9 5 9 ), Ita ly (b e g in n in g 1 9 7 0 ), a n d th e
U n ite d K in g d o m ( b e g in n in g 1 9 7 1 ), r e f e r to m a n u f a c tu r in g a n d m in in g le ss
e n e r g y - r e la te d
p r o d u c ts
and
th e
fig u r e s
f o r th e
N e th e r la n d s e x c lu d e
p e tr o le u m r e f in in g fr o m 1 9 6 9 to 1 9 7 6 . F o r all c o u n tr ie s , m a n u f a c tu r in g
Additional sources of information
in c lu d e s th e a c tiv itie s o f g o v e r n m e n t e n te r p r is e s .
T h e f ig u r e s f o r o n e o r m o r e r e c e n t y e a r s a re g e n e r a lly b a s e d o n c u r r e n t
F o r fu r th e r in fo r m a tio n , se e I n te r n a tio n a l C o m p a r is o n s o f U n e m p lo y
m e n t , B u lle tin 19 7 9 (B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 7 8 ), A p p e n d ix B a n d
u n p u b lis h e d S u p p le m e n ts to A p p e n d ix B a v a ila b le o n re q u e s t. T h e s ta tis
in d ic a to r s o f m a n u f a c tu r in g o u tp u t, e m p lo y m e n t, h o u r s , a n d h o u rly c o m
p e n s a tio n a n d a re c o n s id e r e d p r e lim in a r y u n til th e n a tio n a l a c c o u n ts a n d
o th e r s ta tis tic s u s e d f o r th e lo n g - te r m m e a s u r e s b e c o m e a v a ila b le .
tic s a re a ls o a n a ly z e d p e rio d ic a lly in th e M o n th ly L a b o r R e v i e w . A d d itio n a l
h is to ric a l d a ta , g e n e r a lly b e g in n in g w ith 1 9 5 9 , a re p u b lis h e d in th e H a n d
b o o k o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s a n d a re a v a ila b le in u n p u b lis h e d s ta tis tic a l s u p p le
m e n ts to B u lle tin 1979.
Manufacturing productivity and labor costs
Additional sources of information
F o r a d d itio n a l in f o r m a tio n , s e e th e bls H a n d b o o k o f M e th o d s , B u lle tin
2 1 3 4 -1 ( B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 2 ), c h a p te r 16 a n d p e r io d ic M o n th ly
Description of the series
L a b o r R e v ie w a r tic le s . H is to r ic a l d a ta a re p ro v id e d in th e B u r e a u ’s H a n d
b o o k o f L a b o r S ta t is tic s , B u lle tin 2 2 1 7 , 1 9 8 5 . T h e s ta tis tic s a re is s u e d
T a b le 4 7 p re s e n ts c o m p a ra tiv e m e a s u re s o f m a n u fa c tu rin g la b o r p r o d u c
tiv ity , h o u rly c o m p e n s a tio n c o s ts , a n d u n it la b o r c o s ts fo r th e U n ite d
62
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
tw ic e p e r y e a r — in a n e w s r e le a s e ( g e n e ra lly in M a y ) a n d in a M o n th ly
L a b o r R e v ie w a r tic le ( g e n e r a lly in D e c e m b e r ) .
OCCUPATIONAL INJURY AND ILLNESS DATA
(Table 48)
Description of the series
p lo y e e w o r k e d a t a p e r m a n e n t jo b le ss th a n fu ll tim e ; o r (3 ) th e e m p lo y e e
w o rk e d a t a p e r m a n e n tly a s s ig n e d jo b b u t c o u ld n o t p e r f o r m a ll d u tie s
T h e A n n u a l S u r v e y o f O c c u p a tio n a l In ju r ie s a n d Illn e s s e s is d e s ig n e d to
c o lle c t d a ta o n in ju r ie s a n d illn e s s e s b a s e d o n re c o rd s w h ic h e m p lo y e r s in
th e fo llo w in g in d u s trie s m a in ta in u n d e r th e O c c u p a tio n a l S a fe ty a n d H e a lth
A c t o f 1970: a g ric u ltu re , f o r e s try , a n d fis h in g ; o il a n d g a s e x tr a c tio n ;
c o n s tr u c tio n ; m a n u fa c tu rin g ; tr a n s p o rta tio n a n d p u b lic u tilitie s ; w h o le s a le
a n d re ta il tra d e ; f in a n c e , in s u ra n c e , a n d re a l e s ta te ; a n d s e r v ic e s . E x c lu d e d
n o r m a lly c o n n e c te d w ith it.
The number of days away from work or days of restricted work
activity d o e s n o t in c lu d e th e d a y o f in ju r y o r o n s e t o f illn e s s o r a n y d a y s
o n w h ic h th e e m p lo y e e w o u ld n o t h a v e w o r k e d e v e n th o u g h a b le to w o rk .
Incidence rates re p r e s e n t
th e n u m b e r o f in ju r ie s a n d /o r illn e s s e s o r lo s t
w o rk d a y s p e r 100 f u ll-tim e w o rk e rs .
fr o m th e s u rv e y a re s e lf -e m p lo y e d in d iv id u a ls , fa rm e rs w ith fe w e r th a n 11
e m p lo y e e s , e m p lo y e rs re g u la te d b y o th e r F e d e ra l s a f e ty a n d h e a lth la w s ,
Notes on the data
a n d F e d e r a l, S ta te , a n d lo c a l g o v e rn m e n t a g e n c ie s .
B e c a u s e th e s u rv e y is a F e d e r a l - S t a t e c o o p e r a tiv e p ro g r a m a n d th e d a ta
m u s t m e e t th e n e e d s o f p a rtic ip a tin g S ta te a g e n c ie s , a n in d e p e n d e n t s a m
p le is s e le c te d f o r e a c h S ta te . T h e s a m p le is s e le c te d to re p r e s e n t a ll p r i
v a te in d u s trie s in th e S ta te s a n d te rrito rie s . T h e s a m p le s iz e f o r th e
s u rv e y is d e p e n d e n t u p o n (1 ) th e c h a r a c te ris tic s f o r w h ic h e s tim a te s a re
n e e d e d ; (2 ) th e in d u s trie s fo r w h ic h e s tim a te s a re d e s ir e d ; (3 ) th e c h a r a c
te ris tic s o f th e p o p u la tio n b e in g s a m p le d ; (4 ) th e ta rg e t r e lia b ility o f th e
e s tim a te s ; a n d (5 ) th e s u rv e y d e s ig n e m p lo y e d .
E s tim a te s a re m a d e f o r in d u s trie s a n d e m p lo y m e n t- s iz e c la s s e s a n d f o r
s e v e rity c la s s if ic a tio n : fa ta litie s , lo s t w o rk d a y c a s e s , a n d n o n fa ta l c a s e s
w ith o u t lo s t w o r k d a y s . L o s t w o r k d a y c a s e s a re s e p a ra te d in to th o s e w h e re
th e e m p lo y e e w o u ld h a v e w o r k e d b u t c o u ld n o t a n d th o s e in w h ic h w o rk
a c tiv ity w a s r e s tr ic te d . E s tim a te s o f th e n u m b e r o f c a s e s a n d th e n u m b e r o f
d a y s lo s t a re m a d e f o r b o th c a te g o r ie s .
M o s t o f th e e s tim a te s a re in th e fo r m o f in c id e n c e r a te s , d e f in e d as th e
n u m b e r o f in ju r ie s a n d illn e s s e s , o r lo s t w o r k d a y s , p e r 100 f u ll-tim e e m
W h ile th e re a re m a n y c h a r a c te ris tic s u p o n w h ic h th e s a m p le d e s ig n c o u ld
b e b a s e d , th e to ta l re c o rd e d c a s e in c id e n c e ra te is u s e d b e c a u s e it is o n e o f
th e m o s t im p o r ta n t c h a r a c te ris tic s a n d th e le a s t v a ria b le ; th e r e f o r e , it r e
q u ire s th e s m a lle s t s a m p le s ize .
p lo y e e s . F o r th is p u r p o s e , 2 0 0 ,0 0 0 e m p lo y e e h o u rs re p r e s e n t 100 e m
p lo y e e y e a r s ( 2 ,0 0 0 h o u rs p e r e m p lo y e e ) . O n ly a fe w o f th e a v a ila b le
m e a s u r e s a re in c lu d e d in th e H a n d b o o k o f L a b o r S t a t i s t i c s . F u ll d e ta il is
p r e s e n te d in th e a n n u a l b u lle tin , O c c u p a tio n a l In ju r ie s a n d I lln e s s e s in th e
T h e s u rv e y is b a s e d o n s tra tifie d r a n d o m s a m p lin g w ith a N e y m a n
a llo c a tio n a n d a ra tio e s tim a to r . T h e c h a r a c te ris tic s u s e d to s tra tify th e
e s ta b lis h m e n ts a re th e S ta n d a rd In d u s tria l C la s s ific a tio n (s ic ) c o d e a n d s iz e
o f e m p lo y m e n t.
U n ite d S ta te s , b y I n d u s tr y .
C o m p a r a b le d a ta f o r in d iv id u a l S ta te s a re a v a ila b le fr o m th e bls O ffic e
o f O c c u p a tio n a l S a fe ty a n d H e a lth S ta tis tic s .
M in in g a n d r a ilr o a d d a ta a re f u r n is h e d to bls b y th e M in e S a fe ty a n d
H e a lth A d m in is tr a tio n a n d th e F e d e ra l R a ilr o a d A d m in is tr a tio n , r e s p e c
Definitions
tiv e ly . D a ta fr o m th e s e o r g a n iz a tio n s a re in c lu d e d in bls a n d S ta te p u b lic a
tio n s . F e d e ra l e m p lo y e e e x p e r ie n c e is c o m p ile d a n d p u b lis h e d b y th e O c c u
Recordable occupational injuries and illnesses a re:
(1 ) o c c u p a tio n a l
p a tio n a l
S a fe ty a n d
H e a lth
A d m in is tr a tio n .
D a ta o n
S ta te a n d
lo c a l
d e a th s , re g a rd le s s o f th e tim e b e tw e e n in ju ry a n d d e a th , o r th e le n g th o f th e
g o v e r n m e n t e m p lo y e e s a re c o lle c te d b y a b o u t h a lf o f th e S ta te s a n d te r r ito
illn e s s ; o r (2 ) n o n fa ta l o c c u p a tio n a l illn e s s e s ; o r (3 ) n o n fa ta l o c c u p a tio n a l
rie s ; th e s e d a ta a re n o t c o m p ile d n a tio n a lly .
in ju r ie s w h ic h in v o lv e o n e o r m o re o f th e fo llo w in g : lo s s o f c o n s c io u s n e s s ,
re s tric tio n o f w o rk o r m o tio n , tra n s fe r to a n o th e r jo b , o r m e d ic a l tre a tm e n t
Additional sources of information
( o th e r th a n firs t a id ).
Occupational injury is
a n y in ju ry s u c h a s a c u t, fr a c tu re , s p r a in , a m p u
ta tio n , a n d so fo r th , w h ic h re s u lts fr o m a w o rk a c c id e n t o r f r o m e x p o s u r e
in v o lv in g a s in g le in c id e n t in th e w o rk e n v iro n m e n t.
Occupational illness is
T h e S u p p le m e n ta r y D a ta S y s te m p ro v id e s d e ta ile d in fo r m a tio n d e s c r ib
in g v a rio u s fa c to rs a s s o c ia te d w ith w o r k - r e la te d in ju r ie s a n d illn e s s e s .
a n a b n o rm a l c o n d itio n o r d is o rd e r , o th e r th a n
T h e s e d a ta a re o b ta in e d fr o m in f o r m a tio n r e p o r te d b y e m p lo y e r s to S ta te
o n e re s u ltin g fr o m a n o c c u p a tio n a l in ju ry , c a u s e d b y e x p o s u r e to e n v ir o n
w o r k e r s ’ c o m p e n s a tio n a g e n c ie s . T h e W o rk I n ju r y R e p o r t p r o g r a m e x a m
m e n ta l fa c to rs a s s o c ia te d w ith e m p lo y m e n t. It in c lu d e s a c u te a n d c h ro n ic
in e s s e le c te d ty p e s o f a c c id e n ts th ro u g h a n e m p lo y e e s u rv e y w h ic h fo c u s e s
illn e s s e s o r d is e a s e w h ic h m a y be c a u s e d b y in h a la tio n , a b s o r p tio n , in g e s
o n th e c ir c u m s ta n c e s s u r r o u n d in g th e in ju r y . T h e s e d a ta a re n o t in c lu d e d
tio n , o r d ire c t c o n ta c t.
Lost workday cases a re
in th e H a n d b o o k o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s b u t a re a v a ila b le fro m th e bls O ffic e
c a s e s w h ic h in v o lv e d a y s a w a y fr o m w o r k , o r
d a y s o f r e s tric te d w o rk a c tiv ity , o r b o th .
T h e d e fin itio n s o f o c c u p a tio n a l in ju r ie s a n d illn e s s e s a n d lo s t w o rk d a y s
Lost workday cases involving restricted work activity a re
th o s e c a s e s
a re fr o m R e c o r d k e e p in g R e q u ir e m e n ts u n d e r th e O c c u p a tio n a l S a fe ty a n d
th e n u m b e r o f w o rk d a y s ( c o n s e c
I lln e s s e s in th e U n ite d S ta te s , b y I n d u s tr y , a n n u a l B u re a u o f L a b o r
w h ic h r e s u lt in re s tric te d w o rk a c tiv ity o n ly .
Lost workdays away from work a re
o f O c c u p a tio n a l S a fe ty a n d H e a lth S ta tis tic s .
H e a lth A c t o f 1 9 7 0 . F o r a d d itio n a l d a ta , se e O c c u p a tio n a l In ju r ie s a n d
u tiv e o r n o t) o n w h ic h th e e m p lo y e e w o u ld h a v e w o rk e d b u t c o u ld n o t
S ta tis tic s b u lle tin ; bls H a n d b o o k o f M e th o d s , B u lle tin 2 1 3 4 - 1 (B u re a u o f
b e c a u s e o f o c c u p a tio n a l in ju ry o r illn e s s .
L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 2 ), c h a p te r 17; H a n d b o o k o f L a b o r S t a t i s t i c s , B u lle tin
Lost workdays—restricted work activity a re
th e n u m b e r o f w o rk d a y s
(c o n s e c u tiv e o r n o t) o n w h ic h , b e c a u s e o f in ju ry o r illn e s s :
(1 ) th e e m
p lo y e e w a s a s s ig n e d to a n o th e r jo b o n a te m p o ra ry b a s is ; o r (2 ) th e e m
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
2 2 1 7 (B u re a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 5 ), p p . 4 1 1 - 1 4 ; a n n u a l r e p o rts in th e
M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w , a n d a n n u a l U .S .
D e p a r tm e n t o f L a b o r p re s s
re le a s e s .
63
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics:
Comparative Indicators
1. Labor market indicators
1987
1986
1985
Selected indicators
1986
1985
II
I
IV
III
II
I
IV
III
E m p lo y m e n t d a ta
E m p loym en t statu s o t the civilian n o n in stitu tio na lize d p opulation
(household surve y)'
Labor to rce p articipa tio n r a t e ................................................................
E m p loym en t-p op u latio n r a t io .................................................................
U nem ploym e n t rate ..................................................................................
M en ..............................................................................................................
16 to 24 years ......................................................................................
25 years and o v e r ...............................................................................
W om en .......................................................................................................
16 to 24 years ......................................................................................
25 years and o v e r ...............................................................................
U n e m ploym e n t rate, 15 w e eks and o v e r .......................................
64.8
60.1
7.2
7.0
14.1
5.3
7.4
13.0
5.9
2.0
65.3
60.7
7.0
6.9
13.7
5.4
7.1
12.8
5.5
1.9
64.7
60.1
7.2
7.0
14.0
5.3
7.4
12.9
5.9
2.0
64.9
60.3
7.1
6.9
14.2
5.2
7.3
13.1
5.6
1.9
65.1
60.5
7.1
6.9
13.5
5.3
7.3
13.1
5.7
1.9
65.2
60.6
7.1
7.0
14.2
5.3
7.2
13.1
5.7
1.9
65.3
60.8
6.9
6.9
13.7
5.4
6.9
12.6
5.4
1.9
65.4
60.9
6.9
6.9
13.4
5.4
6.8
12.5
5.3
1.8
65.5
61.1
6.7
6.7
13.4
5.2
6.6
12.6
5.1
1.8
65.5
61.5
6.2
6.3
13.1
4.8
6.1
11.8
4.6
1.7
Total ..................................................................................................................
P rivate se cto r ..............................................................................................
G o o d s -p ro d u c in g ........................................................................................
M anufa ctu rin g ..........................................................................................
S ervice-prod u cing ......................................................................................
97,519
81,125
24,859
19,260
72,660
99,610
82,900
24,681
18,994
74,930
97,775
81,303
24,788
19,183
72,987
98,444
81,905
24,788
19,133
73,656
98,901
82,299
24,767
19,086
74,134
99,321
82,670
24,702
19,003
74,619
99,804
83,119
24,629
18,939
75,175
100,397
83,498
24,624
18,953
75,773
101,133
84,183
24,733
18,979
76,399
101,708
84,675
24,757
19,015
76,951
A verag e hours:
Private s e cto r .............................................................................................
M anufa ctu rin g ......................................................................................
O v e r tim e ...............................................................................................
34.9
40.5
3.3
34.8
40.7
3.4
34.9
40.6
3.3
34.9
40.8
3.4
34.9
40.7
3.4
34.8
40.7
3.4
34.7
40.7
3.5
34.7
40.8
3.5
34.8
41.0
3.6
34.8
40.9
3.7
P ercent chan ge in th e ECI, co m p en satio n :
All w o rke rs (excluding farm , h ou sehold, and Federal w orke rs) ..
Private industry w o rke rs .......................................................................
G o o d s-p rod u cin g 2 ...............................................................................
S e rvice-prod u cing 2 .............................................................................
S tate and lo cal g o ve rn m e nt w o r k e r s ...............................................
4.3
39
3.4
4.4
5.7
3.6
3.2
3.1
3.2
5.2
1.6
1.3
.6
1.8
3.4
.6
.6
.6
.5
.7
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.0
.7
.8
.9
.6
.6
1.1
.7
.6
.8
2.8
.6
.6
.5
.6
.8
.9
1.0
.5
1.3
.8
.7
.7
.7
.7
.3
W o rke rs by bargaining statu s (private industry):
U n io n ............................................................................................................
N onunion ....................................................................................................
2.6
4.6
2.1
3.6
.8
1.4
.5
.6
1.0
1.2
.2
.9
.5
.8
.3
.7
.5
1.1
.5
.7
E m p loym en t, nonag ricultu ra l (payroll data), in th o u sa n d s:1
E m p lo y m e n t C o s t In d e x
1 Quarterly data seasonally adjusted.
2 Goods-producing industries include
64
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
producing industries include all other private sector industries.
mining, construction, and manufacturing. Service-
2. Annual and quarterly percent changes in compensation, prices, and productivity
1985
Selected measures
1985
1986
1987
1986
III
IV
I
II
III
IV
I
II
Compensation data 1, 2
Employment Cost Index-compensation (wages, salaries,
benefits):
Civilian nonfarm ..............................
Private nonfarm ............................
Employment Cost Index-wages and salaries
Civilian nonfarm ....................................
Private nonfarm ..................................
4.3
3.9
3.6
3.2
1.6
1.3
0.6
.6
1.1
1.1
0.7
.8
1.1
.7
0.6
.6
0.9
1.0
0.7
.7
4.4
4.1
3.5
3.1
1.7
1.3
.6
.6
1.0
1.0
.8
.9
1.1
.7
.6
.5
10
1.0
5
.7
Price data'
Consumer Price Index (All urban consumers): All items ....
Producer Price Index:
Finished g o o d s ......................................
Finished consumer g o o d s ...............................
Capital equipment ................................
Intermediate materials, supplies, components ....
Crude m ate rials..................................
3.8
1.1
.7
.9
-.4
.6
.7
.3
1.4
1.3
1.8
1.5
2.7
-.3
-5.6
-2.3
-3.6
2.1
-4.4
-9.0
-1.4
-1.4
-1.4
-.5
-4.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
.4
4.3
-3.1
-4.1
.2
-2.9
-7.6
.5
.4
.6
-.9
-1.5
-.7
-.7
-.7
-.2
-.5
1.1
8
2.0
-.4
.6
.8
.9
.1
1.4
4.2
1.4
1.8
.4
1.8
5.6
Productivity data3
Output per hour of all persons:
Business s e c to r...............................
Nonfarm business s e c to r ...............................
Nonfinancial corporations 4 ..................
...........
w * - . .yw w u i u
u / v w i . iu c i-
1.8
1.2
2.1
1.9
1.6
1.6
2.5
1.7
3.3
1.9
1.0
2.3
2.8
2.3
2.6
2.3
1.9
1.8
1.3
1.1
.7
1.5
1.5
1.5
.2
-.1
0
.4
3
.3
i i u c i u u a n y c . u u d i i c i ly u i i d f i y e s
a re ca lculate d using the last m o n th o f each quarter. C om p en sa tion and price
d ata are not se aso na lly a dju sted and th e p rice data are not co m p ou nd e d.
2 E xcludes Federal and private hou seh o ld w orkers.
3 A nnual ra tes o f ch an ge are co m p ute d by co m p aring annual averages.
dexes. The data are seasonally adjusted.
4 Output per hour of all employees.
3. Alternative measures of wage and compensation changes
Quarterly average
Components
I
Average hourly compensation:1
All persons, business s e c to r............................
All employees, nonfarm business s e c to r.......................
Employment Cost Index-compensation:
Civilian nonfarm 2 ...................................
Private nonfarm ...............................
Union ........................................
N onunion...............................
State and local governm ents..............................
Employment Cost Index-wages and salaries:
Civilian nonfarm2 ...........................................
Private nonfarm ............................................
Union ..............................................
N o nunion...............................
State and local gove rnm ents..............................................
Total effective wage adjustments3 ...............................................................
From current settlem ents..........................................
From prior s e ttle m e n ts...............................................
From cost-of-living provision...................................
Negotiated wage adjustments from settlements:3
First-year adjustments ........................................
Annual rate over life of c o n tra c t...................................
Negotiated wage and benefit adjustments from settlements:5
First-year a djustm en t.........................................
Annual rate over life of c o n tra c t........................
II
1987
III
IV
I
1986
II
I
II
1987
III
IV
1
II
4.8
4.5
4.4
4.1
3.7
3.6
3.3
3.4
2.8
2.7
2.8
2.7
3.2
3.9
3.5
2.9
3.0
2.8
3.6
4.0
1.4
1.1
3.3
3.0
1.1
1.1
1.0
1.2
1.0
.7
.8
.2
.9
.6
1.1
.7
.5
.8
2.8
.6
.6
.3
.7
.8
.9
1.0
.5
1.1
.8
.7
.7
.5
.7
.3
4.1
3.8
2.9
4.2
5.5
4.0
3.8
2.5
4.2
5.8
3.6
3.2
2.3
3.5
5.2
3.6
3.2
2.1
3.6
5.2
3.4
3.1
1.6
3.6
5.0
3.3
3.0
1.9
3.4
4.7
1.0
1.0
.7
1.1
1.0
.6
(4)
.4
.2
.8
.9
.4
.9
.4
.7
.2
.6
1.1
.7
.6
.7
3.2
.5
.1
.5
(4)
.6
.5
.2
.7
.7
.5
.2
.2
.1
1.0
1.0
.4
1.2
.8
.4
(4)
.3
.1
.5
.7
.5
.8
.2
1.0
.1
.7
.2
4.2
3.9
3.2
4.3
5.5
3.1
.6
1.7
.8
4.1
3.7
2.5
4.1
5.7
2.9
.5
1.8
.7
3.5
3.1
2.3
3.4
5.4
2.3
.5
1.6
.2
3.5
3.1
2.0
3.5
5.4
2.3
.5
1.7
.2
3.5
3.2
1.7
3.5
5.2
2.0
.4
1.5
.1
3.2
3.0
1.7
3.3
5.0
2.2
.3
1.6
.3
.8
1.5
1.3
2.0
.8
1.5
2.0
2.1
1.2
1.8
2.6
2.9
2.0
2.5
1.6
2.2
1.2
1.7
1.2
1.8
1.2
1.8
1.5
2.0
.6
1.2
.7
1.6
.7
1.2
2.7
2.4
1.7
2.4
4.2
3.9
2.3
2.5
1.4
2.0
.9
1.4
1.1
1.6
1.2
1.7
1.9
2.1
2 Excludes Federal and household workers.
3 Limited to major collective bargaining units of 1,000 workers or more. The
most recent data are preliminary.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Four quarters ended-
1986
(4)
5 Limited to major collective bargaining units of 5,000 workers or more. The
most recent data are preliminary.
65
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics:
Employment Data
4. Employment status of the total population, by sex, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
1986
Annual average
Employment status
1985
1986
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Feb.
Jan.
Mar.
Aug.
July
June
May
Apr.
Sept.
TOTAL
Noninstitutional population
2 ...
Labor force2 ................................
Participation rate 3 ............
Total employed 2 .....................
Employment-population
ratio 4 .................................
Resident Armed Forces 1 ...
Civilian e m p lo ye d ................
A g ricu ltu re ..........................
Nonagricultural industries
Unem ployed............................
Unemployment rate 5 ......
Not in labor fo r c e .....................
184,605
121,672
65.9
114,447
184,738
122,038
114,173
184,421
121,235
65.7
113,975
114,817
184,904
121,604
65.8
114,515
63,009
62.0
1,726
112,447
3,335
109,112
7,546
6.2
62,540
61.8
1,718
112,257
3,178
109,079
7,260
6.0
63,187
62.0
1,720
112,727
3,219
109,508
7,224
5.9
62,933
62.2
1,736
113,081
3,092
109,989
7,221
5.9
62,700
61.9
1,743
112,772
3,170
109,602
7,089
5.8
63,300
88,186
67,644
76.7
63,282
88,271
67,603
76.6
63,417
88,361
67,816
76.7
63,562
88,442
67,556
76.4
63,471
88,534
67,656
76.4
63,715
88,598
67,925
76.7
63,918
88,683
67,736
76.4
63,939
71.9
1,584
61,751
4,429
6.5
71.8
1,575
61,707
4,362
6.4
71.8
1,575
61,842
4,186
71.8
1,559
61,912
4,085
6.2
71.9
1,566
61,996
4,254
6.3
6.0
72.0
1,561
62,154
3,941
5.8
72.1
1,575
62,343
4,007
5.9
72.1
1,581
62,358
3,798
5.6
95,556
53,110
55.6
49,572
95,639
53,325
55.8
49,787
95,729
53,314
55.7
49,822
95,808
53,467
55.8
50,153
95,898
53,903
56.2
50,611
95,979
53,679
55.9
50,504
96,071
54,016
56.2
50,733
96,140
54,113
56.3
50,899
96,221
53,868
56.0
50,576
51.9
157
49,415
3,538
6.7
52.1
156
49,631
3,538
6.6
52.0
161
49,661
3,492
6.6
52.3
160
49,993
3,314
6.2
52.8
160
50,451
3,292
52.6
159
50,345
3,175
5.9
52.8
159
50,574
3,283
52.9
161
50,738
3,213
5.9
52.6
162
50,414
3,291
179,912
117,167
65.1
108,856
182,293
119,540
65.6
111,303
182,713
119,988
65.7
111,703
182,935
120,163
65.7
111,941
183,114
120,426
65.8
112,183
183,297
120,336
65.7
112,387
183,575
120,782
65.8
112,759
183,738
121,089
65.9
113,122
183,915
120,958
65.8
113,104
184,079
121,070
65.8
113,570
184,259
121,719
60.5
1,706
107,150
3,179
103,971
8,312
7.1
62,744
61.1
1,706
109,597
3,163
106,434
8,237
6.9
62,752
61.1
1,716
109,987
3,142
106,845
8,285
6.9
62,725
61.2
1,749
110,192
3,162
107,030
8,222
6.8
62,772
61.3
1,751
110,432
3,215
107,217
8,243
6.8
62,688
61.3
1,750
110,637
3,161
107,476
7,949
6.6
62,961
61.4
1,748
61.5
1,736
111,368
3,284
108,084
7,854
6.5
62,957
61.7
1,735
111,835
3,290
108,545
7,500
62,793
61.6
1,740
111,382
3,236
108,146
7,967
6.6
62,649
86,025
65,967
76.7
61,447
87,349
66,973
76.7
62,443
87,556
67,128
76.7
62,528
87,682
67,130
76.6
62,565
87,773
67,407
76.8
62,833
87,868
67,425
76.7
62,986
88,020
67,672
76.9
63,187
88,099
67,764
76.9
63,335
71.4
1,556
59,891
4,521
6.9
71.5
1,551
60,892
4,530
6.8
71.4
1,560
60,968
4,600
6.9
71.4
1,590
60,975
4,565
6.8
71.6
1,592
61,241
4,574
6.8
71.7
1,593
61,393
4,439
6.6
71.8
1,591
61,596
4,484
6.6
93,886
51,200
54.5
47,409
94,944
52,568
55.4
48,861
95,156
52,860
55.6
49,175
95,253
53,033
55.7
49,376
95,341
53,019
55.6
49,350
95,429
52,911
55.4
49,401
50.5
150
47,259
3,791
7.4
51.5
155
48,706
3,707
7.1
51.7
156
49,019
3,685
7.0
51.8
159
49,217
3,657
6.9
51.8
159
49,191
3,669
6.9
51.8
157
49,244
3,510
6.6
111,011
3,145
107,866
8,023
6.6
6.2
66.1
66.1
Men, 16 years and over
Noninstitutional population \ 2
Labor force2 ............................
Participation rate 3 .........
Total employed 2 .................
Employment-population
ratio 4 .............................
R e sid en t A rm ed Fo rce s 1
Civilian em p lo ye d ............
Unem ployed.........................
Unemployment rate 5 ....
Women, 16 years and over
Noninstitutional population
2
Labor force2 .............................
Participation rate 3 .........
Total employed2 ...................
Employment-population
ratio 4 ..............................
Resident Armed Forces '
Civilian e m p lo ye d .............
Unem ployed..........................
Unemployment rate 5 ....
The population and Armed Forces figures are not adjusted for seasonal variation.
Includes members of the Armed Forces stationed in the United States.
Labor force as a percent of the noninstitutional population.
66
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
6.1
4 Total employed as a percent of the noninstitutional population.
5 Unemployment as a percent of the labor force (including
Forces).
6.1
6.1
the resident Armed
5. Employment status of the civilian population, by sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, monthly data seasonally
adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
Annual average
1986
1987
Employment status
1985
1986
178,206
115,461
64.8
107,150
180,587
117,834
65.3
109,597
180,997
118,272
65.3
109,987
60.1
8,312
7.2
62,744
60.7
8,237
7.0
62,752
77,195
60,277
78.1
56,562
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
181,186
118,414
65.4
110,192
181,363
118,675
65.4
110,432
181,547
118,586
65.3
110,637
60.8
8,285
7.0
62,725
60.8
8,222
6.9
62,772
60.9
8,243
6.9
62,688
78,523
61,320
78.1
57,569
78,722
61,412
78.0
57,607
78,802
61,409
77.9
57,595
73.3
2,278
54,284
3,715
6.2
73.3
2,292
55,277
3,751
6.1
73.2
2,286
55,321
3,805
6.2
86,506
47,283
54.7
44,154
87,567
48,589
55.5
45,556
51.0
596
43,558
3,129
6.6
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
181,827
119,034
65.5
111,011
181,998
119,349
65.6
111,382
182,179
119,222
65.4
111,368
182,344
119,335
65.4
111,835
182,533
119,993
65.7
112,447
182,703
119,517
65.4
112,257
182,885
119,952
65.6
112,727
183,002
120,302
65.7
113,081
183,161
119,861
65.4
112,772
60.9
7,949
6.7
62,961
61.1
8,023
6.7
62,793
61.2
7,967
6.7
62,649
61.1
7,854
6.6
62,957
61.3
7,500
6.3
63,009
61.6
7,546
6.3
62,540
61.4
7,260
6.1
63,187
61.6
7,224
6.0
62,933
61.8
7,221
6.0
62,700
61.6
7,089
5.9
63,300
78,874
61,703
78.2
57,883
78,973
61,826
78.3
58,101
79,132
61,948
78.3
58,227
79,216
61,973
78.2
58,325
79,303
61,983
78.2
58,410
79,387
61,976
78.1
58,567
79,474
62,156
78.2
58,721
79,536
62,057
78.0
58,620
79,625
62,116
78.0
58,793
79,668
62,053
77.9
58,818
79,740
62,045
77.8
58,957
73.1
2,297
55,298
3,814
6.2
73.4
2,303
55,580
3,820
6.2
73.6
2,289
55,812
3,725
6.0
73.6
2,254
55,974
3,720
6.0
73.6
2,300
56,024
3,648
5.9
73.7
2,411
55,999
3,573
5.8
73.8
2,411
56,155
3,409
5.5
73.9
2,441
56,280
3,436
5.5
73.7
2,307
56,313
3,437
5.5
73.8
2,343
56,450
3,323
5.4
73.8
2,254
56,564
3,235
5.2
73.9
2,355
56,601
3,089
5.0
87,779
48,920
55.7
45,905
87,856
49,014
55.8
46,020
87,933
49,043
55.8
46,067
88,016
48,923
55.6
46,058
88,150
49,161
55.8
46,261
88,237
49,348
55.9
46,475
88,321
49,355
55.9
46,498
88,395
49,466
56.0
46,751
88,464
49,774
56.3
47,094
88,546
49,714
56.1
47,126
88,632
49,971
56.4
47,288
88,685
49,989
56.4
47,324
88,785
49,882
56.2
47,179
52.0
614
44,943
3,032
6.2
52.3
614
45,291
3,015
6.2
52.4
612
45,408
2,994
6.1
52.4
675
45,392
2,976
6.1
52.3
621
45,437
2,865
5.9
52.5
628
45,633
2,900
5.9
52.7
641
45,835
2,873
5.8
52.6
589
45,909
2,857
5.8
52.9
587
46,164
2,715
5.5
53.2
634
46,460
2,680
5.4
53.2
615
46,512
2,588
5.2
53.4
619
46,669
2,683
5.4
53.4
603
46,722
2,664
5.3
53.1
585
46,594
2,703
5.4
14,506
7,901
54.5
6,434
14,496
7,926
54.7
6,472
14,496
7,940
54.8
6,475
14,527
7,991
55.0
6,577
14,557
7,929
54.5
6,482
14,558
7,837
53.8
6,478
14,545
7,926
54.5
6,524
14,546
8,028
55.2
6,582
14,555
7,884
54.2
6,460
14,562
7,894
54.2
6,518
14,595
8,063
55.2
6,633
14,621
7,746
53.0
6,511
14,628
7,865
53.8
6,647
14,649
8,260
56.4
6,939
14,637
7,933
54.2
6,636
44.4
305
6,129
1,468
18.6
44.6
258
6,215
1,454
18.3
44.7
242
6,233
1,465
18.5
45.3
253
6,324
1,414
17.7
44.5
237
6,245
1,447
18.2
44.5
251
6,227
1,359
17.3
44.9
264
6,260
1,402
17.7
45.2
295
6,287
1,446
18.0
44.4
284
6,176
1,424
18.1
44.8
292
6,226
1,376
17.4
45.4
261
6,372
1,430
17.7
44.5
257
6,254
1,235
15.9
45.4
258
6,389
1,218
15.5
47.4
236
6,703
1,321
16.0
45.3
230
6,406
1,297
16.3
153,679
99,926
65.0
93,736
155,432
101,801
65.5
95,660
155,723
102,158
65.6
96,000
155,856
102,297
65.6
96,147
155,979
102,455
65.7
96,281
156,111
102,503
65.7
96,533
156,313
102,746
65.7
96,717
156,431
102,893
65.8
96,995
156,561
102,797
65.7
96,998
156,676
102,894
65.7
97,340
156,811
103,573
66.1
98,050
156,930
103,106
65.7
97,716
157,058
103,272
65.8
97,958
157,134
103,614
65.9
98,299
157,242
103,278
65.7
97,995
61.0
6,191
6.2
61.5
6,140
6.0
61.6
6,158
6.0
61.7
6,150
6.0
61.7
6,174
6.0
61.8
5,970
5.8
61.9
6,029
5.9
62.0
5,898
5.7
62.0
5,799
5.6
62.1
5,554
5.4
62.5
5,524
5.3
62.3
5,390
5.2
62.4
5,314
5.1
62.6
5,315
5.1
62.3
5,283
5.1
19,664
12,364
62.9
10,501
19,989
12,654
63.3
10,814
20,056
12,652
63.1
10,799
20,089
12,720
63.3
10,895
20,120
12,719
63.2
10,910
20,152
12,707
63.1
10,968
20,187
12,831
63.6
10,997
20,218
12,957
64.1
11,101
20,249
12,844
63.4
11,053
20,279
12,743
62.8
11,090
20,312
12,860
63.3
11,080
20,341
12,863
63.2
11,223
20,373
13,047
64.0
11,401
20,396
13,194
64.7
11,563
20,426
13,027
63.8
11,427
53.4
1,864
15.1
54.1
1,840
14.5
53.8
1,853
14.6
54.2
1,825
14.3
54.2
1,809
14.2
54.4
1,739
13.7
54.5
1,833
14.3
54.9
1,855
14.3
54.6
1,791
13.9
54.7
1,653
13.0
54.6
1,779
13.8
55.2
1,640
12.7
56.0
1,647
12.6
56.7
1,630
12.4
55.9
1,599
12.3
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
TOTAL
Civilian noninstitutional
population1 .......................................
Civilian labor fo rc e ..........................
Participation rate ....................
Employed ......................................
Employment-population
ratio2 .......................................
Unem ployed..................................
Unemployment ra te ...............
Not in labor force ...........................
Men, 20 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional
population1 .......................................
Civilian labor fo rc e ..........................
Participation rate ....................
Employed ...................................
Employment-population
ratio2 .......................................
A g riculture..................................
Nonagricultural in dustries........
Unem ployed..................................
Unemployment r a te ...............
Women, 20 years ond over
Civilian noninstitutional
p o p u la tio n '.......................................
Civilian labor fo rc e ..........................
Participation rate ....................
Employed ......................................
Employment-population
ratio2 .......................................
A g riculture..................................
Nonagricultural industries........
Unem ployed.................................
Unemployment r a te ...............
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years
Civilian noninstitutional
population1 .......................................
Civilian labor fo rc e ..........................
Participation rate ....................
Employed ....................................
Employment-population
ratio2 .......................................
Agriculture ..................................
Nonagricultural industries........
Unem ployed...........................
Unemployment r a te ...............
White
Civilian noninstitutional
population1 .......................................
Civilian labor fo rc e ..........................
Participation rate ....................
Employed .............................
Employment-population
ratio2 .......................................
Unem ployed..................................
Unemployment ra te ................
Black
Civilian noninstitutional
population1 .......................................
Civilian labor fo rc e ..........................
Participation rate ....................
Employed ......................................
Employment-population
ratio2 .......................................
Unem ployed..................................
Unemployment r a te ...............
See footnotes at end of table.
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67
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics:
Employment Data
5. Continued— Employment status of the civilian population, by sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, monthly data seasonally
adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
1986
Annual average
Employment status
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
1985
1986
11,915
7,698
64.6
6,888
12,344
8,076
65.4
7,219
12,432
8,179
65.8
7,286
12,469
8,200
65.8
7,345
12,505
8,226
65.8
7,437
12,540
8,320
66.3
7,446
12,653
8,431
66.6
7,538
12,692
8,457
66.6
7,644
57.8
811
10.5
58.5
857
10.6
58.6
893
10.9
58.9
855
10.4
59.5
789
9.6
59.4
874
10.5
59.6
893
60.2
813
9.6
Sept.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
12,732
8,392
65.9
7,639
12,770
8,484
66.4
7,701
12,809
8,586
67.0
7,838
12,848
8,452
65.8
7,730
12,887
8,411
65.3
7,744
12,925
8,544
66.1
7,864
12,965
8,568
66.1
7,869
60.0
753
9.0
60.3
783
9.2
61.2
748
8.7
60.2
722
8.5
60.1
667
7.9
60.8
680
8.0
60.7
699
Hispanic origin
Civilian noninstitutional
population1 ..............................
Civilian labor fo rc e ................
Participation rate ..........
E m ployed.............................
Employment-population
ratio2 ..............................
Unem ployed.........................
Unemployment ra te ......
8.2
because data for the “ other races” groups are not presented and Hispanics are included
in both the white and black population groups.
1 The population figures are not seasonally adjusted.
2 Civilian employment as a percent of the civilian noninstitutional population.
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals
6.
10.6
Selected employment Indicators, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(In thousands)
Annual average
Selected categories
Sept.
May
Apr.
Feb.
Dec.
Oct.
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
CHARACTERISTIC
Civilian employed, 16 years and
o v e r................................................
M e n .............................................
W o m e n .......................................
Married men, spouse present
Married women, spouse
p re s e n t.....................................
Women who maintain families
107,150
59,891
47,259
39,248
109,597
60,892
48,706
39,658
109,987
60,968
49,019
39,691
110,192
60,975
49,217
39,780
110,432
61,241
49,191
39,952
110,637
61,393
49,244
40,093
111,011
61,596
49,415
40,102
111,382
61,751
49,631
39,913
111,368
61,707
49,661
40,100
111,835
61,842
49,993
39,967
112,447
61,996
50,451
40,029
112,257
61,912
50,345
40,057
112,727
62,154
50,574
40,241
113,081
62,343
50,738
40,260
112,772
62,358
50,414
40,370
26,336
5,597
27,144
5,837
27,249
5,926
27,323
6,016
27,333
6,041
27,400
6,005
27,525
5,985
27,817
5,906
27,965
5,933
28,213
5,972
28,495
5,921
28,458
5,939
28,426
6,013
28,196
6,108
27,988
6,164
1,535
1,458
185
1,547
1,447
169
1,521
1,460
159
1,562
1,451
164
1,582
1,425
198
1,621
1,400
152
1,650
1,370
136
1,647
1,454
126
1,739
1,418
150
1,589
1,505
175
1,695
1,442
170
1,614
1,386
165
1,619
1,429
154
1,566
1,363
159
1,615
1,417
134
95,871
16,031
79,841
1,249
78,592
7,811
289
98,299
16,342
81,957
1,235
80,722
7,881
255
98,692
16,333
82,359
1,229
81,130
7,939
275
98,846
16,264
82,582
1,216
81,366
7,993
265
98,869
16,457
82,412
1,183
81,229
8,179
252
99,164
16,443
82,721
1,189
81,532
8,056
239
99,550
16,412
83,138
1,269
81,869
8,192
246
99,748
16,532
83,216
1,204
82,012
8,187
255
99,834
16,568
83,265
1,227
82,038
8,050
273
100,112
16,484
83,628
1,266
82,362
268
100,834
16,710
84,124
1,266
82,858
8,142
275
100,420
16,956
83,464
1,146
82,318
8,328
274
100,838
16,931
83,907
1,224
82,683
8,205
268
101,334
16,760
84,574
1,172
83,402
8,216
250
101,221
16,915
84,306
1,088
83,218
8,184
300
5,588
2,456
2,800
13,935
5,544
2,472
2,772
13,922
5,740
2,481
2,826
14,178
5,563
2,510
2,714
14,021
5,596
2,444
2,867
13,877
5,505
2,473
2,695
14,170
5,780
2,535
2,828
14,061
5,456
2,440
2,698
14,167
5,391
2,322
2,746
13,862
5,282
2,223
2,665
14,573
5,184
2,317
2,579
15,054
5,508
2,456
2,722
14,422
5,262
2,515
2,494
14,634
5,241
5,590
2,430
2,819
13,489
2,702
14,313
5,334
2,273
2,730
13,038
5,345
2,305
2,719
13,502
5,303
2,314
2,71
13,520
5,450
2,314
2,739
13,736
5,319
2,366
2,626
13,567
5,342
2,286
2,765
13,455
5,201
2,281
2,599
13,750
5,459
2,340
2,742
13,597
5,164
2,218
2,595
13,682
5,110
2,137
2,662
13,399
5,029
2,071
2,594
14,069
4,918
2,155
2,477
14,485
5,235
2,295
2,634
13,946
4,998
2,306
2,433
14,168
4,968
2,038
2,628
13,930
MAJOR INDUSTRY AND CLASS
OF WORKER
Agriculture:
Wage and salary workers
Self-employed w o rk e rs .....
Unpaid family w o rk e rs .....
Nonagricultural industries:
Wage and salary workers
Government ....................
Private in dustries...........
Private households.....
O th e r .............................
Self-employed w o rke rs ....
Unpaid family w o rk e rs .....
8 ,1 1 7
PERSONS AT WORK
PART TIM E1
All industries:
Part time for economic reasons
Slack work ................................
Could only find part-time work
Voluntary part time ....................
Nonagricultural industries:
Part time for economic reasons
Slack work ................................
Could only find part-time work
Voluntary part t im e ..............
Excludes persons “ with a job but not at work” during the survey period for such reasons as vacation, illness, or industrial disputes.
68
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
2,212
7.
Selected unemployment indicators, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(Unemployment rates)
Annual average
1986
1987
Selected categories
1985
1986
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Total, all civilian w o rke rs.............................................
Both sexes, 16 to 19 y e a rs ...................................
Men, 20 years and o v e r ........................................
Women, 20 years and o v e r...................................
7.2
18.6
6.2
6.6
7.0
18.3
6.1
6.2
7.0
18.5
6.2
6.2
6.9
17.7
6.2
6.1
6.9
18.2
6.2
6.1
6.7
17.3
6.0
5.9
6.7
17.7
6.0
5.9
6.7
18.0
5.9
5.8
6.6
18.1
5.8
5.8
6.3
17.4
5.5
5.5
6.3
17.7
5.5
5.4
6.1
15.9
5.5
5.2
6.0
15.5
5.4
5.4
6.0
16.0
5.2
5.3
5.9
16.3
5.0
5.4
White, t o ta l..........................................
Both sexes, 16 to 19 y e a rs ................................
Men, 16 to 19 years ......................................
Women, 16 to 19 y e a rs.................................
Men, 20 years and over .....................................
Women, 20 years and o v e r ................................
6.2
15.7
16.5
14.8
5.4
5.7
6.0
15.6
16.3
14.9
5.3
5.4
6.0
15.9
16.6
15.1
5.4
5.3
6.0
15.4
15.7
15.2
5.4
5.2
6.0
16.0
16.3
15.7
5.4
5.2
5.8
15.1
15.5
14.6
5.3
5.0
5.9
15.0
16.1
13.8
5.3
5.1
5.7
15.2
16.0
14.3
5.2
4.9
5.6
15.5
17.1
13.9
5.1
4.8
5,4
14.9
16.7
13.1
4.8
4.6
5.3
15.2
17.3
13.1
4.7
4.5
5.2
13.6
14.5
12.7
4.9
4.4
5.1
13.0
13.0
13.0
4.7
4.5
5.1
14.0
15.4
12.5
4.5
4.4
5.1
14.5
15.3
13.6
4.4
4.5
Black, total ...............................................................
Both sexes, 16 to 19 y e a rs ................................
Men, 16 to 19 years ......................................
Women, 16 to 19 y e a rs .................................
Men, 20 years and over .....................................
Women, 20 years and o v e r................................
15.1
40.2
41.0
39.2
13.2
13.1
14.5
39.3
39.3
39.2
12.9
12.4
14.6
38.4
38.6
38.3
13.4
12.4
14.3
35.8
37.8
33.8
13.1
12.4
14.2
36.0
35.0
37.0
12.9
12.5
13.7
36.5
36.1
36.9
11.8
12.3
14.3
39.5
36.5
43.2
12.2
12.8
14.3
38.9
38.3
39.5
12.0
12.9
13.9
37.6
36.5
38.8
11.5
13.0
13.0
38.0
39.3
36.5
10.9
11.5
13.8
39.0
40.3
37.6
12.5
11.6
12.7
33.3
31.5
35.1
11.5
11.1
12.6
31.5
31.5
31.4
11.3
11.4
12.4
29.2
32.6
25.3
10.7
11.3
12.3
29.7
30.9
28.7
10.0
11.9
Hispanic origin, to ta l...............................................
10.5
10.6
10.9
10.4
9.6
10.5
10.6
9.6
9.0
9.2
8.7
8.5
7.9
8.0
8.2
Married men, spouse p re s e n t...............................
Married women, spouse p re s e n t..........................
Women who maintain fa m ilie s ..............................
Full-time workers ..........................................
Part-time workers ...................................................
Unemployed 15 weeks and o v e r..........................
Labor force time lost1 ............................................
4.3
5.6
10.4
6.8
9.3
2.0
8.1
4.4
5.2
9.8
6.6
9.1
1.9
7.9
4.3
5.1
9.8
6.6
9.3
2.0
7.9
4.6
5.0
8.9
6.6
9.2
1.8
7.8
4.5
5.0
9.7
6.6
9.1
1.9
7.7
4.3
4.8
9.8
6.3
8.8
1.8
7.6
4.2
4.8
9.8
6.4
9.0
1.8
7.6
4.2
4.8
9.5
6.3
8.7
1.8
7.6
4.1
4.5
9.7
6.2
9.2
1.7
7.4
4.1
4.4
9.3
5.9
8.6
1.7
7.3
3.9
4.1
9.6
5.9
8.7
1.8
7.2
4.0
4.0
9.7
5.9
6.9
1.7
7.1
3.8
4.2
9.4
5.7
7.9
1.6
6.9
3.7
4.3
9.0
5.6
8.2
1.6
6.8
3.6
4.2
8.8
5.4
8.5
1.6
6.7
7.2
9.5
13.1
7.7
7.6
7.8
5.1
7.6
5.6
3.9
13.2
7.0
13.5
13.1
7.1
6.9
7.4
5.1
7.6
5.5
3.6
12.5
7.0
13.9
12.9
7.0
6.5
7.7
4.7
7.6
5.6
3.5
12.9
7.0
14.5
13.8
7.3
7.2
7.3
5.2
7.4
5.4
3.7
11.9
7.0
14.5
15.1
7.1
6.6
7.9
4.4
7.2
5.4
3.6
10.1
6.8
14.1
13.7
6.9
6.4
7.7
4.6
7.2
5.1
3.3
11.5
6.7
14.0
12.2
6.8
6.8
6.8
4.8
7.5
5.2
3.6
11.6
6.6
12.4
11.6
6.8
6.8
6.9
4.0
7.2
5.4
3.7
11.2
6.5
9.3
12.5
6.9
6.7
7.3
4.6
7.3
4.9
3.4
10.7
6.2
11.1
11.9
6.2
6.2
6.2
4.8
7.0
4.7
3.6
9.0
6.3
12.9
12.1
6.4
6.3
6.6
4.4
6.9
4.8
3.3
8.7
6.2
10.8
11.6
5.6
5.3
6.0
5.0
7.2
4.8
3.4
8.8
6.1
7.8
10.7
6.0
6.1
5.9
4.4
6.8
5.1
3.4
11.3
5.9
8.9
11.2
5.5
5.5
5.5
4.3
7.0
4.6
3.9
10.8
5.9
7.0
12.1
5.7
5.6
5.9
4.0
6.4
4.9
3.4
8.3
CHARACTERISTIC
INDUSTRY
Nonagricultural private wage and salary workers ....
M ining .................................
C onstruction.............................................................
Manufacturing ..........................................................
Durable g o o d s ......................................................
Nondurable goods ...............................................
Transportation and public utilities ........................
Wholesale and retail tra d e ....................................
Finance and service in dustries.............................
Government workers ..............................
Agricultural wage and salary workers .......................
1 Aggregate hours lost by the unemployed and persons on part time for economic reasons as a percent of potentially available labor force hours.
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69
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
8.
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics:
Employment Data
Unemployment rates by sex and age, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(Civilian workers)
Annual
average
Sex and age
1986
1985
1987
1986
Nov.
Oct.
Sept.
Jan.
Dec.
Apr.
Mar.
Feb.
June
May
July
Aug.
Sept.
Total, 16 years and over ........................................................................
16 to 24 y e a rs ........................................................................................
16 to 19 years ....................................................................................
16 to 17 years .................................................................................
18 to 19 years .................................................................................
20 to 24 years ....................................................................................
25 years and o v e r.................................................................................
25 to 54 years .................................................................................
55 years and o v e r ...........................................................................
7.2
13.6
18.6
21.0
17.0
11.1
5.6
5.8
4.1
7.0
13.3
18.3
20.2
17.0
10.7
5.4
5.7
3.9
7.0
13.6
18.5
20.0
17.2
11.1
5.4
5.6
4.0
6.9
13.0
17.7
19.3
16.5
10.5
5.5
5.7
4.1
6.9
12.9
18.2
20.6
16.7
10.2
5.5
5.8
3.8
6.7
12.9
17.3
18.8
16.3
10.7
5.2
5.5
3.5
6.7
13.1
17.7
20.1
16.2
10.7
5.2
5.6
3.2
6.7
13.1
18.0
20.3
16.6
10.5
5.1
5.5
3.0
6.6
12.9
18.1
20.0
16.5
10.2
5.1
5.4
3.4
6.3
12.6
17.4
19.2
16.3
10.1
4.8
5.0
3.4
6.3
12.6
17.7
21.4
15.0
9.8
4.8
5.0
3.7
6.1
12.2
15.9
18.8
13.7
10.2
4.6
4.9
3.2
6.0
11.7
15.5
17.1
13.9
9.8
4.7
5.0
3.1
6.0
11.6
16.0
18.0
14.7
9.1
4.7
5.0
3.2
5.9
11.7
16.3
17.4
15.4
9.3
4.6
4.7
3.4
Men, 16 years and o v e r ....................................................................
16 to 24 years .................................................................................
16 to 19 y e a rs ...............................................................................
16 to 17 y e a rs ............................................................................
18 to 19 y e a rs ............................................................................
20 to 24 y e a rs ...............................................................................
25 years and o v e r ...........................................................................
25 to 54 y e a rs ............................................................................
55 years and o v e r......................................................................
7.0
14.1
19.5
21.9
17.9
11.4
5.3
5.6
4.1
6.9
13.7
19.0
20.8
17.7
11.0
5.4
5.6
4.1
7.0
14.3
19.1
21.0
17.5
11.9
5.4
5.5
4.2
7.0
13.2
18.2
19.8
17.0
10.7
5.5
5.7
4.4
6.9
13.4
18.3
21.3
16.2
10.9
5.5
5.7
4.1
6.7
13.4
17.8
19.1
17.0
11.3
5.2
5.5
4.0
6.8
13.4
18.5
21.4
16.9
10.7
5.4
5.7
3.5
6.7
13.6
18.6
21.2
17.0
11.1
5.1
5.4
3.3
6.6
13.2
19.3
20.2
18.6
10.1
5.1
5.4
3.6
6.3
13.2
19.2
21.5
17.5
10.1
4.8
5.0
3.7
6.4
13.4
20.0
23.2
17.7
10.0
4.9
5.1
4.1
6.2
12.6
16.4
18.7
14.4
10.7
4.7
5.0
3.4
6.0
11.9
15.5
16.6
13.8
10.0
4.7
4.9
3.4
6.0
12.4
18.0
20.6
16.3
9.3
4.7
4.9
3.4
5.7
11.9
17.3
18.3
16.0
9.1
4.4
4.6
3.2
Women, 16 years and o v e r .............................................................
16 to 24 y e a rs ................................................................................
16 to 19 years .............................................................................
16 to 17 years ..........................................................................
18 to 19 years ..........................................................................
20 to 24 years .............................................................................
25 years and o v e r..........................................................................
25 to 54 years ..........................................................................
55 years and over ....................................................................
7.4
13.0
17.6
20.0
16.0
10.7
5.9
6.2
4.1
7.1
12.8
17.6
19.6
16.3
10.3
5.5
5.9
3.6
7.0
12.8
17.7
18.8
16.9
10.2
5.5
5.8
3.6
6.9
12.7
17.2
18.6
16.0
10.3
5.4
5.7
3.6
6.9
12.4
18.2
19.8
17.2
9.4
5.5
5.8
3.4
6.7
12.4
16.8
18.4
15.7
10.0
5.2
5.5
2.9
6.7
12.7
16.8
18.7
15.3
10.6
5.1
5.5
2.7
6.7
12.4
17.4
19.2
16.1
9.8
5.1
5.6
2.6
6.6
12.5
16.7
19.7
14.2
10.3
5.0
5.4
3.2
6.2
12.0
15.6
16.7
15.1
10.1
4.7
5.0
3.0
6.1
11.7
15.4
19.6
12.4
9.7
4.7
4.9
3.0
5.9
11.7
15.4
18.9
13.0
9.7
4.4
4.7
2.8
6.1
11.6
15.4
17.7
14.0
9.5
4.7
5.0
2.6
6.0
10.7
13.9
15.3
12.9
8.9
4.7
5.0
2.9
6.1
11.6
15.4
16.5
14.6
9.5
4.7
4.9
3.7
9.
Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
1987
1986
Annual average
Reason for unemployment
1985
Job losers ......................................................................
On la y o ff......................................................................
Other job lo s e rs ..........................................................
Job leavers ....................................................................
Reentrants .....................................................................
New entrants .................................................................
1986
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Apr.
Mar.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
4,139
1,157
2,982
877
2,256
1,039
4,033
1,090
2,943
1,015
2,160
1,029
4,044
1,029
3,015
1,041
2,145
1,038
3,984
1,072
2,912
1,027
2,190
972
3,947
1,073
2,874
1,056
2,119
1,076
3,890
1,078
2,812
1,036
2,019
1,015
3,971
1,118
2,854
891
2,054
1,084
3,839
998
2,842
1,046
2,042
1,040
3,822
1,011
2,811
1,000
2,111
956
3,732
958
2,774
923
1,940
911
3,611
906
2,705
906
2,018
1,018
3,565
901
2,664
949
1,969
798
3,522
918
2,604
1,007
1,913
801
3,339
850
2,489
1,006
1,997
829
3,321
810
2,511
995
1,885
883
49.8
13.9
35.9
10.6
27.1
12.5
48.9
13.2
35.7
12.3
26.2
12.5
48.9
12.4
36.5
12.6
25.9
12.6
48.7
13.1
35.6
12.6
26.8
11.9
48.1
13.1
35.1
12.9
25.8
13.1
48.9
13.5
35.3
13.0
25.4
12.8
49.6
14.0
35.7
11.1
25.7
13.6
48.2
12.5
35.7
13.1
25.6
13.1
48.4
12.8
35.6
12.7
26.8
12.1
49.7
12.8
37.0
12.3
25.8
12.1
47.8
12.0
35.8
12.0
26.7
13.5
49.0
12.4
36.6
13.0
27.0
11.0
48.6
12.7
36.0
13.9
26.4
11.1
46.6
11.9
34.7
14.0
27.9
11.6
46.9
11.4
35.4
14.0
26.6
12.5
3.6
.8
2.0
.9
3.4
.9
1.8
.9
3.4
.9
1.8
.9
3.4
.9
1.8
.8
3.3
.9
1.8
.9
3.3
.9
1.7
.9
3.3
.7
1.7
.9
3.2
.9
1.7
.9
3.2
.8
1.8
.8
3.1
.8
1.6
.8
3.0
.8
1.7
.8
3.0
.8
1.6
.7
2.9
.8
1.6
.7
2.8
.8
1.7
.7
2.8
.8
1.6
.7
PERCENT OF UNEMPLOYED
Job lo s e rs ....................................................................
On layoff ...................................................................
Other job lo s e rs .......................................................
Job le avers..................................................................
R eentrants...................................................................
New entrants ..............................................................
I
PERCENT OF
CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE
Job losers ......................................................................
Job leavers ....................................................................
Reentrants .....................................................................
New entrants .................................................................
10.
Duration of unemployment, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
1987
1986
Annual average
Weeks of unemployment
70
1985
1986
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Less than 5 weeks ...............................................
5 to 14 weeks ........................................................
15 weeks and o v e r ...............................................
15 to 26 weeks ...................................................
27 weeks and over ............................................
3,498
2,509
2,305
1,025
1,280
3,448
2,557
2,232
1,045
1,187
3,415
2,524
2,373
1,110
1,263
3,418
2,563
2,168
950
1,218
3,382
2,613
2,217
1,045
1,172
3,355
2,389
2,171
1,023
1,148
3,416
2,530
2,200
1,022
1,178
3,361
2,477
2,131
1,008
1,123
3,383
2,447
2,050
945
1,105
3,143
2,232
2,075
1,025
1,049
3,349
2,118
2,101
1,003
1,098
3,085
2,114
2,055
998
1,057
3,168
2,141
1,907
945
962
3,197
2,170
1,884
814
1,070
3,230
1,932
1,920
909
1,011
Mean duration in w e e k s .......................................
Median duration in w e e k s ....................................
15.6
6.8
15.0
6.9
15.5
7.1
15.2
7.0
14.8
7.0
15.0
7.1
15.0
7.0
14.6
6.6
14.9
6.6
14.9
7.0
14.9
6.5
14.8
6.7
14.0
6.7
14.3
6.4
14.2
5.7
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
11. Unemployment rates of civilian workers by State, data not seasonally adjusted
State
D elaw are............................................................
Kansas ...............................................................
K e n tu c k y ............................................................
Aug.
1986
Aug.
1987
9.9
9.8
7.3
8.3
6.7
7.2
9.1
6.0
7.6
5.4
Montana ...........................................................
7.1
3.6
3.9
7.6
5.9
6.4
3.2
2.8
6.1
5.7
New Mexico ....................................................
New Y o rk ..........................................................
North Carolina ................................................
5.9
4.9
9.1
7.9
6.2
5.0
3.7
7.1
6.8
5.8
O klaho m a.........................................................
O re g o n ..............................................................
6.4
5.2
86
13.8
4.4
4.6
42
7.4
10.3
3.0
South D a k o ta ...................................................
4.2
3.7
7.9
4.2
12.4
6.0
3.9
2.8
8.3
4.6
9.8
6.0
NOTE: Some data in this table may differ from data
published elsewhere because of the continual updating of the
State
Utah ..................................................................
Washington ......................................................
Aug.
1986
Aug.
1987
6.8
4.1
5.2
2.5
5.8
4.1
5.6
2.1
4.5
9.1
5.9
5.1
5.2
3.9
8.3
4.3
4.2
3.8
8.0
9.5
7.7
6.3
3.9
6.9
6.6
5.4
5.2
3.5
6.1
3.8
7.7
9.1
5.7
4.9
3.8
6.6
8.3
6.1
3.9
4.7
7.7
10.6
6.1
2.9
4.1
6.3
9.1
4.8
7.6
6.5
database,
12. Employment of workers on nonagricultural payrolls by State, data not seasonally adjusted
(In thousands)
State
Aug. 1986
July 1987
1.459.6
236.4
1.329.7
815.2
11,252.3
1,490.0
226.1
1,341.3
830.1
11,599.7
Colorado .................
Connecticut ............
D elaw are.................
District of Columbia
Florida .....................
1.394.0
1,598.4
308.6
654.5
4.535.0
1,388.9
1,644.5
316.3
662.0
4,737.3
Georgia
H a w aii..
Idaho ...
Illinois ..
Indiana
2,689.4
438.6
333.3
4,803.6
2,236.9
2,747.1
451.1
336.7
4,873.0
2,299.7
Io w a .......
Kansas ...
Kentucky
Louisiana
M ain e .....
1.074.5
981.1
1,274.8
1.499.6
493.6
1.097.9
987.8
1,294.5
1.486.9
500.7
Maryland ........
Massachusetts
M ichigan.........
Minnesota ......
M ississippi......
M issouri..........
M o n ta n a .........
1.965.1
2.981.2
3,628.9
1,902.4
834.7
2.141.2
277.4
1,994.5
3.043.2
3,640.0
1.948.3
851.0
2.143.3
273.6
Alabama .
Alaska ....
Arizona ...
Arkansas
California
1.491.2 N e b ra s k a ...........
224.1 Nevada ..............
1,342.6 New Hampshire
837.0
11,616.9 New Jersey .
New Mexico ....
1.390.2 New Y o rk ........
1.643.0 North Carolina
319.1 North Dakota ..
660.0
4.733.5 Ohio ................
O klaho m a.......
2.752.6 O re g o n ............
450.9 Pennsylvania ...
337.7 Rhode Isla n d ...
4.883.6
2.315.2 South Carolina
South Dakota .
1.096.6 Tennessee ....
988.0 Texas ..............
1.298.1 Utah ................
1.483.6
508.5 V e rm o n t.........
V irg in ia ...........
1.990.1 Washington ....
3.049.7 West Virginia ..
3.665.2 Wisconsin ......
1.961.6
852.9 W yom ing......
2.149.6 Puerto Rico ..
275.1 Virgin Islands
p = preliminary
NOTE: Some data in this table may differ from data published elsewhere
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
State
Aug. 1987p
Aug. 1986
July 1987
Aug. 1987p
654.6
476.5
496.6
662.2
505.5
510.9
663.2
507.0
514.7
3.519.0
529.0
7,910.7
2.710.0
249.2
3,612.3
535.1
8,106.8
2,792.0
251.9
3,606.6
534.4
8.123.8
2.803.8
251.1
4.488.4
1.119.4
1,063.1
4.822.5
443.5
4.576.6
1.123.2
1.098.7
4.935.2
446.3
4.596.8
1.124.4
1,106.2
4.941.1
450.1
1.342.6
253.9
1,937.8
6.522.6
631.4
1.377.2
255.4
1.999.3
6,474.0
637.9
1.386.4
255.0
2.001.9
6.466.5
640.8
235.3
2,568.5
1,782.4
598.0
2,032.7
239.0
2.638.8
1.836.8
604.1
2,067.3
238.7
2.634.5
1.847.1
599.9
2.067.9
202.2
196.7
758.2
38.7
196.9
732.7
38.1
703.7
37.8
because of the continual updating of the database.
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
13.
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics:
Employment Data
Employment of workers on nonagricultural payrolls by industry, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(In thousands)
1985
1986
1987
1986
Annual average
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.p
Sept.p
102,410
85,364
TOTAL ..........................................
PRIVATE SECTOR ........................
97,519
81,125
99,610
82,900
100,039
83,241
100,209
83,337
100,415
83,515
100,567
83,643
100,919
83,983
101,150
84,215
101,329
84,352
101,598
84,560
101,708
84,677
101,818
84,787
102,126
85,106
102,278
85,226
GOODS-PRODUCING .....................
Mining ...............................................
Oil and gas extraction ..................
24,859
927
583
24,681
783
457
24,620
739
419
24,611
735
416
24,630
730
412
24,630
724
406
24,708
718
405
24,743
719
406
24,749
722
408
24,759
729
416
24,752
735
420
24,761
738
425
24,850
744
430
24,885
752
434
24,912
756
435
Construction ...................................
General building contractors.......
4,673
1,253
4,904
1,293
4,948
1,291
4,942
1,289
4,946
1,289
4,936
1,277
5,034
1,311
5,038
1,309
5,032
1,291
5,019
1,272
4,999
1,267
5,008
1,266
5,002
1,261
5,007
1,263
4,974
1,248
M anufacturing.................................
Production workers .......................
19,260
13,092
18,994
12,895
18,933
12,851
18,934
12,849
18,954
12,879
18,970
12,906
18,956
12,884
18,986
12,916
18,995
12,925
19,011
12,939
19,018
12,946
19,015
12,958
19,104
13,020
19,126
13,040
19,182
13,099
Durable g o o d s ...............................
Production workers .......................
11,490
7,644
11,244
7,432
11,181
7,382
11,169
7,369
11,174
7,385
11,175
7,393
11,157
7,370
11,179
7,398
11,176
7,399
11,175
7,406
11,175
7,409
11,176
7,421
11,195
7,425
11,244
7,478
11,279
7,512
Lumber and wood p ro d u c ts .........
Furniture and fix tu re s .....................
Stone, clay, and glass products ...
Primary metal industries ...............
Blast furnaces and basic steel
p roducts..........................................
Fabricated metal products............
697
494
588
808
711
497
586
753
716
499
584
732
718
499
581
733
723
499
582
733
728
499
584
733
731
500
586
726
733
501
588
733
734
502
586
739
736
504
586
743
738
509
584
742
735
510
582
746
740
518
582
750
737
518
583
754
739
521
583
769
303
1,465
275
1,431
260
1,424
262
1,421
260
1,419
259
1,422
254
1,422
261
1,419
266
1,419
272
1,423
272
1,420
275
1,424
277
1,424
279
1,425
284
1,429
2,174
2,060
2,031
2,022
2,015
2,011
2,007
2,018
2,015
2,022
2,025
2,028
2,033
2,043
2,054
2,111
2,014
851
697
2,106
2,022
859
695
2,099
2,022
854
694
2,092
2,011
847
694
2,087
2,011
843
693
2,080
2,010
842
693
2,088
1,995
814
695
2,093
2,027
847
694
2,098
2,017
837
698
363
364
366
364
366
368
370
370
371
7,843
5,537
7,839
5,537
7,909
5,595
7,882
5,562
7,903
5,587
Machinery, except e lectrica l.........
Electrical and electronic
equipm ent.......................................
Transportation equipm ent.............
Motor vehicles and equipment ....
Instruments and related products
Miscellaneous manufacturing
industries ........................................
2,197
1,980
884
720
2,123
2,015
865
707
2,118
2,015
857
703
2,120
2,013
850
702
2,119
2,023
858
700
2,118
2,018
853
698
367
362
359
360
361
364
Nondurable g o o d s .........................
Production w o rke rs.........................
7,770
5,449
7,750
5,463
7,752
5,469
7,765
5,480
7,780
5,494
7,795
5,513
7,799
5,514
7,807
5,518
7,819
5,526
7,836
5,533
Food and kindred p ro d u cts..........
Tobacco m anufactures..................
Textile mill p ro d u c ts .......................
Apparel and other textile
p roducts..........................................
Paper and allied products ............
1,603
64
702
1,617
59
705
1,619
58
707
1,621
58
709
1,627
59
714
1,631
58
715
1,628
58
718
1,630
58
722
1,635
57
725
1,642
56
724
1,633
57
727
1,634
57
729
1,644
57
736
1,633
56
733
1,631
54
737
1,121
678
1,106
674
1,102
675
1,104
677
1,101
678
1,110
679
1,106
678
1,101
679
1,103
678
1,104
677
1,107
677
1,108
676
1,130
678
1,109
677
1,114
683
Printing and publishing..................
Chemicals and allied products.....
Petroleum and coal p roducts.......
Rubber and misc. plastics
p roducts..........................................
Leather and leather products ......
1,428
1,044
179
1,457
1,023
169
1,465
1,021
167
1,469
1,020
166
1,472
1,020
165
1,474
1,017
163
1,479
1,018
164
1,483
1,018
164
1,485
1,017
164
1,493
1,018
164
1,497
1,022
164
1,498
1,014
164
1,504
1,026
164
1,507
1,032
165
1,507
1,033
167
786
165
790
151
791
147
794
147
797
147
800
148
803
147
805
147
807
148
809
149
809
150
810
149
815
155
818
152
824
153
SERVICE-PRODUCING ..................
Transportation and public
u tilities.............................................
Transportation.................................
Communication and public
u tilitie s .............................................
72,660
74,930
75,419
75,598
75,785
75,937
76,211
76,407
76,580
76,839
76,956
77,057
77,276
77,393
77,498
5,363
3,133
5,377
3,146
5,385
3,154
Wholesale t r a d e .............................
Durable g o o d s .................................
Nondurable g o o d s ..........................
Retail tr a d e ......................................
General merchandise s to re s ........
Food s to re s .....................................
Automotive dealers and service
s ta tio n s ...........................................
Eating and drinking p la c e s ...........
5,304
3,089
5,315
3,097
5,333
3,112
5,348
3,124
5,344
3,120
5,350
3,128
2,208
2,215
2,218
2,221
2,224
2,224
2,222
2,230
2,231
2,231
5,725
3,383
2,342
5,741
3,386
2,355
5,757
3,391
2,366
5,766
3,397
2,369
5,772
3,397
2,375
5,775
3,401
2,374
5,781
3,405
2,376
5,797
3,418
2,379
5,805
3,420
2,385
5,806
3,425
2,381
18,009
2,379
2,906
18,007
2,363
2,916
18,080
2,358
2,929
18,140
2,373
2,940
18,136
2,380
2,944
18,197
2,385
2,953
18,205
2,390
2,956
18,226
2,387
2,960
18,274
2,407
2,959
18,254
2,408
2,964
18,324
2,425
2,971
1,960
5,919
1,963
5,927
1,970
5,938
1,978
5,946
1,979
5,956
1,979
5,964
1,978
5,962
1,978
5,976
1,983
5,982
1,985
5,985
1,984
5,991
1,987
6,007
6,374
3,193
1,971
1,210
6,395
3,204
1,980
1,211
6,418
3,212
1,990
1,216
6,451
3,227
1,999
1,225
6,480
3,235
2,012
1,233
6,501
3,243
2,016
1,242
6,526
3,256
2,022
1,248
6,558
3,272
2,032
1,254
6,576
3,276
2,037
1,263
6,586
3,280
2,037
1,269
6,608
3,291
2,043
1,274
6,628
3,296
2,051
1,281
6,626
3,295
2,050
1,281
23,099
4,781
6,551
23,317
4,835
6,615
23,369
4,861
6,644
23,452
4,877
6,661
23,544
4,912
6,691
23,670
4,950
6,721
23,759
4,984
6,748
23,842
5,020
6,773
23,926
5,044
6,800
24,025
5,083
6,822
24,083
5,086
6,853
24,214
5,105
6,887
24,277
5,134
6,920
24,311
5,155
6,942
16,711
2,899
3,888
9,923
16,798
2,902
3,890
10,006
16,872
2,897
3,907
10,068
16,900
2,900
3,915
10,085
16,924
2,904
3,927
10,093
16,936
2,912
3,929
10,095
16,935
2,916
3,927
10,092
16,977
2,922
3,930
10,125
17,038
2,933
3,943
10,162
17,031
2,935
3,947
10,149
17,031
2,935
3,932
10,164
17,020
2,936
3,952
10,132
17,052
2,940
3,970
10,142
17,046
2,960
3,975
10,111
5,238
3,003
5,244
3,041
5,255
3,050
5,251
3,053
5,278
3,071
5,286
3,078
2,235
2,203
2,205
2,198
2,207
5,717
3,388
2,329
5,735
3,383
2,351
5,736
3,383
2,353
5,731
3,379
2,352
5,728
3,380
2,348
17,356
2,324
2,775
17,845
2,363
2,873
17,939
2,374
2,892
17,980
2,385
2,901
1,890
5,709
1,943
5,879
1,958
5,911
Finance, insurance, and real
e s ta te ...............................................
Finance ............................................
Insurance .........................................
Real e s ta te ......................................
5,955
2,977
1,833
1,146
6,297
3,152
1,945
1,200
Services............................................
Business se rvice s...........................
Health s e rv ic e s ...............................
22,000
4,457
6,299
Government ...................................
F e d e ra l............................................
S ta te ................................................
L o c a l................................................
16,394
2,875
3,832
9,687
p = preliminary
NOTE: See notes on the data for a description of the most recent benchmark revision.
72
Jan.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
14. Average weekly hours of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls by industry,
monthly data seasonally adjusted
Annual
average
1986
1987
1986
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
>
c
1985
cp
Industry
Sept.»
PRIVATE SECTOR ..............................................
34.9
34.8
34.7
34.7
34.8
34.6
34.7
34.9
34.8
34.7
34.9
34.8
34.8
34.9
34.6
M ANUFACTURING.....................................................
Overtime h o u rs ....................................................
40.5
3.3
40.7
3.4
40.8
3.5
40.7
3.5
40.8
3.5
40.8
3.6
40.9
3.6
41.1
3.6
40.9
3.6
40.6
3.5
41.0
3.8
41.0
3.7
41.0
3.8
41.0
3.8
40.4
3.6
Durable g o o d s ..........................................................
Overtime h o u rs ...................................................
Lumber and wood p ro d u c ts ...................................
Furniture and fix tu re s ..............................................
Stone, clay, and glass p ro d u c ts ............................
Primary metal industries .........................................
Blast furnaces and basic steel p ro d u c ts ..........
Fabricated metal products .....................................
41.2
3.5
39.9
39.4
41.9
41.5
41.1
41.3
41.3
3.5
40.3
39.8
42.2
41.9
41.7
41.3
41.4
3.6
40.3
40.0
42.4
42.1
41.9
41.5
41.3
3.5
40.4
39.9
42.3
42.3
42.4
41.3
41.4
3.5
40.8
39.8
41.9
42.4
42.5
41.4
41.4
3.6
40.6
39.9
42.2
42.5
42.6
41.2
41.6
3.7
40.8
40.2
42.5
42.6
42.7
41.6
41.7
3.7
41.3
40.2
42.8
42.6
42.3
41.6
41.5
3.7
40.9
40.0
42.5
42.6
42.3
41.5
41.2
3.6
40.6
39.1
41.9
42.3
42.4
41.2
41.6
3.9
41.0
39.9
42.3
43.1
43.3
41.6
41.5
3.8
40.6
40.0
42.0
43.1
43.5
41.5
41.6
3.8
40.6
40.0
42.2
43.4
44.1
41.4
41.6
4.0
40.4
40.1
42.1
43.7
44.3
41.5
40.8
3.6
39.3
39.3
41.8
43.0
44.1
40.6
Machinery except electrical ...................................
Electrical and electronic equ ipm ent......................
Transportation equipm ent.......................................
Motor vehicles and equipm ent............................
Instruments and related products .........................
41.5
40.6
42.6
43.5
41.0
41.6
41.0
42.3
42.6
41.0
41.7
41.2
42.4
42.7
40.7
41.7
41.0
42.1
42.1
40.9
41.7
41.0
42.2
42.4
41.1
41.7
41.0
42.1
42.4
41.1
42.0
41.0
42.3
42.9
41.2
42.2
41.1
42.5
43.0
41.3
42.0
40.9
42.3
42.9
41.3
41.8
40.6
41.9
42.1
41.0
42.2
40.8
42.2
42.5
41.5
42.2
41.1
41.9
42.0
41.5
42.4
41.1
41.7
41.9
41.6
42.2
41.0
41.8
41.8
41.8
41.5
40.3
41.2
41.3
40.8
Nondurable g o o d s ..................................................
Overtime h o u rs ...................................................
Food and kindred p ro d u c ts ....................................
Textile mill p ro d u c ts ................................................
Apparel and other textile products........................
Paper and allied products ......................................
39.6
3.1
40.0
39.7
36.4
43.1
39.9
3.3
40.0
41.1
36.7
43.2
39.9
3.3
39.8
41.4
36.8
42.9
39.9
3.4
39.8
41.4
36.8
43.1
40.0
3.5
40.0
41.4
36.9
43.2
40.0
3.5
39.8
41.6
37.0
43.2
40.1
3.5
40.0
41.6
37.0
43.4
40.3
3.5
40.1
42.0
37.4
43.3
40.1
3.5
40.0
42.1
37.0
43.0
39.7
3.3
39.8
41.4
36.1
43.0
40.2
3.7
40.1
42.0
37.2
43.5
40.2
3.6
40.1
42.1
37.1
43.3
40.3
3.7
39.9
42.4
37.3
43.5
40.3
3.7
40.3
42.1
37.4
43.4
39.9
3.7
40.1
40.9
36.0
43.9
Printing and publishing............................................
Chemicals and allied products...............................
Petroleum and coal products.................................
37.8
41.9
43.0
38.0
41.9
43.8
38.0
41.8
43.5
38.0
42.0
43.7
38.0
42.3
43.8
38.0
42.1
43.6
37.9
42.2
44.6
38.1
42.2
44.0
37.9
42.0
44.1
37.7
42.2
43.9
37.9
42.1
44.3
38.1
42.0
43.3
38.1
42.2
44.4
37.9
42.4
43.1
38.1
42.8
43.0
39.5
39.2
39.1
39.1
39.2
38.9
39.0
39.2
39.0
39.0
39.2
38.8
39.2
39.2
39.2
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES
WHOLESALE T R A D E ...............................................
37.8
37.7
38.2
38.3
38.3
38.2
38.3
38.3
38.1
38.2
38.3
38.2
38.1
38.3
38.0
RETAIL TRADE ..........................................................
29.4
29.2
29.1
29.1
29.2
28.9
29.0
29.3
29.3
29.5
29.4
29.2
29.3
29.5
29.6
SERVICES ...............................................................
32.5
32.5
32.4
32.4
32.5
32.4
32.4
32.6
32.5
32.4
32.5
32.5
32.5
32.6
32.5
p = preliminary
NOTE: See "N otes on the data” for a description of the most recent
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
benchmark adjustment.
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics:
Employment Data
15. Average hourly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls by
industry
Annual
average
1986
1987
1985
1986
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
>
c
(p
Industry
Sept.p
PRIVATE SE C TO R ..................................................... $8.57
Seasonally adjusted .............................................
-
$8.76
-
$8.82
8.78
$8.82
8.82
$8.88
8.86
$8.86
8.84
$8.90
8.86
$8.92
8.88
$8.92
8.91
$8.91
8.91
$8.93
8.95
$8.92
8.94
$8.91
8.96
$8.94
9.02
$9.06
9.02
M IN IN G ..................................................................
11.98
12.44
12.52
12.50
12.57
12.63
12.66
12.56
12.51
12.43
12.42
12.44
12.31
12.35
12.48
CO NSTRUCTIO N........................................................
12.32
12.47
12.59
12.68
12.66
12.77
12.58
12.51
12.59
12.55
12.60
12.61
12.57
12.67
12.80
MANUFACTURING.....................................................
9.54
9.73
9.73
9.72
9.78
9.85
9.84
9.84
9.85
9.87
9.87
9.87
9.87
9.86
10.02
Durable goods ...........................................................
Lumber and wood p ro d u c ts ...................................
Furniture and fix tu re s ..............................................
Stone, clay, and glass p ro d u c ts ............................
Primary metal industries .........................................
Blast furnaces and basic steel p ro d u c ts ..........
Fabricated metal products .....................................
10.10
8.22
7.17
9.84
11.67
13.33
9.70
10.29
8.33
7.46
10.05
11.86
13.73
9.89
10.29
8.35
7.55
10.11
11.82
13.76
9.88
10.27
8.32
7.53
10.10
11.75
13.63
9.88
10.33
8.35
7.55
10.14
11.80
13.68
9.94
10.40
8.32
7.65
10.17
11.82
13.74
10.02
10.38
8.27
7.61
10.17
11.76
13.55
9.98
10.39
8.31
7.58
10.15
11.78
13.59
9.99
10.39
8.28
7.58
10.13
11.82
13.66
9.99
10.39
8.34
7.58
10.23
11.96
13.84
9.98
10.40
8.37
7.64
10.26
11.96
13.80
9.97
10.42
8.44
7.66
10.29
11.97
13.83
10.00
10.40
8.46
7.67
10.33
11.97
13.70
9.95
10.41
8.46
7.74
10.31
11.92
13.63
9.95
10.53
8.48
7.80
10.44
12.11
13.82
10.03
Machinery, except electrical .................................. 10.29
Electrical and electronic equipm ent......................
9.46
Transportation equipm ent....................................... 12.71
Motor vehicles and equipm ent............................ 13.39
Instruments and related products .........................
9.17
Miscellaneous m anufacturing.................................
7.30
10.59
9.65
12.81
13.45
9.47
7.54
10.61
9.70
12.82
13.42
9.54
7.58
10.58
9.67
12.82
13.42
9.56
7.57
10.62
9.73
12.88
13.44
9.63
7.62
10.67
9.82
12.96
13.56
9.65
7.69
10.64
9.84
12.93
13.58
9.64
7.69
10.68
9.84
12.88
13.49
9.67
7.68
10.72
9.84
12.86
13.49
9.67
7.66
10.70
9.82
12.80
13.40
9.67
7.67
10.70
9.83
12.85
13.42
9.69
7.72
10.76
9.84
12.88
13.47
9.70
7.74
10.74
9.89
12.83
13.36
9.74
7.72
10.77
9.90
12.90
13.42
9.79
7.71
10.84
9.96
13.12
13.74
9.84
7.78
Nondurable goods ...................................................
Food and kindred pro d u c ts ....................................
Tobacco m anufactures...........................................
Textile mill p ro d u c ts ................................................
Apparel and other textile products........................
Paper and allied products ......................................
8.71
8.57
11.96
6.70
5.73
10.83
8.94
8.74
12.85
6.93
5.84
11.18
8.96
8.65
12.29
7.02
5.91
11.23
8.96
8.69
12.14
7.02
5.87
11.25
9.02
8.79
12.67
7.05
5.87
11.27
9.07
8.88
12.93
7.10
5.90
11.34
9.09
8.90
12.97
7.10
5.94
11.26
9.08
8.91
13.44
7.11
5.93
11.26
9.09
8.93
13.80
7.12
5.93
11.27
9.14
8.95
14.28
7.12
5.94
11.37
9.13
8.96
14.53
7.13
5.89
11.40
9.11
8.91
15.57
7.15
5.91
11.41
9.16
8.88
14.85
7.14
5.89
11.48
9.11
8.81
14.10
7.17
5.90
11.41
9.32
8.95
12.97
7.24
6.04
11.71
Printing and publishing............................................
Chemicals and allied products...............................
Petroleum and coal p roducts.................................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics p ro d u c ts.....
Leather and leather products ................................
9.71
11.56
14.06
8.54
5.83
9.99
11.98
14.18
8.73
5.92
10.12
12.03
14.18
8.72
5.95
10.09
12.08
14.19
8.73
5.95
10.11
12.17
14.32
8.77
5.98
10.15
12.20
14.41
8.82
5.98
10.14
12.18
14.57
8.83
6.04
10.16
12.21
14.51
8.79
6.01
10.17
12.24
14.50
8.80
6.06
10.14
12.30
14.50
8.82
6.12
10.19
12.31
14.52
8.84
6.05
10.19
12.27
14.43
8.87
6.04
10.25
12.37
14.48
8.93
5.98
10.31
12.32
14.51
8.90
6.01
10.49
12.57
14.84
9.07
6.21
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC U T IL IT IE S ....
11.40
11.70
11.77
11.77
11.90
11.90
11.89
11.93
11.90
11.94
11.95
11.91
12.00
12.01
12.10
WHOLESALE T R A D E ...............................................
9.16
9.35
9.37
9.36
9.47
9.47
9.49
9.55
9.53
9.53
9.57
9.57
9.57
9.61
9.64
RETAIL TRADE ..........................................................
5.94
6.03
6.06
6.06
6.08
6.07
6.09
6.09
6.08
6.09
6.09
6.08
6.07
6.06
6.20
FINANCE, INSURANCE, AND REAL ES TA T E ....
7.94
8.35
8.39
8.39
8.57
8.48
8.60
8.75
8.72
8.71
8.72
8.68
8.69
8.79
8.80
SERVICES ...................................................................
7.90
8.16
8.19
8.23
8.33
8.32
8.37
8.43
8.41
8.40
8.38
8.35
8.33
8.39
8.51
- Data not available.
p = preliminary
74
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
NOTE: See “ Notes on the data” for a description of the most recent
benchmark revision.
16.
Average weekly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls by industry
Annual average
1986
1987
Industry
1985
1986
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.p
Sept.»
PRIVATE SECTOR
Current d o lla rs ........................................................ $299.09 $304.85 $306.94 $306.05 $308.14 $308.33 $306.16 $307.74 $308.63 $308.29 $310.76 $312.20 $312.74 $315.58 $314.38
Seasonally adjusted ...........................................
304.67 306.05 308.33 305.86 307.44 309.91 310.07 309.18 312.36 311.11 311.81 314.80 312.09
Constant (1977) dollars .......................................
170.42 171.07 171.47 170.88 171.86 171.87 169.52 169.74 169.48 168.28 169.17 169.21 169.14 169.76
M IN IN G ..............................................................
519.93
524.97
527.09
526.25
520.40
535.51
538.05
527.52
522.92
519.57
526.61
527.46
CO NSTRUCTIO N........................................................
464.46
466.38
484.72
480.57
462.09
469.94
467.98
460.37
470.87
469.37
485.10
480.44
MANUFACTURING
Current d o lla rs .....................................................
Constant (1977) d o lla rs .........................................
386.37
220.15
396.01
222.23
398.93
222.87
395.60
220.88
400.98
223.64
408.78
227.86
401.47
222.30
401.47
221.44
402.87
221.24
398.75
217.78
403.68
219.75
Durable goods .......................................
Lumber and wood p ro d u c ts ...................................
Furniture and fix tu re s ..............................................
Stone, clay, and glass p ro d u c ts ............................
Primary metal industries .........................................
Blast furnaces and basic steel p ro d u c ts ..........
Fabricated metal products .....................................
416.12
327.98
282.50
412.30
484.31
547.86
400.61
424.98
335.70
296.91
424.11
496.93
572.54
408.46
428.06
340.68
305.78
434.73
497.62
575.17
411.01
424.15
337.79
304.97
430.26
493.50
569.73
408.04
429.73
337.34
303.51
423.85
500.32
580.03
413.50
439.92
337.79
314.42
427.14
508.26
589.45
422.84
430.77
331.63
302.88
421.04
500.98
575.88
414.17
431.19
337.39
299.41
423.26
503.01
577.58
413.59
432.22
337.00
301.68
425.46
505.90
581.92
414.59
427.03
338.60
294.10
430.68
508.30
593.74
408.18
Machinery, except electrical ..................................
Electrical and electronic equ ipm ent......................
Transportation equipm ent.......................................
Motor vehicles and equipm ent............................
Instruments and related products .........................
Miscellaneous m anufacturing.................................
427.04
384.08
541.45
582.47
375.97
287.62
440.54
395.65
541.86
572.97
388.27
298.58
442.44
400.61
542.29
570.35
389.23
299.41
439.07
396.47
537.16
562.30
389.09
301.29
444.98
402.82
546.11
568.51
398.68
305.56
456.68
413.42
562.46
595.28
407.23
309.14
446.88
404.42
549.53
585.30
397.17
303.76
449.63
402.46
546.11
577.37
399.37
301.06
452.38
402.46
547.84
582.77
401.31
301.04
Nondurable goods ...................................................
Food and kindred p ro d u c ts ....................................
Tobacco m anufactures...........................................
Textile mill p ro d u c ts ................................................
Apparel and other textile products........................
Paper and allied products ......................................
344.92
342.80
444.91
265.99
208.57
466.77
356.71
349.60
480.59
284.82
214.33
482.98
359.30
349.46
470.71
293.44
217.49
485.14
358.40
347.60
473.46
292.03
216.60
484.88
363.51
353.36
481.46
294.69
218.36
489.12
368.24
357.86
483.58
299.62
220.66
500.09
362.69
354.22
481.19
293.94
218.59
488.68
362.29
351.05
486.53
295.78
220.00
484.18
Printing and publishing............................................
Chemicals and allied products...............................
Petroleum and coal p roducts.................................
Rubber and miscellaneous
plastics pro d u cts....................................................
Leather and leather products ................................
367.04
484.36
604.58
379.62
501.96
621.08
387.60
502.85
625.34
384.43
504.94
622.94
387.21
516.01
630.08
392.81
519.72
628.28
381.26
514.00
645.45
350.99
216.88
360.55
218.45
362.75
218.37
362.30
218.96
365.71
221.86
373.09
227.84
367.33
225.29
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC
U T IL IT IE S ..................................................................
450.30
458.64
461.38
460.21
467.67
465.29
457.77
WHOLESALE T R A D E ...............................................
351.74
359.04
358.87
359.42
363.65
363.65
361.57
RETAIL TRADE ....................................................
174.64
176.08
176.35
175.74
176.32
178.46
172.35
174.78
FINANCE, INSURANCE, AND REAL
ESTATE ....................................................................
289.02
303.94
303.72
305.40
312.81
309.52
312.18
318.50
316.54
316.17
316.54
SERVICES ...............................................................
256.75
265.20
265.36
266.65
269.89
269.57
269.51
273.13
272.48
271.32
271.51
- Data not available.
p = preliminary
518.25
526.11
520.42
485.20
489.06
464.64
405.66
219.87
400.72
216.72
403.27
216.93
406.81
-
431.60
345.68
301.78
439.13
514.28
598.92
412.76
434.51
348.57
306.40
437.33
517.10
605.75
417.00
426.40
341.78
300.66
439.03
514.71
602.80
405.96
429.93
344.32
311.92
439.21
514.94
596.99
410.94
431.73
337.50
310.44
442.66
520.73
608.08
408.22
445.12
395.75
536.32
566.82
394.54
297.60
449.40
399.10
542.27
571.69
399.23
302.62
455.15
404.42
539.67
567.09
402.55
304.18
447.86
399.56
526.03
549.10
398.37
299.54
450.19
403.92
528.90
546.19
405.31
303.77
449.86
402.38
539.23
564.71
401.47
305.75
363.60
352.74
525.78
299.04
219.41
483.48
361.03
351.74
536.93
291.21
212.65
486.64
366.11
359.30
571.03
298.75
219.11
493.62
367.13
357.29
624.36
303.16
221.03
494.05
366.40
354.31
527.18
297.02
217.93
495.94
368.04
358.57
513.24
303.29
220.66
492.91
373.73
364.27
457.84
299.01
217.44
517.58
384.05
514.04
629.73
386.46
515.30
636.55
381.26
519.06
635.10
384.16
518.25
637.43
384.16
516.57
624.82
387.45
518.30
645.81
392.81
518.67
628.28
402.82
538.00
647.02
364.79
223.57
365.20
227.25
360.74
224.60
366.86
233.53
370.77
237.37
366.13
230.83
369.35
233.19
372.78
223.56
465.27
462.91
463.27
466.05
465.68
472.80
474.40
475.53
361.95
361.19
363.09
366.53
367.49
366.53
369.02
367.28
175.71
177.83
178.44
179.97
182.10
183.01
183.52
315.95
314.58
320.84
316.80
272.21
273.22
276.87
275.72
NOTE: See “ Notes on the data” for a description of the most recent benchmark
revision.
17. The Hourly Earnings Index for production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls by
industry
Not seasonally adjusted
Industry
PRIVATE SECTOR (in current d o lla rs )............................
C o nstruction........................................................................
Manufacturing .....................................................................
Transportation and public u tilitie s ...................................
Retail trade .........................................................................
PRIVATE SECTOR [in constant (1977) dollars] ...........
Sept.
1986
July
1987
Aug.
1987p
170.1
172.7
173.2
175.0
181.8
153.8
172.3
172.2
172.9
159.5
180.4
175.4
181 8
153.5
174 9
175.4
176.6
160.3
186.8
179.1
182 0
154 7
174 5
175.8
177 3
160.4
189.1
180 3
183 7
156 2
176 5
177.5
177 9
163 0
189 0
182 4
95.0
93.4
93.2
1 This series is not seasonally adjusted because the seasonal component is small
relative to the trend-cycle, irregular components, or both, and consequently cannot
be separated with sufficient precision.
- Data not available.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Seasonally adjusted
Sept.
1987»
Sept.
1986
Aug.
1987p
Sept.
1987p
May
1987
June
1987
July
1987
169 8
172.9
172.9
173.2
174.1
174.7
151 9
172 7
171.7
154 1
174 4
176.2
155 0
174.7
175.6
154.3
174.7
176.4
154.7
175.3
176.7
154.4
176.9
176.8
159.0
160 2
160.3
160.9
161.5
162.5
174 7
179 9
179 9
180 5
182.3
181.7
95.0
94.0
93.8
93.7
93.7
p = preliminary,
NOTE: See “ Notes on the data” for a description of the most recent benchmark
revision.
75
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
18.
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics: Employment Data
Indexes of diffusion: industries in which employment increased, data seasonally adjusted
(In percent)
Jan.
Time span and year
Feb.
Apr.
Mar.
June
May
Sept.
Aug.
July
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Over
1985
1986
1987
1-month span:
..............................................................................
..............................................................................
..............................................................................
55.9
53.2
53.5
47.0
48.1
56.8
52.4
48.1
58.6
47.3
53.5
58.4
53.2
52.4
58.6
46.8
46.8
55.7
53.8
52.4
68.6
53.8
56.2
53.0
47.8
55.1
64.9
53.2
53.2
54.3
59.7
57.3
59.7
-
-
-
Over
1985
1986
1987
3-month span:
..............................................................................
..............................................................................
..............................................................................
51.1
49.7
58.6
48.4
44.9
59.5
42.4
45.7
61.1
46.5
48.4
61.6
44.3
47.6
61.4
49.7
45.4
67.3
47.0
48.4
64.9
48.6
55.1
72.4
45.9
55.9
47.6
58.1
55.1
58.6
56.5
60.3
-
-
Over
1985
1986
1987
6-month span:
..............................................................................
..............................................................................
..............................................................................
46.5
47.6
61.9
46.5
47.6
62.7
43.2
43.0
58.9
44.3
43.2
67.3
44.3
45.4
66.5
45.1
48.4
71.9
43.0
47.3
44.3
53.0
49.2
59.2
49.2
58.9
47.3
57.8
45.9
58.9
_
_
_
-
-
-
Over 12-month span:
1985 ..............................................................................
1986 ..............................................................................
1987
..........................................................................
44.6
43.2
62.2
44.1
44.1
65.1
43.8
46.2
67.3
40.8
45.7
41.6
47.8
41.6
49.5
42.2
49.5
42.4
51.6
43.8
54.9
44.3
52.2
44.1
55.1
42.4
56.5
_
_
_
-
-
-
-
_
- Data not available.
NOTE: Figures are the percent of industries with employment rising. (Half of
the unchanged components are counted as rising.) Data are centered within the
19.
_
-
spans. Data for the 2 most recent months shown in each span are preliminary.
See the “ Definitions” in this section. See “ Notes on the data" for a description of
the most recent benchmark revision.
Annual data: Employment status of the noninstitutional population
(Numbers in thousands)
Employment status
1978
1979
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1985
1986
Noninstitutional pop ulation........................................
163,541
166,460
169,349
171,775
173,939
175,891
178,080
179,912
182,293
Labor fprce:
Total (num ber)........................................................
Percent of pop ulation...........................................
103,882
63.5
106,559
64.0
108,544
64.1
110,315
64.2
111,872
64.3
113,226
64.4
115,241
64.7
117,167
65.1
119,540
65.6
Employed:
Total (number) .................................................
Percent of population .....................................
Resident Armed F o rc e s ...............................
Civilian
97,679
59.7
1,631
100,421
60.3
1,597
100,907
59.6
1,604
102,042
59.4
1,645
101,194
58.2
1,668
102,510
58.3
1,676
106,702
59.9
1,697
108,856
60.5
1,706
111,303
61.1
1,706
Nonagricultural industries.......................
96,048
3,387
92,661
98,824
3,347
95,477
99,303
3,364
95,938
100,397
3,368
97,030
99,526
3,401
96,125
100,834
3,383
97,450
105,005
3,321
101,685
107,150
3,179
103,971
109,597
3,163
106,434
Unemployed:
Total (num ber)................................................
Percent of labor fo r c e ...................................
6,202
6.0
6,137
5.8
7,637
7.0
8,273
7.5
10,678
9.5
10,717
9.5
8,539
7.4
8,312
7.1
8,237
6.9
Not in labor force (number) ...................................
59,659
59,900
60,806
61,460
62,067
62,665
62,839
62,744
62,752
20.
Annual data: Employment levels by industry
(Numbers in thousands)
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
Total em plo ym en t...........................................................................
Private s e c to r................................................................................
Goods-producing .......................................................................
M in in g .....................................................................................
Construction .........................................................................
M anufacturing.......................................................................
86,697
71,026
25,585
851
4,229
20,505
89,823
73,876
26,461
958
4,463
21,040
90,406
74,166
25,658
1,027
4,346
20,285
91,156
75,126
25,497
1,139
4,188
20,170
89,566
73,729
23,813
1,128
3,905
18,781
90,200
74,330
23,334
952
3,948
18,434
94,496
78,472
24,727
966
4,383
19,378
97,519
81,125
24,859
927
4,673
19,260
99,610
82,900
24,681
783
4,904
18,994
Service-producing......................................................................
Transportation and public u tilitie s ......................................
Wholesale trade ....................................................................
Retail trade ............................................................................
Finance, insurance, and real estate ..................................
S e rvices..................................................................................
61,113
4,923
4,969
14,573
4,724
16,252
63,363
5,136
5,204
14,989
4,975
17,112
64,748
5,146
5,275
15,035
5,160
17,890
65,659
5,165
5,358
15,189
5,298
18,619
65,753
5,082
5,278
15,179
5,341
19,036
66,866
4,954
5,268
15,613
5,468
19,694
69,769
5,159
5,555
16,545
5,689
20,797
72,660
5,238
5,717
17,356
5,955
22,000
74,930
5,244
b, /y b
17,845
6,297
23,099
G overnm ent............................................ ..............................
15,672
2,753
3,474
9,446
15,947
2,773
3,541
9,633
16,241
2,866
3,610
9,765
16,031
2,772
3,640
9,619
15,837
2,739
3,640
9,458
15,869
2,774
3,662
9,434
16,024
2,807
3,734
9,482
16,394
2,875
3,832
9,687
16,711
2,899
3,888
9,923
Industry
Local .................................................................................
NOTE:
Digitized for
76 FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
See “ Notes on the data” for a description of the most
recent benchmark revision.
21. Annual data: Average hours and earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on nonagricultural
payrolls, by industry
Industry
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
35.8
5.69
203.70
35.7
6.16
219.91
35.3
6.66
235.10
35.2
7.25
255.20
34.8
7.68
267.26
35.0
8.02
280.70
35.2
8.32
292.86
34.9
8.57
299.09
34.8
8.76
304.85
43.4
7.67
332.88
43.0
8.49
365.07
43.3
9.17
397.06
43.7
10.04
438.75
42.7
10.77
459.88
42.5
11.28
479.40
43.3
11.63
503.58
43.4
11.98
519.93
42.2
12.44
524.97
36.8
8.66
318.69
37.0
9.27
342.99
37.0
9.94
367.78
36.9
10.82
399.26
36.7
11.63
426.82
37.1
11.94
442.97
37.8
12.13
458.51
37.7
12.32
464.46
37.4
12.47
466.38
40.4
6.17
249.27
40.2
6.70
269.34
39.7
7.27
288.62
39.8
7.99
318.00
38.9
8.49
330.26
40.1
8.83
354.08
40.7
9.19
374.03
40.5
9.54
386.37
40.7
9.73
396.01
40.0
7.57
302.80
39.9
8.16
325.58
39.6
8.87
351.25
39.4
9.70
382.18
39.0
10.32
402.48
39.0
10.79
420.81
39.4
11.12
438.13
39.5
11.40
450.30
39.2
11.70
458.64
38.8
5.88
228.14
38.8
6.39
247.93
38.5
6.96
267.96
38.5
7.56
291.06
38.3
8.09
309.85
38.5
8.55
329.18
38.5
8.89
342.27
38.4
9.16
351.74
38.4
9.35
359.04
31.0
4.20
130.20
30.6
4.53
138.62
30.2
4.88
147.38
30.1
5.25
158.03
29.9
5.48
163.85
29.8
5.74
171.05
29.8
5.85
174.33
29.4
5.94
174.64
29.2
6.03
176.08
36.4
4.89
178.00
36.2
5.27
190.77
36.2
5.79
209.60
36.3
6.31
229.05
36.2
6.78
245.44
36.2
7.29
263.90
36.5
7.63
278.50
36.4
7.94
289.02
36.4
8.35
303.94
32.8
4.99
163.67
32.7
5.36
175.27
32.6
5.85
190.71
32.6
6.41
208.97
32.6
6.92
225.59
32.7
7.31
239.04
32.6
7.59
247.43
32.5
7.90
256.75
32.5
8.16
265.20
P riv a te s e c to r
Average weekly h o u rs ...............................................
Average hourly earnings (in d ollars)........................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars) ........................
M in in g
Average weekly hours .................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) .................................
Average weekly earnings (in d o lla rs ).................................
C o n s tr u c tio n
Average weekly hours ..................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ...........................
Average weekly earnings (in d o lla rs )..................................
M a n u fa c tu r in g
Average weekly hours ..........................................................
Average hourly earnings (in d o lla rs )...................................
Average weekly earnings (in d o lla rs )..................................
T r a n s p o r t a t io n a n d p u b lic u tilitie s
Average weekly hours .........................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ...................................
Average weekly earnings (in d o lla rs )..................................
W h o le s a le t r a d e
Average weekly hours ....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ...................................
Average weekly earnings (in d o lla rs )...............................
R e ta il t r a d e
Average weekly hours ................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ...................................
Average weekly earnings (in d o lla rs )................................
F in a n c e , in s u r a n c e , a n d r e a l e s ta te
Average weekly hours ..........................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ................................
Average weekly earnings (in d o lla rs )..................................
S e r v ic e s
Average weekly hours .................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ...................................
Average weekly earnings (in d o lla rs )........................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
22.
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics: Compensation and Industrial Relations Data
Employment Cost Index, compensation,1 by occupation and industry group
(June 1981 =100)
1987
1986
1985
Percent change
Series
12
months
ended
Mar.
133.0
133.8
135.0
135.9
137.5
1.2
3.4
134.2
126.8
133.7
136.0
127.8
135.4
136.9
128.4
136.6
138.5
129.1
138.0
139.3
130.1
138.5
141.2
131.3
139.9
1.4
.9
1.0
3.8
2.7
3.3
128.1
128.7
133.7
139.4
138.0
132.8
128.8
129.3
135.6
142.4
140.6
134.6
129.5
130.1
136.5
143.6
141.6
135.4
130.2
130.7
138.1
145.2
144.1
136.9
131.1
131.5
138.9
145.8
144.7
137.8
132.2
132.7
140.8
149.2
146.4
139.6
.8
.9
1.4
2.3
1.3
1.7
1.2
1.3
2.6
2.6
3.8
4.8
4.3
4.6
4.1
3.7
128.9
129.9
130.8
131.6
132.9
133.8
135.1
1.0
3.3
129.8
-
131.3
-
132.5
-
133.5
-
134.3
-
136.1
-
137.0
-
138.5
-
1.1
1.4
1.4
.0
3.7
3.9
4.8
1.5
125.7
127.2
132.3
-
-
-
1 .1
130.9
126.3
131.1
-
128.8
124.4
129.5
127.8
133.5
128.4
134.7
129.5
135.2
130.6
135.9
3.9
2.7
2.8
2.7
2.6
2.2
2.7
124.6
125.5
125.3
126.0
126.7
127.7
127.8
128.7
128.6
129.3
129.2
130.1
129.9
130.7
130.8
131.5
131.9
132.7
Mar.
128.4
129.2
130.6
131.5
130.7
124.4
130.9
131.6
124.9
131.8
133.1
126.2
133.1
124.9
125.5
130.7
136.4
134.2
129.7
125.5
126.0
131.5
137.1
134.8
130.6
126.9
127.7
132.9
138.8
136.8
131.9
126.8
127.5
128.8
-
June
Sept.
June
Sept.
3
months
ended
Dec.
Dec.
Sept.
Sept. 1987
Civilian w o rke rs 2 ..........................................................................
Workers, by occupational group:
White-collar workers .................................................................
Blue-collar w o rkers....................................................................
Service occupations..................................................................
Workers, by industry division:
G oods-producing.........................................................................
Manufacturing ............................................................................
Service-producing .......................................................................
S e rvices.....................................................................................
Health se rvice s......................................................................
H o spitals.................................................................................
Public administration 3 .............................................................
Nonmanufacturing.......................................................................
Private in d u stry w o rk e r s ..........................................................
Workers, by occupational group:
White-collar w o rke rs...............................................................
Professional specialty and technical occupations ..........
Executive, administrative, and managerial occupations
Sales occupations.................................................................
Administrative support occupations, including
clerical ...................................................................................
Blue-collar w o rk e rs .................................................................
Precision production, craft, and repair o ccup ation.........
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ............
Transportation and material moving occupations...........
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ....
Service occup ations...............................................................
Workers, by industry division:
Goods-producing......................................................................
Construction ............................................................................
M anufacturing..........................................................................
Durables ..........................................................................................................................
Nondurables...........................................................................
Service-producing ......................................................................................................
Transportation and public utilities .............................................................
T ransportation ............................................................................................................
Public u tilitie s ..............................................................................................................
Wholesale and retail tra d e .............................................................................
Wholesale trade ......................................................................................................
Retail trade ..................................................................................................................
Finance, insurance, and real e s ta te ....................................
S e rv ic e ................................................................................................................................
Health se rvice s .........................................................................................................
Hospitals .......................................................................................................................
-
124.0
-
.8
1.1
.5
.7
.9
.5
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1.1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1.7
2.6
3.1
2.6
2.3
3.3
3.8
2.7
2.2
3.4
3.3
4.3
2.8
2.7
5.2
4.3
4.7
...................................................................................................
127.6
128.4
129.7
130.6
131.7
132.4
134.1
135.1
136.4
1.0
3.6
State and local gove rnm ent w o rkers ...................................................
Workers, by occupational group:
White-collar w o rk e rs ..............................................................................................
Blue-collar w o rk e rs .................................................................................................
Workers, by industry division:
Services ...................................................................................
Hospitals and other services4 ...........................................
Health se rv ic e s ...................................................................
Schools .................................................................................
Elementary and secon dary.............................................
Public administration3 .............................................................
136.5
137.5
138.9
139.7
143.6
144.7
145.9
146.3
149.7
2.3
4.2
137.6
131.9
138.6
132.7
140.0
134.7
140.5
136.3
145.0
138.5
146.0
139.5
147.2
140.8
147.5
141.3
151.2
143.3
2.5
1.4
4.3
3.5
137.9
134.1
139.1
140.9
134.2
139.1
135.2
140.4
136.8
140.8
137.9
145.5
139.4
146.6
141.1
147.3
142.5
147.6
143.3
151.8
145.1
154.1
156.5
146.4
2.8
1.3
2.1
3.4
3.8
1.2
4.3
4.1
4.4
4.4
4.8
4.1
Nonmanufacturing
-
-
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
128.7
129.4
130.8
131.6
132.7
133.5
135.3
136.3
137.7
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
140.3
142.0
134.8
141.5
143.0
136.8
141.7
143.2
138.0
147.6
149.4
140.6
148.4
150.3
141.6
148.9
150.5
144.1
149.1
150.7
144.7
' Cost (cents per hour worked) measured in the Employment Cost Index
consists of wages, salaries, and employer cost of employee benefits.
2
Consist of private industry workers (excluding farm and household workers)
and State and local government (excluding Federal Government) workers.
78
-
-
.8
.8
.9
.7
1.3
1.0
.5
.2
1.0
.5
.6
.5
.3
2.0
3 Consist of legislative, judicial, administrative, and regulatory
4 Includes, for example, library, social, and health services.
- Data not available.
activities.
23.
Employment Cost Index, wages and salaries, by occupation and industry group
(June 1981 = 100)
1985
1986
1987
Percent change
Series
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
3
months
ended
12
months
ended
Sept 1987
Civilian w o rkers ' ..........................................................................
Workers, by occupational group:
White-collar workers .................................................................
Blue-collar w o rkers....................................................................
Service occupations..................................................................
Workers, by industry division
Goods-producing.........................................................................
Manufacturing ............................................................................
Service-producing .......................................................................
Services ...................................................................................
Health se rvices......................................................................
H ospitals.................................................................................
Public administration 2 ...........................................................
Nonmanufacturing .....................................................................
Private in d u stry w o r k e r s ......................................................
Workers, by occupational group:
White-collar w o rk e rs ............................................................
Professional specialty and technical occup ations......
Executive, administrative, and managerial
occupations ......................................................................
Sales occupations.............................................................
Administrative support occupations, including
c le ric a l...............................................................................
Blue-collar w o rk e rs ..............................................................
Precision production, craft, and repair
occupations.....................................................................
Machine operators, assemblers, and in spectors........
Transportation and material moving occupations.......
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and
la b o re rs.............................................................................
Service occupations ...........................................................
Workers, by industry division:
Goods-producing ...................................................................
Construction .........................................................................
M anufacturing.......................................................................
D u rab les.............................................................................
Nondurables.......................................................................
Service-producing..................................................................
T ra n s p o rta tio n an d public utilities .........................................
Transportation ..................................................................
Public utilities....................................................................
Wholesale and retail tra d e ..............................................
Wholesale trade ............................................................
Retail tra d e ......................................................................
Finance, insurance, and real e s ta te ..............................
S e rvices..............................................................................
Health services ................................................................
H o spitals..........................................................................
Nonmanufacturing................................................................
................................
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar w o rk e rs ............................................................
Blue-collar w o rk e rs ..............................................................
Workers, by industry division
Services ................................................................................
Hospitals and other services 3 .......................................
Health services ................................................................
S ch o o ls...............................................................................
Elementary and secondary ..........................................
Public administration 2 ........................................................
S t a t e a n d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n t w o r k e r s
126.3
127.0
128.3
129.3
130.7
131.5
132.8
133.5
135.2
1.3
3.4
128.8
122.0
128.0
129.8
122.3
128.6
131.2
123.4
129.8
132.4
124.1
130.0
134.1
125.0
131.7
135.0
125.6
132.8
136.6
126.2
134.2
137.3
127.1
134.7
139.4
128.3
136.0
1.5
.9
1.0
4.0
2.6
3.3
122.5
123.2
128.6
134.2
131.4
127.6
123.1
123.8
129.4
134.8
132.0
128.4
124.4
125.3
130.7
136.4
133.8
129.6
125.6
126.5
131.5
137.0
134.6
130.4
126.3
127.2
133.4
139.9
137.5
132.2
127.0
127.9
134.2
141.1
138.1
133.0
127.8
128.7
135.8
142.7
140.5
134.5
128.5
129.5
136.5
143.4
141.0
135.2
129.8
130.8
138.5
146.8
_
142.6
137.1
1.0
1.0
1.5
2.4
1.5
1.8
1.1
1.4
2.8
2.8
3.8
4.9
4.7
4.9
3.7
3.7
124.9
125.6
126.8
127.9
128.8
129.5
130.8
131.7
133.0
1.0
3.3
127.3
131.2
128.3
131.5
129.6
132.7
131.1
134.0
132.0
135.4
132.7
136.4
134.6
138.4
135.4
139.1
137.0
141.2
1.2
1.5
3.8
4.3
127.7
119.3
128.4
122.5
130.5
122.4
132.1
124.3
132.4
125.2
133.5
124.9
135.6
126.7
136.4
127.1
138.6
127.0
1.6
-.1
4.7
1.4
127.1
127.9
129.6
130.8
131.7
132.7
134.3
135.5
137.1
1.2
4.1
-
121.7
122.0
123.1
123.7
124.5
125.1
125.6
126.6
127.7
.9
2.6
123.7
121.1
117.7
123.8
121.6
117.8
125.3
122.6
118.0
125.7
123.6
118.9
126.7
124.1
119.8
127.4
124.9
120.1
127.9
125.5
120.5
128.8
126.7
121.5
130.2
127.5
122.3
1.1
.6
.7
2.8
2.7
2.1
118.6
126.3
119.8
126.6
120.0
128.0
120.3
128.0
120.9
128.9
121.4
130.1
121.9
131.4
122.6
131.9
123.7
132.6
.9
.5
2.3
2.9
122.3
117.3
123.2
122.7
124.0
127.0
124.8
122.7
127.7
120.8
124.1
133.9
-
122.9
117.9
123.8
123.4
124.6
127.8
125.2
123.7
128.3
121.9
126.5
134.1
-
124.2
118.3
125.3
124.8
126.1
129.0
126.3
124.5
129.7
122.5
126.6
136.2
-
125.4
119.8
126.5
125.8
127.9
129.9
126.6
125.8
131.2
123.7
128.0
136.9
-
126.1
120.5
127.2
126.4
128.5
130.9
127.3
-
126.8
120.8
127.9
127.2
129.3
131.6
127.5
-
127.5
121.7
128.7
127.7
130.5
133.4
128.1
-
128.3
122.7
129.5
128.7
131.0
134.3
129.3
_
129.6
123.8
130.8
129.7
132.8
135.7
130.0
-
126.5
131.8
124.4
129.0
138.2
-
126.9
133.1
124.5
130.0
139.5
-
127.9
134.8
125.2
133.5
141.8
-
129.9
137.2
127.1
131.5
142.8
_
130.6
137.8
127.8
131.8
145.9
_
1.0
.9
1.0
.8
1.4
1.0
.5
.4
.6
.5
.4
.6
.2
2.2
1.4
1.8
2.8
2.7
2.8
2.6
3.3
3.7
2.1
1.6
2.8
3.2
4.6
2.7
2.2
5.6
5.0
5.3
1.1
3.5
-
-
125.9
126.6
127.7
128.7
129.7
130.4
-
-
-
131.9
132.8
134.2
133.2
134.2
135.5
136.0
140.4
141.4
142.5
142.8
146.1
2.3
4.1
134.3
127.9
135.3
128.4
136.6
130.4
137.0
131.9
141.8
134.5
142.8
135.1
143.9
136.3
144.1
136.9
147.7
139.0
2.5
1.5
4.2
3.3
134.5
130.2
135.8
137.5
131.4
135.6
130.9
137.0
138.5
132.0
136.8
132.4
138.0
139.4
133.8
137.1
133.3
138.2
139.4
134.6
142.1
135.8
144.1
145.7
137.5
143.3
137.3
145.1
146.4
138.1
143.9
138.6
145.5
146.5
140.5
144.2
139.4
_
145.6
146.6
141.0
148.2
141.2
_
2.8
1.3
1.9
3.2
3.7
1.1
4.3
4.0
3.8
4.3
4.3
3.7
1 Consists of private industry workers (excluding farm and household workers)
and State and local government (excluding Federal Government) workers.
2 Consists of legislative, judicial, administrative, and regulatory activities.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
-
150.3
152.0
142.6
3 Includes, for example, library, social and health services,
- Data not available.
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
C u r r e n t L a b o r S ta tis tic s :
C o m p e n s a tio n a n d I n d u s tr ia l R e la tio n s D a ta
24. Employment Cost Index, private nonfarm workers, by bargaining status, region, and area size
(June 1981 = 100)
1985
1986
1987
Percent change
Series
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
3
months
ended
12
months
ended
Sept. 1987
C O M P E N S A T IO N
W o r k e r s , b y b a r g a in in g s ta tu s '
Union .............................................................................................
Goods-producing .......................................................................
Service-producing......................................................................
Manufacturing ............................................................................
N onm anufacturing.....................................................................
126.5
124.6
129.5
125.0
127.8
127.1
125.2
130.2
125.5
128.6
128.4
126.4
131.6
127.0
129.7
128.7
126.7
131.9
126.9
130.4
129.4
127.3
132.8
127.5
131.2
129.8
127.5
133.4
127.9
131.5
130.5
128.0
134.4
128.0
132.6
131.2
128.7
135.2
128.7
133.5
132.0
129.5
135.9
129.5
134.3
0.6
.6
.5
.6
.6
2.0
1.7
2.3
1.6
2.4
N o nunion.......................................................................................
Goods-producing .......................................................................
Service-producing......................................................................
Manufacturing ............................................................................
Nonmanufacturing .....................................................................
126.8
124.4
128.3
125.7
127.3
127.5
125.1
129.0
126.3
128.1
129.0
126.7
130.4
128.1
129.5
130.2
128.2
131.4
129.7
130.4
131.2
129.1
132.5
130.4
131.6
132.1
130.0
133.4
131.4
132.5
133.6
130.8
135.3
132.2
134.3
134.6
131.8
136.4
133.2
135.3
136.1
133.1
137.9
134.6
136.8
1.1
1.0
1.1
1.1
1.1
3.7
3.1
4.1
3.2
4.0
128.8
126.5
124.2
129.1
129.9
127.2
124.6
129.8
131.6
128.7
125.9
130.8
133.3
129.6
126.2
131.6
134.2
130.7
127.3
132.1
135.2
131.4
128.1
132.8
137.4
132.1
129.1
134.1
138.6
133.2
130.2
134.2
140.3
134.2
131.2
135.8
1.2
.8
.8
1.2
4.5
2.7
3.1
2.8
127.3
123.9
128.1
123.9
129.5
125.5
130.5
126.4
131.4
127.2
132.2
127.9
133.5
129.0
134.4
130.2
135.8
131.3
1.0
.8
3.3
3.2
Union .............................................................................................
G oods-producing.......................................................................
Service-producing......................................................................
Manufacturing ............................................................................
Nonm anufacturing.....................................................................
124.1
122.2
127.1
122.8
125.3
124.7
122.7
127.8
123.3
125.9
125.6
123.4
129.0
124.2
126.9
126.1
124.1
129.3
124.6
127.4
126.9
124.5
130.5
125.0
128.5
127.2
124.8
130.9
125.5
128.7
127.7
125.0
131.7
125.6
129.5
128.3
125.8
132.2
126.2
130.1
129.1
126.5
132.9
127.0
130.8
.6
.6
.5
.6
.5
1.7
1.6
1.8
1.6
1.8
N o nunion...............................................................................
G oods-producing.......................................................................
Service-producing......................................................................
Manufacturing ............................................................................
Nonmanufacturing .....................................................................
125.2
122.3
126.9
123.7
125.9
125.9
123.0
127.7
124.4
126.6
127.3
124.5
128.9
126.1
127.8
128.5
126.1
129.9
127.7
128.9
129.4
127.0
130.8
128.5
129.8
130.3
127.8
131.7
129.5
130.6
131.8
128.8
133.6
130.6
132.4
132.8
129.6
134.6
131.5
133.4
134.3
131.1
136.2
133.0
134.9
1.1
1.2
1.2
1.1
1.1
3.8
3.2
4.1
3.5
3.9
126.8
124.8
122.5
126.6
128.1
125.4
122.9
127.1
129.2
126.8
124.2
128.1
131.3
127.8
124.4
128.9
132.3
128.8
125.3
129.3
133.1
129.4
126.2
130.1
135.4
130.1
127.4
131.2
136.6
131.1
128.5
131.1
138.3
132.1
129.6
133.1
1.2
.8
.9
1.5
4.5
2.6
3.4
2.9
125.5
121.9
126.3
122.0
127.4
123.6
128.5
124.5
129.4
125.0
130.2
125.6
131.6
126.6
132.4
127.8
133.7
129.1
1.0
1.0
3.3
3.3
W o r k e r s , b y r e g io n
1
N ortheast.......................................................................................
South .............................................................................................
Midwest (formerly North C e ntral)..............................................
W e s t...............................................................................................
W o r k e r s , b y a r e a s iz e 1
Metropolitan a re a s .......................................................................
Other a re a s ...................................................................................
W A G E S A N D S A L A R IE S
W o r k e r s , b y b a r g a in in g s ta tu s 1
W o r k e r s , b y r e g io n '
N ortheast......................................................................................
South ....................................................................................
Midwest (formerly North C e ntral)..............................................
W e s t...................................................................................
W o rk e rs , b y a r e a s iz e '
Metropolitan a re a s ...............................................................
Other a re a s ..................................................................
1 The indexes are calculated differently from those for the occupation and
industry groups. For a detailed description of the index calculation, see the
80
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
L a b o r R e v ie w Technical
Employment Cost Index,” May 1982.
M o n th ly
Note,
“ Estimation
procedures
for
the
25. Specified compensation and wage adjustments from contract settlements, and effective wage adjustments, private
industry collective bargaining situations covering 1,000 workers or more (in percent)
Annual average
Measure
Quarterly average
1985
1985
1986
1987p
1986
IV
I
II
III
IV
I
II
III
S p e c if ie d a d ju s tm e n ts :
Total compensation 1 adjustments, 2 settlements
covering 5,000 workers or more:
First year of contract ...............................................
Annual rate over life of contract ............................
2.6
2.7
1.1
1.6
2.0
1.4
0.6
1.2
0.7
1.6
0.7
1.2
2.7
2.4
1.7
2.4
4.1
3.9
2.5
2.1
Wage adjustments, settlements covering 1,000
workers or more:
First year of contract ...............................................
Annual rate over life of contract ............................
2.3
2.7
1.2
1.8
2.1
1.9
.8
1.5
1.3
2.0
.8
1.5
2.0
2.1
1.2
1.8
2.6
2.9
2.1
2.0
3.3
.7
2.3
.5
.5
.1
.6
.7
.2
.5
.1
.5
.2
.4
(4)
(4)
1.0
.1
.9
.2
1.8
.7
1.7
.2
.2
.1
.4
.2
.6
.5
n
(4)
.2
.1
.3
.1
.7
.2
.6
.1
E f f e c t iv e a d ju s tm e n ts :
Total effective wage adjustm ent3 ............................
From settlements reached in period .....................
Deferred from settlements reached in earlier
p erio ds.......................................................................
From cost-of-living-adjustments c la u s e s ..............
' Compensation includes wages, salaries, and employers' cost of employee
benefits when contract is negotiated.
2 Adjustments are the net result of increases, decreases, and no changes in
compensation or wages.
3 Because of rounding, total may not equal sum of parts.
4 Between -0.0 5 and 0.05 percent.
p = preliminary.
26. Average specified compensation and wage adjustments, major collective bargaining settlements in private
industry situations covering 1,000 workers or more during 4-quarter periods (in percent)
Average for four quarters endingMeasure
1985
1986
IV
I
II
1987p
III
IV
I
II
III
Specified total compensation adjustments, settlements covering 5,000
workers or more, all industries:
First year of c o n tra c t......................................................................
Annual rate over life of c o n tra c t................................................................
2.6
2.7
2.3
2.5
1.4
2.0
0.9
1.4
1.1
1.6
1.2
1.7
1.9
2.1
2.8
2.6
2.3
1.6
2.7
2.7
2.5
2.8
2.0
1.6
2.2
2.5
2.5
2.5
1.6
1.8
1.5
2.2
2.5
2.1
1.2
2.2
.8
1.7
2.0
1.6
1.2
1.9
.9
1.8
1.7
1.8
1.2
2.0
.9
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.5
1.8
1.4
2.0
1.7
2.2
2.1
2.1
2.0
2.2
1.7
2.6
.8
.8
.9
1.8
2.1
1.6
.8
.8
.9
1.8
2.1
1.5
.1
.7
-.4
1.4
2.0
.9
-1.0
1.1
-2.0
.3
1.1
-.1
-1.2
1.3
-2.8
.2
.9
-.2
-1.6
1.3
-3.5
(2)
.8
-.6
-.9
1.3
-2.9
.2
.8
-.3
1.1
2.2
-.2
1.0
1.0
1.1
3.3
3.6
3.3
3.3
3.6
3.3
2.8
3.5
2.7
3.0
3.6
2.8
2.6
3.4
2.4
2.8
3.3
2.6
2.1
2.7
1.9
2.3
2.5
2.2
2.0
2.1
2.0
2.3
2.1
2.4
2.2
2.2
2.2
2.4
2.2
2.6
2.3
2.1
2.4
2.6
2.2
2.8
2.5
2.1
2.6
2.8
2.4
2.9
1.6
2.3
1.1
2.4
2.5
1.2
2.6
2.3
1.4
2.4
2.6
1.6
2.6
2.2
1.4
2.3
2.5
1.6
2.5
2.4
1.6
2.4
2.5
1.4
2.6
2.7
3.7
2.7
2.9
3.8
2.9
Specified wage adjustments, settlements covering 1,000 workers or
more:
All industries
First year of contract ...............................................................
Contracts with COLA c la u s e s ......................................................
Contracts without COLA clauses ........................................................
Annual rate over life of contract .............................................................
Contracts with COLA c la u s e s....................................................
Contracts without COLA clauses ........................................
Manufacturing
First year of contract ........................................................................
Contracts with COLA c la u s e s...................................
Contracts without COLA clauses ..........................................
Annual rate over life of contract ..................................................
Contracts with COLA c la u s e s .............................................................
Contracts without COLA clauses ....................................................
Nonmanufacturing
First year of contract ...............................................................
Contracts with COLA c la u s e s ...............................................................
Contracts without COLA clauses ........................................................
Annual rate over life of contract .............................................................
Contracts with COLA c la u s e s ...............................................................
Contracts without COLA clauses ........................................................
Construction
First year of contract .........................................................
Contracts with COLA c la u s e s ...............................................................
Contracts without COLA clauses .........................................................
Annual rate over life of contract .............................................................
Contracts with COLA c la u s e s....................................
Contracts without COLA clauses .........................................
' Data do not meet publication standards.
2 Between -0.05 and 0.05 percent.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1.5
(')
(’ )
(’)
(')
2.1
(’)
0
2.2
(')
C)
p
3.0
(')
(')
3.2
(')
(')
= preliminary.
81
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics: Compensation and Industrial Relations Data
27. Average effective wage adjustments, private industry collective bargaining situations covering 1,000
workers or more during 4-quarter periods (in percent)
Average for four quarters ending1987p
1986
Effective wage adjustment
I
II
III
IV
I
II
III
3.1
.6
1.7
.8
2.9
.5
1.8
.7
2.3
.5
1.6
.2
2.3
.5
1.7
.2
2.0
.4
1.5
.1
2.2
.3
1.6
.3
2.6
.5
1.7
.4
4.0
2.9
3.5
2.5
3.8
2.5
3.4
2.0
3.1
1.7
3.8
1.0
2.8
1.6
3.9
1.0
2.5
1.2
3.7
.6
2.8
1.0
3.5
1.8
3.2
1.9
3.3
2.3
F o r a ll w o r k e r s : ’
T o ta l................................................................................................................
From settlements reached in period ......................................................
Deferred from settlements reached in earlier period ..........................
From cost-of-living-adjustments c la u s e s ...............................................
F o r w o r k e r s re c e iv in g c h a n g e s :
T o ta l................................................................................................................
From settlements reached in period ......................................................
Deferred from settlements reached in earlier period ..........................
From cost-of-living-adjustments c la u s e s ...............................................
1 Because of rounding, total may not equal sum of parts.
p
= preliminary.
28. Specified compensation and wage adjustments from contract settlements, and effective wage adjustments, State and
local government collective bargaining situations covering 1,000 workers or more (in percent)
A n n u a l a v e ra g e
F ir s t 6 m o n t h s
M e a s u re
1987
1985
1986
4 .2
6 .2
5 .1
6 .0
5 .7
4 .9
4 .6
5 .7
5 .2
5 .4
5 .7
S p e c if ie d a d ju s t m e n t s :
T o t a l c o m p e n s a t i o n 1 a d j u s t m e n t s , 2 s e t t l e m e n t s c o v e r in g 5 , 0 0 0 w o r k e r s o r m o r e :
W a g e a d ju s t m e n t s , s e t t l e m e n t s c o v e r in g 1 , 0 0 0 w o r k e r s o r m o r e :
5 .4
E f f e c t iv e a d ju s t m e n t s :
1
C o m p e n s a tio n
in c lu d e s
w ages,
s a la r ie s ,
and
e m p lo y e r s ’
cost
of
e m p lo y e e
b e n e f it s w h e n c o n t r a c t is n e g o t ia t e d .
2
A d ju s t m e n t s
a re
th e
net
r e s u lt
of
in c r e a s e s ,
d e c re a s e s ,
and
no
changes
5 .7
5 .5
4 .1
2 .4
1 .6
3 .0
(4)
(4)
1 .6
,4
1 .2
c)
3
B e c a u s e o f r o u n d in g , t o t a l m a y n o t e q u a l s u m o f p a r t s ,
4
L e s s th a n 0 0 5 Pe r c e n t -
in
c o m p e n s a tio n o r w a g e s .
29.
Work stoppages involving 1,000 workers or more
1987
1986
Annual totals
Measure
Jan.
Dec.
Nov.
Oct.
1985
Mayp
Apr.
Mar.
Feb.
Junep
July11
Aug.p
Oct.p
Sept.
Number of stoppages:
Beginning in p e rio d .....
In effect during period
Workers involved:
Beginning in period (in
thousands)........................
In effect during period (in
thousands)........................
Days idle:
Number (in thousands)...........
Percent of estimated working
tim e1 .........................................
323.9
533.1
44.3
8.7
3.0
7.3
37.6
12.2
7.8
16.1
8.4
17.4
42.9
1.3
584.1
899.5
109.9
67.8
49.4
47.6
41.6
16.2
14.7
26.6
26.2
38.0
69.7
54.5
7,079.0 11,861.0
1,423.7
9 3 3 .2
1,873.6
828.6
194.1
104.4
223.7
295.7
483.0
403.2
1,115.0
370.1
.02
.05
.02
.03
.05
.06
.05
.04
1
Agricultural and government employees are included in the total employed and total
working time: private household, forestry, and fishery employees are excluded. An expla
nation of the measurement of idleness as a percentage of the total time worked is found
in ‘“ Total economy’ measure of strike idleness,” M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w , October 1968,
82
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
.01
.04
.01
pp. 54-56.
p
= preliminary
151.3
.01
.01
.01
.02
30. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity or
service group; and CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, all items
(1967
100, unless o th e rw ise in dicated)
S eries
A nnual
average
1986
1987
O ct
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
O ct
328.4
381.9
330.5
384.4
330.8
384.7
331.1
385.1
333 1
387.4
334.4
388.9
335.9
390.7
337.7
392.7
338.7
393.9
340.1
395.6
340.8
396.3
342.7
398.5
344.4
400.5
345.3
401.6
258.0
325.7
361.1
398.8
294.4
451.7
294.2
346.6
229.5
311.8
319.7
305.3
325.8
275.1
258.4
328.7
373.6
411.1
287.8
478.2
301.9
360.1
239.7
315.6
323.7
309.5
328.4
284.9
260.0
328.6
374.4
413.4
284.6
477.5
304.7
364.0
240.6
316 4
324.6
309.9
328.5
286.3
261.2
327.8
373.9
412.4
285 4
476.9
303.9
365.8
240.5
317.0
325.2
310.2
329.5
287.3
262.2
328.5
372.2
411.8
286.0
470.2
305.2
367.1
240.8
320.5
328.9
315.2
331.5
289.2
263.3
344.3
378.7
415.8
293.2
482.6
308.4
368.6
242.5
321.6
330.1
316.6
332.7
286.4
264.7
355.2
380.0
415.8
290.3
481.9
312.1
369.6
243.2
321.6
330.0
315.8
333.2
286.5
263.7
352.5
378.6
417.2
294.6
475.4
311.3
370.9
243.6
322.5
331.0
316.9
335.6
285.9
263.2
360.6
377.6
417.4
291.8
469.8
313.2
371.5
244.3
324.0
332.5
318.8
336.5
288.5
264.3
365.7
377.5
417.7
293.3
467 9
313.5
372.3
245.0
325.4
334.1
320.4
337.0
290.7
263.7
372.8
376.4
419.3
291.4
462.6
314.5
373.8
245.9
325.1
333.6
319.1
338.4
293.1
263.2
359.3
375.9
418.8
292.9
458.5
315.4
374.9
246.7
325.4
333.8
319.0
338.8
294.6
264.2
352.5
377.0
419.6
292.6
458.8
317.5
375.9
247.3
326 4
334.9
319.8
338.9
296.6
266.0
352.5
376.6
420.6
291.2
458.4
316.9
377.4
247.8
326.9
335.3
319.9
339.5
294.7
267.2
353.8
377.7
420.9
290.1
462.3
317.2
378.4
248.4
H ousing ..............................................................................................................
S h e lte r .............................................................................................................
R e n te rs' co sts ( 1 2 / 8 2 - 1 0 0 ) ..............................................................
R ent, re s id e n tia l.....................................................................................
O the r re n te rs' co sts .............................................................................
H o m e ow ne rs' co sts (1 2 /8 2
100) ....................................................
O w n ers' e q u iva le nt rent (1 2 /8 2
100) .........................................
H ouse h old insuran ce (1 2 /8 2 1 0 0 ) ...............................................
M a in ten an ce and re p a ir s .......................................................................
M a in ten an ce and repair se rvice s ...................................................
M a in ten an ce and re p air c o m m o d itie s ...........................................
Fuel and o th e r u tilitie s ...............................................................................
Fuels ............................................................................................................
Fuel oil, coal, and b o ttle d gas .........................................................
G as (piped) and e le ctricity ................................................................
O th e r utilitie s and pub lic se rvice s ......................................................
H o use h old furnishings and o p e ra tio n s ................................................
H o use furm sh in gs ......................................................................................
H ouse ke ep in g s u p p lie s ..........................................................................
H o usekeeping s e rv ic e s ..........................................................................
349.9
382.0
115.4
264.6
398.4
113.1
113.2
112.4
368.9
421.1
269.6
393.6
488.1
619.5
452.7
240.7
247.2
200.1
313.6
338.9
360.2
402.9
121.9
280.0
416.2
119.4
119.4
119.2
373.8
430.9
269.7
384.7
463.1
501.5
446.7
253.1
250.4
201.1
319.5
346.6
363.0
409.5
124.0
284.6
427.3
121.3
121.3
120.6
379.0
437.5
273.0
379.1
450.3
451.9
441.4
257.1
251.6
202.2
319.8
348.5
361.7
410.2
124.3
285.6
425.5
121.5
121.5
121.1
377.1
433.7
272.9
371.1
437.8
452.0
426.7
255.4
251.2
201.4
320.4
348.5
362.1
410.4
124.2
286.0
418.2
121.6
121.6
121.6
380.0
433.1
278.3
371.0
438.1
460.6
425.3
254.9
252.4
202.5
322.9
349.3
363.9
412.3
125.3
287.1
428.3
122.0
122.0
121.8
382.1
437.7
277.7
373.7
443.7
487.9
428.8
254.9
253.1
203.0
324.6
349.8
365.1
414.0
125.8
288.0
430.8
122.5
122.5
122.0
381.9
436.1
278.8
374.8
445.1
503.2
428.9
255.6
253.5
203.2
325 3
350.6
366.4
415.9
126.4
288.3
438.7
123.0
123.0
122.2
383.4
439.4
278.5
374.9
444.6
500.6
428.7
256.2
254.3
203.8
327.7
351.0
367.7
418.0
127.1
288.8
446.1
123.6
123.6
122.4
382.4
437.1
278.7
374.2
442.0
500.5
425.9
257.0
255.2
204.7
328.2
352.2
368.9
419.2
127.3
289.4
446.1
124.0
124.1
123.0
381.9
435.3
279.6
377.5
448.7
497.7
433.3
257.2
254.9
203.7
330.1
353.1
371.3
420.2
127.9
289.6
453.1
124.2
124.2
123.6
385.0
440.5
280.2
387.6
470.8
498.6
456.8
256.4
254.9
203.6
330.5
353.0
372.5
422.1
129.3
291.2
465.9
124.4
124.4
124.5
392.4
452.8
281.9
388.1
468.9
497.9
454.8
258.6
255.1
203.9
330.1
353.8
374.9
425.1
130.1
293.1
467.7
125.4
125.4
125.1
391.3
451.5
281.3
391.1
473.6
502.3
459.4
259.9
255.4
204.2
329.5
354.3
375.4
426.2
129.8
294.5
458.0
126.0
126.0
125.5
390.5
450.8
280.4
389.8
471.6
501.0
457.4
259.3
255.8
204.6
330.4
354.6
375.2
428.6
129.4
295.4
448.0
127.1
127.2
125.8
390.9
451.0
281.0
381.3
452.6
507.0
436.6
260.2
255.6
203.9
331.7
355.3
A pp a rel and upke ep ...................................................................................
A pp a rel co m m o dities .................................................................................
M e n 's and boys' a p p a r e l.......................................................................
W o m e n 's and g irls' a pparel .................................................................
Infa nts' and tod d lers' a p p a r e l..............................................................
F o o tw e a r......................................................................................................
O th e r a pparel c o m m o d itie s ..................................................................
A pp a rel s e rv ic e s ..........................................................................................
206.0
191.6
197.9
169.5
299.7
212.1
215.5
320.9
207.8
192.0
200.0
168.0
312.7
211.2
217.9
334.6
213.2
197.6
204.3
176.4
312.0
215.1
219.8
338.3
213.1
197.4
205.3
175.0
307.0
215.1
221.1
339.0
210.9
194.9
202.3
171.7
312.7
214.0
220.0
339.5
207.1
190.9
199.2
166.6
301.8
209.9
223.2
342.5
208.4
192.1
199.9
167.8
304.5
211.0
226.0
343.2
215.2
199.1
203.5
177.0
319.6
216.5
227.4
344.7
218.7
202.6
205.6
182.2
319.1
219.2
227.0
344.7
218.0
201.8
207.1
179.6
316.4
220.8
226.7
346.8
214.5
198.1
205.3
173.7
308.0
218.8
230.6
347.4
210.5
194.0
203.0
168.3
301.2
214.3
231.9
348.7
214.7
198.3
204.1
175.0
304.8
215.9
234.2
348.2
222.2
206.0
208.4
186.2
313.6
219.1
236.4
348.4
226.3
209.9
211.0
191.0
324.9
222.4
237.3
351.0
T ra n sp o rta tio n .................................................................................................
P rivate tra n s p o rta tio n .................................................................................
N ew v e h ic le s ..............................................................................................
N e w c a r s ..................................................................................................
Used ca rs ...................................................................................................
M o tor fuel ...................................................................................................
G a s o lin e .............................................................................................
M a in ten an ce and r e p a ir ................................................................
O the r priva te tra n s p o rta tio n .................................................................
O th e r p rivate tra nsp o rtatio n c o m m o d itie s ...................................
O the r private tra nsp o rtatio n s e rv ic e s ............................................
P ublic tra n s p o rta tio n ..................................................................................
319.9
314.2
214.9
215.2
379.7
373.8
373.3
351.4
287.6
202.6
312.8
402.8
307.5
299.5
224.1
224.4
363.2
292.1
291.4
363.1
303.9
201.6
333.9
426.4
302.6
294.1
226.7
227.1
360.6
263.2
262.6
365.7
307.6
198.9
339.3
428.7
304.3
295.8
230.2
230.7
361.0
260.9
260.2
368.4
311.6
200.0
344.1
431.7
304.8
295.9
231.7
232.2
356.6
261.9
261.2
370.7
312.0
200.4
344.5
437.5
308.5
299.8
232.3
233.0
354.6
275.8
275.1
371.3
314.9
202.2
347.7
438.9
310.0
301.3
229.9
230.2
356.9
288.1
287.5
373.0
314.0
201.8
346.7
439.8
310.6
301.9
229.2
229.4
363.0
290.0
289.4
373.0
314.4
202.3
347.0
441.4
313.3
304.8
229.9
230.4
371.6
297.2
296.7
376.1
315.1
200.8
348.6
440.8
314.6
306.3
230.6
231.3
378.6
299.7
299.3
376.1
315.9
202.3
349.1
439.6
316.7
308.6
231.2
232.0
383.0
306.0
305.5
376.3
317.6
202.3
351.3
438.1
318.5
310.5
231.8
232.7
385.5
311.2
310.8
376.8
318.8
201.6
353.2
438.3
320.2
312.0
231.0
232.1
385.7
319.5
319.1
378.6
318.6
202.6
352.6
442.8
320.4
312.1
230.6
231.6
387.3
318.4
317.9
380.7
319.7
204.2
353.5
445.1
321.9
313.8
233.0
233.8
388.0
315.2
314.6
382.0
324.1
205.0
359.1
442.0
M e d ical care .................................................................................................
M e d ical care co m m o dities .......................................................................
M edical ca re s e rv ic e s ......................................................................
P rofe ssio na l se rvices ...................................................................
H ospital and re la ted se rvices ..............................................................
403.1
256.7
435.1
367.3
224.0
433.5
273.6
468.6
390.9
237.4
442.3
277.5
478.8
398.0
242.3
444.6
278.2
481.5
399.8
243.8
446.8
280.8
483.4
401.0
245.0
449.6
282.4
486.5
403.7
246.7
452.4
283.9
489.6
406.8
248.1
455.0
286.3
492.1
409.6
249.0
457.3
287.5
494.7
412.5
250.1
458.9
289.6
496.0
413.9
251.0
461.3
291.5
498.4
416.7
251.8
464.1
293.4
501.5
418.9
254.6
466.1
294.6
503.6
420.6
256.4
467.8
295.8
505.4
422.8
257.1
469.8
297.4
507.4
424.4
258.8
E n te rtainm en t .................................................................................................
E n te rtainm en t co m m o d itie s .....................................................................
E n te rtainm en t s e r v ic e s ............................................................................
265.0
260.6
271.8
274.1
265.9
286.3
276.5
266.7
290.8
277.4
267.6
291.8
277.4
267.4
292.2
278.3
268.1
293.3
278.7
268.1
294.1
279.8
269.9
294.5
281.3
270.8
296.6
282.0
271.7
297.2
282.3
271.8
297.6
283.5
272.8
299.1
283.9
272.5
300.1
285.2
272.6
302.6
287.1
274.0
305.2
O th e r g oo ds and se rvice s ..........................................................................
T o ba cco p ro du cts ...................................................................................
P ersonal c a r e ................................................................................................
To ile t goo ds and person al care a p p lia n c e s ...................................
P ersonal ca re se rvice s .........................................................................
P ersonal and edu catio n al e x p e n s e s .....................................................
S cho o l b o o ks and s u p p lie s ..................................................................
P ersonal and e d u catio n al se rvices ...................................................
326.6
328.5
281.9
278.5
286.0
397.1
350.8
407.7
346.4
351.0
291.3
287.9
295.4
428.8
380.3
440.1
354.6
357.2
293.1
289.9
297.1
447.6
392.3
460.2
354.9
357.3
293.4
289.6
297.9
448.2
392.5
460.8
355.2
357.6
293.6
289.6
298.2
448.8
392.6
461.6
358.1
364.9
295.7
291.3
300.8
450.6
400.7
462.8
359.7
368.3
296.4
292.1
301.3
452.0
403.4
464.2
360.3
369.6
296.4
292.0
301.5
452.8
403.9
465.0
361.1
370.4
297.3
292.9
302.3
453.8
404.4
466.0
362.0
370.9
299.0
294.2
304.6
454.4
404.9
466.6
362.9
372.7
299.2
294.2
304.9
455.5
405.1
467.9
365.1
379.9
300.2
295.8
305.3
456.5
405.2
469.0
366.6
380.8
300.8
295.7
306.7
459.0
405.7
471.6
373.9
382.4
301.8
296.7
307.8
473.7
419.6
486.7
375.5
383.7
302.5
297.4
308.3
476.2
422.4
489.2
1985
1986
A ll item s ................................................................................................................
A ll ite m s ( 1 9 5 7 - 5 9 - 1 0 0 ) ................................................................................
322.2
374.7
Fo od and beve ra ge s .....................................................................................
F o o d .................................................................................................................
F ood at hom e ............................................................................................
C e re als and b akery p r o d u c ts ...........................................................
M eats, poultry, fish, and e g g s ..........................................................
D airy p ro d u c ts ........................................................................................
Fruits and v e g e ta b le s ..........................................................................
O th e r fo o d s at h o m e ...........................................................................
S ugar and sw eets ......................................................... ....................
Fa ts and o ils ........................................................................................
N o n a lco h o lic b e v e ra g e s ..................................................................
O th e r p repared f o o d s .......................................................................
Fo od aw ay fro m h om e ..........................................................................
A lco h o lic b e v e ra g e s ....................................................................................
302.0
309.8
296.8
317.0
263.4
CONSUMER
P R IC E IN D E X
FOR ALL URBAN CO NSUM ERS:
See fo o tn o te s at end o f table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
83
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics:
Price Data
30. Continued— Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity or
service group; and CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, all items
(1967 = 100, unless o th e rw ise in dicated)
S eries
1987
1986
A nnual
average
O ct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
191.5
199.7
169.4
329.4
211.8
206.1
332.0
197.1
203.6
178.1
329.2
215.3
207.9
335.6
196.6
204.6
176.2
323.8
215.6
208.9
336.2
194.5
202.1
173.1
329.3
214.9
207.8
336.6
190.5
198.6
168.2
319.1
211.1
210.1
339.7
191.5
198.9
169.2
322.2
212.4
212.1
340.5
198.3
201.9
178.6
337.3
217.7
214.1
341.8
202.1
204.3
184.4
336.3
220.0
213.9
341.6
201.2
205.7
181.8
334.7
221.3
213.1
343.3
197.5
204.0
175.8
324.2
219.4
217.0
343.8
193.6
201.7
170.4
318.3
215.5
217.6
344.8
197.4
203.1
176.6
320.9
217.2
219.4
344.2
205.0
207.2
188.0
330.5
219.9
222.6
344.6
209.3
210.4
192.9
344.1
223.7
223.9
347.2
321.6
317.4
214.2
214.5
379.7
375.4
375.0
352.6
287.7
204.7
312.3
391.7
307.6
301.5
223.3
223.6
363.2
293.1
292.5
364.7
302.2
203.9
330.9
416.3
302.2
295.7
225.7
226.3
360.6
264.0
263.4
367.2
305.2
201.1
335.4
418.9
304.0
297.5
229.4
230.0
361.0
262.0
261.3
369.7
309.5
202.3
340.7
421.1
304.2
297.5
230.7
231.4
356.6
263.2
262.5
372.3
309.9
202.8
341.0
425.8
308.2
301.6
231.2
232.0
354.7
277.7
277.1
373.4
312.6
204.3
344.0
426.7
309.9
303.4
228.9
229.3
357.0
289.5
288.9
375.1
311.5
204.0
342.6
427.2
310.8
304.2
228.2
228.5
363.1
291.3
290.7
374.9
311.7
204.3
342.9
428.7
313.9
307.4
229.0
229.5
371.7
298.7
298.3
377.9
312.1
202.6
344.1
428.9
315.5
309.1
229.5
230.3
378.7
301.2
300.7
378.1
312.9
204.0
344.6
428.9
317.9
311.7
229.9
230.9
383.0
307.6
307.2
378.3
314.7
204.4
346.9
426.9
319.7
313.6
230.3
231.6
385.4
313.0
312.6
378.8
315.8
203.8
348.7
426.9
321.4
315.2
229.5
230.9
385.6
321.4
321.0
380.6
315.4
204.7
347.7
430.7
321.7
315.4
229.2
230.4
387.1
320.0
319.6
382.6
316.4
206.0
348.5
433.0
323.2
317.1
231.6
232.7
387.7
316.7
316.1
383.7
321.5
206.8
355.2
430.4
M edical c a r e .....................................................................................................
M edical care co m m o dities .......................................................................
M edical ca re s e rv ic e s ................................................................................
P rofessional s e r v ic e s ..............................................................................
H ospital and re la ted se rvice s ..............................................................
401.2
256.3
432.7
367.7
221.2
431.0
272.8
465.7
391.4
234.2
439.7
276.6
475.6
398.4
239.1
441.7
277.0
478.2
400.2
240.4
443.9
279.8
480.1
401.5
241.6
446.7
281.4
483.2
404.2
243.2
449.7
282.9
486.5
407.4
244.6
452.3
285.1
489.2
410.2
245.4
454.9
286.2
492.1
413.3
246.5
456.6
288.2
493.6
414.7
247.4
459.3
290.5
496.2
417.5
248.2
462.1
292.1
499.4
419.7
250.9
464.2
293.2
501.7
421.5
252.8
466.2
294.4
503.9
424.0
253.5
468.4
296.1
506.1
425.6
255.4
E n te rtainm en t ..................................................................................................
E n te rtainm en t co m m o dities .....................................................................
E n te rtainm en t s e r v ic e s ..............................................................................
260.1
254.2
271.6
268.7
259.5
286.0
271.1
260.6
290.7
272.1
261.7
291.6
272.3
261.7
292.0
272.9
262.2
292.7
273.4
262.3
293.9
274.4
263.7
294.2
276.0
264.7
296.6
276.9
265.9
297.2
277.0
265.9
297.4
278.2
266.8
299.0
278.5
266.8
299.9
279.7
266.9
302.4
281.4
267.9
305.1
O the r g oo d s and se rvice s ..........................................................................
T o b a cco p ro du cts .......................................................................................
P ersonal c a r e ................................................................................................
T o ile t goo ds and personal care a p p lia n c e s ...................................
P ersonal care se rvices ..........................................................................
P ersonal and edu catio n al e x p e n s e s .....................................................
S cho o l boo ks and s u p p lie s ..................................................................
P ersonal and edu catio n al se rvices ....................................................
322.7
328.1
279.6
279.0
280.5
399.3
355.7
410.1
341.7
350.7
289.0
288.6
289.8
430.7
384.8
442.0
348.8
356.8
290.8
290.5
291.6
448.7
396.7
461.3
349.2
356.9
291.2
290.5
292.4
449.4
396.9
462.1
349.5
357.2
291.3
290.3
292.7
450.0
397.1
462.8
352.8
364.7
293.2
292.0
294.9
452.0
406.5
464.3
354.6
368.0
294.1
293.2
295.4
453.7
409.3
465.9
355.1
369.2
293.9
292.7
295.5
454.3
409.6
466.6
356.0
370.0
294.7
293.6
296.2
455.5
410.1
467.8
356.9
370.5
296.4
294.9
298.4
456.1
410.5
468.5
357.8
372.3
296.4
294.8
298.8
457.3
410.6
469.8
360.5
379.7
297.3
296.1
299.1
458.4
410.7
471.0
361.9
380.5
298.2
296.6
300.4
460.6
411.4
473.4
368.3
382.1
299.1
297.4
301.5
475.3
423.7
488.5
369.8
383.4
299.9
298.4
302.0
477.5
427.0
490.6
All ite m s ................................................................................................................
C o m m o d itie s .....................................................................................................
Food and b eve ra ge s ..................................................................................
C o m m o d ities less foo d and b e v e ra g e s ...............................................
N o nd u ra ble s less foo d and beve ra ge s ...........................................
A pp a rel c o m m o d itie s ............................................................................
N o nd u ra ble s less food, beverages, and a pparel ......................
D u ra b le s .......................................................................................................
318.5
286.5
301.8
274.9
283.8
191.3
334.2
265.2
323.4
283.1
311.6
264.2
265.6
191.5
306.7
264.0
325.0
282.6
315.4
261.1
260.2
197.1
296.0
264.0
325.4
283.1
316.2
261.5
259.7
196.6
295.6
265.3
325.7
283.3
316.8
261.5
259.9
194.5
296.9
265.0
327.7
285.5
320.3
262.9
262.3
190.5
304.4
265.4
329.0
287.0
321.3
264.6
266.0
191.5
310.2
264.5
330.5
288.6
321.2
267.2
270.0
198.3
311.5
265.3
332.3
290.7
322.1
269.9
273.7
202.1
315.0
266.8
333.4
291.6
323.5
270.6
274.2
201.2
316.5
267.8
334.9
292.4
325.0
270.9
274.1
197.5
319.5
268.5
335.6
292.5
324.8
271.2
274.1
193.6
322.8
269.1
337.4
293.9
325.1
273.3
277.9
197.4
326.2
269.0
339.1
295.7
326.2
275.4
281.7
205.0
326.5
269.1
340.0
296.8
326.6
276.9
283.4
209.3
326.0
270.2
S e r v ic e s ..............................................................................................................
R e nt o f sh e lte r ( 1 2 / 8 4 - 1 0 0 ) .................................................................
H ouse h old se rvice s less rent of sh e lte r (1 2 /8 4 = 1 0 0 ) .................
T ra n sp o rta tio n s e r v ic e s .............................................................................
M edical ca re s e rv ic e s ................................................................................
O th e r se rvice s ..............................................................................................
377.3
103.2
102.6
332.2
432.7
310.1
395.7
109.0
103.9
350.1
465.7
326.9
401.0
110.8
103.8
353.8
475.6
333.8
401.0
111.0
102.0
357.9
478.2
334.7
401.5
111.1
101.8
359.5
480.1
335.1
403.3
111.5
102.3
361.7
483.2
336.4
404.5
111.9
102.5
361.3
486.5
337.5
405.9
112.5
102.5
361.6
489.2
338.0
407.3
113.0
102.4
363.2
492.1
339.4
408.8
113.4
103.2
363.5
493.6
340.3
411.4
113.5
105.7
364.7
496.2
340.9
412.8
114.0
105.9
365.9
499.4
342.0
415.3
114.9
106.6
366.3
501.7
343.3
416.9
115.2
106.3
367.6
503.9
349.7
417.6
115.9
104.2
371.6
506.1
351.8
S pe cia l in dexes:
All item s less foo d ......................................................................................
All ite m s less sh elte r .................................................................................
All ite m s less h om e o w n e rs’ co sts (1 2 /8 4 — 1 0 0 ) .............................
All ite m s less m edical c a r e ......................................................................
C o m m o d ities less f o o d ..............................................................................
N o nd u ra ble s less foo d ..............................................................................
N o nd u ra ble s less foo d and a pparel .....................................................
N o n d u ra b le s ..................................................................................................
S ervices less rent of sh elte r (1 2 /8 4 = 1 0 0 ) .......................................
S ervices less m edical care ........................................................... ..........
E n e rg y ..............................................................................................................
All item s le ss energy .................................................................................
All item s less food and energy ..............................................................
C o m m o d ities less fo o d a nd e n e r g y ......................................................
E nergy co m m o d itie s ..................................................................................
S ervices less e n e rg y ..................................................................................
319.4
303.4
101.8
314.3
272.8
279.0
320.3
293.9
102.6
369.0
426.3
309.9
308.7
256.8
410.9
371.1
323.0
305.1
102.8
318.0
262.9
262.7
296.9
289.8
107.1
385.9
367.5
321.2
320.3
259.8
322.9
391.9
324.0
305.7
103.2
319.3
260.0
257.8
287.4
289.0
108.2
390.6
344.8
325.3
324.4
261.7
290.9
398.2
324.2
305.9
103.2
319.6
260.3
257.4
287.0
289.2
108.1
390.4
338.5
326.3
325.4
262.4
289.1
399.6
324.4
306.3
103.4
319.8
260.4
257.6
288.2
289.6
108.3
390.7
339.2
326.5
325.6
262.1
291.1
400.2
326.0
308.4
104.0
321.8
261.8
259.9
294.8
292.5
108.8
392.5
349.8
327.8
326.3
261.7
307.2
401.9
327.4
309.6
104.5
323.0
263.5
263.3
299.7
294.9
109.0
393.5
356.9
328.7
327.1
262.0
319.9
403.2
329.3
311.0
104.9
324.5
265.9
266.9
300.9
296.9
109.2
394.7
357.7
330.2
329.0
264.6
321.5
404.7
331.3
312.8
105.5
326.2
268.5
270.4
303.9
299.2
109.5
396.1
360.8
331.9
330.9
266.6
328.9
406.5
332.3
313.9
105.9
327.3
269.2
270.8
305.3
300.1
109.9
397.5
364.9
332.8
331.6
267.1
331.2
407.5
333.7
315.6
106.4
328.8
269.5
270.9
307.9
300.9
111.1
400.1
378.6
333.2
331.8
266.7
337.7
408.2
334.6
315.9
106.6
329.3
269.8
270.9
310.8
300.8
111.5
401.4
380.6
333.8
332.6
266.3
343.1
410.1
336.8
317.4
107.1
331.1
271.8
274.4
313.8
302.9
112.0
403.8
387.5
335.2
334.2
267.5
351.8
412.3
338.5
319.2
107.7
332.8
273.8
277.8
314.1
305.3
112.5
405.4
385.8
337.2
336.4
270.0
350.4
414.2
339.6
319.7
107.8
333.7
275.3
279.4
313.8
306.4
112.2
405.9
375.2
339.1
338.6
272.0
347.3
416.8
P urchasing pow e r o f the co nsu m e r dollar:
1967 —$ 1 .0 0 ..................................................................................................
1 9 5 7 - 5 9 - $ 1 .0 0 ............................................................................................
31.4
27.0
30.9
26.6
30.8
26.5
30.7
26.4
30.7
26.4
30.5
26.2
30.4
26.1
30.3
26.0
30.1
25.9
30.0
25.8
29.9
25.7
29.8
25.6
29.6
25.5
29.5
25.4
29.4
25.3
1985
1986
A pp a rel co m m o dities .................................................................................
M e n ’s and b o y s ’ a p p a r e l.......................................................................
W o m e n ’s and g irls’ a pparel .................................................................
In fa n ts’ and to d d le rs ’ a p p a r e l..............................................................
F o o tw e a r......................................................................................................
O th e r a pparel c o m m o d itie s ..................................................................
A pp a rel s e rv ic e s ..........................................................................................
191.3
198.2
171.3
311.7
212.5
203.1
318.5
T ra n sp o rta tio n .................................................................................................
P rivate tra n s p o rta tio n .................................................................................
N e w v e h ic le s ..............................................................................................
N e w c a r s ..................................................................................................
Used ca rs ....................................................................................................
M o to r fuel ...................................................................................................
G a s o lin e ...................................................................................................
M a in ten an ce and r e p a ir .........................................................................
O th e r p rivate tra n s p o rta tio n .................................................................
O th e r private tra nsp o rtatio n c o m m o d itie s ...................................
O th e r private tra n sp o rta tio n s e rv ic e s .............................................
P ublic tra n s p o rta tio n ..................................................................................
84
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Sept.
Oct.
30. Continued— Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity or
service group; and CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, all items
(1967 = 100, unless o th e rw ise in dicated)
A nnual
average
S eries
1986
1987
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
328.4
283.9
311.8
264.7
265.2
192.0
307.3
270.2
3 30 .E
283.6
315.6
262.1
260.4
197.6
297.2
270.5
330.8
284.0
316.4
262.4
260.0
197.4
296.7
271.8
331.1
284.2
317.0
262.4
260.0
194.9
298.0
271.7
333.1
286.3
3 2 0 .E
263.7
261.8
190.9
304.8
272.4
334.4
287.7
321.6
265.2
265.4
192.1
310.3
271.2
335.9
2 89 .E
321.6
267.9
269.7
199.1
311.9
271.7
337.7
291.4
322.5
270.4
273.2
202.6
315.0
273.0
338.7
292.3
3 24 .C
270.9
273.5
201.8
316.4
273.6
340.1
292.8
325.4
270.9
273.2
198.1
319.1
274.2
340.8
292.8
325.1
271.0
272.8
194.0
322.0
274.9
342.7
294.2
325.4
2 73 .C
276.6
198.C
325.2
274.6
344.4
296.1
326.4
275.4
280.7
206.C
325.7
274.6
345.3
297.3
326.9
276.9
282.5
209.9
325.4
276.0
381.5
113.9
111.2
337.0
435.1
314.1
400.5
120.2
112.8
356.3
468.6
331.8
406.1
122.2
112.9
360.5
478.8
339.5
406.1
122.4
111.0
364.4
481.5
340.3
406.6
122.5
110.8
366.2
483.4
340.8
408.6
123.1
111.3
368.5
486.5
342.2
409.9
123.6
111.5
368.5
489.6
343.1
411.2
124.1
111.5
369.0
492.1
343.7
412.8
124.8
111.4
370.5
494.7
345.0
414.2
125.1
112.3
370.5
496.0
345.9
416.7
125.4
114.8
371.6
498.4
346.6
418.3
126.0
115.1
372.9
501.5
347.7
420.7
126.9
115.8
373.8
503.6
349.2
422.4
127.2
115.5
375.2
505.4
355.6
423.1
128.0
113.5
378.1
507.4
357.9
323.3
303.9
109.7
317.7
272.5
277.2
319.2
293.2
113.5
373.3
426.5
314.8
314.4
259.7
409.9
375.9
328.6
306.7
111.2
322.6
263.4
262.2
297.1
289.6
118.7
390.6
370.3
327.0
327.1
263.2
322.4
397.1
330.2
307.8
111.7
324.4
260.9
257.8
288.1
289.0
120.1
395.7
348.6
331.4
331.6
265.5
290.6
403.7
330.4
308.0
111.8
324.5
261.2
257.4
287.7
289.2
120.0
395.4
341.7
332.3
332.5
266.1
288.5
405.0
330.6
308.3
111.9
324.8
261.2
257.5
288.9
289.5
120.2
395.8
342.4
332.6
332.8
265.8
290.5
405.7
332.2
310.3
112.7
326.7
262.5
259.2
294.9
292.1
120.8
397.6
352.2
334.0
333.6
265.5
306.1
407.5
333.6
311.5
113.1
328.0
264.0
262.6
299.6
294.6
121.1
398.8
359.2
334.9
334.5
265.7
319.2
408.9
335.4
312.9
113.6
329.4
266.5
266.4
301.0
296.8
121.3
400.0
360.0
336.5
336.4
268.4
320.9
410.4
337.3
314.6
114.2
331.1
268.9
269.6
303.7
299.1
121.6
401.5
362.4
338.2
338.3
270.3
328.0
412.3
338.3
315.6
114.6
332.2
2694
270.0
305.0
300.0
122.1
402.9
366.9
339.0
338.9
270.7
330.2
413.2
339.6
317.1
115.1
333.5
269.5
269.8
307.4
300.5
123.2
405.4
380.6
339.5
339.1
270.1
336.4
414.1
340.5
317.4
115.3
334.1
269.6
269.5
309.9
300.1
123.7
406.8
382.4
340.1
339.9
269.6
341.4
416.0
342.7
319.0
115.9
336.0
271.6
273 1
312.7
302.3
124.2
409.3
388.9
341.6
341.7
270.9
349.9
418.3
344.6
320.9
116.5
337.7
273.8
276.8
313.2
304.9
124.9
410.9
387.4
343.6
343.9
273.6
348.7
420.2
345.6
321.4
116.6
338.6
275.4
278.4
313.1
306.0
124.6
411.5
376.7
345.4
346.1
275.6
346.0
422.6
31.0
26.7
30.5
26.2
30.3
26.0
30.2
26.0
30.2
26.0
30.0
25.8
29.9
25.7
29.8
25.6
29.6
25.5
29.5
25.4
29.4
25.3
29.3
25.2
29.2
25.1
29.0
25.0
29.0
24.9
318.5
370.4
323.4
376.1
325.0
378.0
325.4
378.4
325.7
378.8
327.7
381.1
329.0
382.6
330.5
384.4
332.3
386.5
333.4
387.8
334.9
389.5
335.6
390.3
337.4
392.4
339.1
394.3
340.0
395.4
Fo od and beve ra ge s ..............................................
Food ...............................................................
F ood at hom e .....................................
C ereals and b akery p ro d u c ts ...........................................................
M eats, poultry, fish, and e g g s ..........................................................
Dairy p r o d u c ts .................................................
Fruits and v e g e ta b le s ..........................................................................
O the r foo d s at h o m o ...........................................................................
Sugar and s w e e t s ..............................................................................
Fats and o ils ..................................................
N o na lco h olic b e v e ra g e s ..................................................................
O th e r prepared f o o d s ....................................
Food aw ay fro m hom e ..........................................
A lco h o lic b e v e ra g e s ...........................................................
301.8
309.3
295.3
315.4
262.7
256.9
320.3
361.5
398.3
293.9
453.2
295.7
349.7
232.6
311.6
319.2
303.7
324.2
274.4
257.1
323.8
373.5
410.5
287.2
478.1
303.2
363.4
242.5
315.4
323.3
307.9
326.8
284.4
258.6
322.9
374.4
412.8
284.1
477.7
305.9
367.3
243.5
316.2
324.2
308.4
327.0
285.8
259.9
322.2
373.9
411.9
284.5
477.1
305.3
369.2
243.4
316.8
324.8
308.7
328.0
286.6
260.9
323.4
372.2
411.2
285.5
470.3
306.6
370.5
243.9
320.3
328.4
313.4
330.0
288.5
262.0
338.2
378.9
414.9
292.6
483.7
309.7
372.2
245.4
321.3
329.5
314.6
331.2
285.8
263.6
348.2
380.0
414.8
289.9
482.5
313.3
373.2
246.2
321.2
329.4
313.8
331.6
285.6
262.4
346.0
378.8
416.5
293.9
476.9
312.6
374.3
246.5
322.1
330.2
314.9
334.1
285.2
262.0
353.6
377.8
416.5
291.3
471.3
314.5
374.8
247.2
323.5
331.8
316.8
334.8
287.9
263.1
358.5
377.9
417.1
292.6
470.0
314.9
375.6
247.8
325.0
333.4
318.5
335.4
290.0
262.5
366.7
376.8
418.7
290.7
464.5
315.8
377.1
248.6
324.8
333.1
317.5
336.8
292.5
261.9
354.1
376.3
418.3
292.2
460.5
316.7
378.2
249.2
325.1
333.4
317.4
337.1
293.9
262.9
347.1
377.5
419.3
291.9
461.0
318.7
379.2
249.8
326.2
334.5
318.3
337.4
296.1
264.7
346.7
377.1
420.1
290.6
460.9
318.1
380.9
250.2
326.6
334.8
318.3
338.1
294.3
266.0
347.6
378.1
420.4
289.7
464.6
318.3
381.9
250.9
H ousing ..............................................................
S he lte r ........................................................
R ente rs co sts (1 2 /8 4 = 1 0 0 ).........................................
Rent, re s id e n tia l..........................................................
O the r re n te rs' co sts ............................................................................
H o m e ow ne rs' co sts (1 2 /8 4 = 1 0 0 ) ....................................................
O w n ers' equ iva le nt rent (1 2 /8 4 = 100) .........................................
H ouse h old insurance (1 2 /8 4 ^ 1 0 0 ) .................................
M ain ten an ce and r e p a ir s .........................................
M a in ten an ce and repair se rvices ...................................................
M ain ten an ce and repair c o m m o d itie s ...........................................
Fuel and other u tilitie s ...................................................
Fuels .................................................................
Fuel oil, coal, and b ottle d gas ..........................
G as (piped) and e le ctricity ................................................................
O th e r utilities and pub lic s e r v ic e s ..................................
H ousehold furnishings and o p e ra tio n s ..........................
H o u s e fu rn is h in g s ...............................................................
H ousekeeping s u p p lie s ..........................................
H ouse ke ep in g s e rv ic e s ....................................................
343.3
370.4
103.6
263.7
397.9
103.1
103.0
103.2
364.1
415.0
261.1
394.7
487.5
622.0
451.6
241.6
243.4
197.6
310.7
340.2
353.2
390.7
109.5
279.1
416.0
108.8
108.8
109.4
369.4
425.3
262.5
385.4
462.7
504.5
445.6
253.8
246.5
198.4
317.1
348.2
355.6
397.1
111.4
283.6
426.7
110.5
110.5
110.8
373.1
431.1
264.3
379.3
449.2
454.8
439.6
257.8
247.5
199.3
317.8
350.1
354.3
397.8
111.7
284.6
424.8
110.7
110.7
111.3
372.4
428.2
265.0
371.3
437.1
455.0
425.3
255.8
247.2
198.5
318.4
350.1
354.8
398.1
111.6
285.1
417.3
110.8
110.8
111.7
374.6
428.1
268.0
371.1
437.3
463.5
423.8
255.3
248.5
199.7
320.6
350.8
356.3
399.6
112.3
286.1
424.9
111.1
111.1
111.9
377.3
434.5
267.6
373.9
442.7
489.3
427.4
255.6
248.9
200.0
322.0
351.2
357.5
401.2
112.7
287.0
427.6
111.6
111.5
112.1
376.9
432.5
268.4
374.9
443.7
503.9
427.3
256.5
249.4
200.2
323.1
352.0
358.8
403.2
113.3
287.3
439.0
112.1
112.1
112.4
378.5
436.8
267.9
375.1
443.2
501.4
427.0
257.1
250.1
200.7
325.2
352.3
360.0
405.1
113.8
287.8
448.1
112.7
112.7
112.5
378.0
435.7
267.9
374.3
440.7
501.1
424.4
257.8
250.8
201.4
325.7
353.3
361.1
406.3
114.0
288.3
449.2
113.1
113.1
113.1
378.0
433.2
269.7
377.5
446.9
498.2
431.2
258.1
250.5
200.5
327.2
354.0
363.5
406.9
114.2
288.5
453.1
113.2
113.2
113.8
380.9
438.3
270.5
388.0
470.0
499.4
455.4
257.4
250.4
200.5
327.5
354.0
364.6
408.7
115.3
290.0
467.0
113.4
113.4
114.6
386.4
449.8
270.7
388.3
467.6
498.4
453.0
259.5
250.7
200.8
327.6
354.4
367.0
411.7
116.0
291.9
468.8
114.3
114.3
115.1
385.7
448.7
270.4
391.5
472.6
502.7
457.8
260.8
251.0
201.2
327.0
354.8
367.5
413.0
116.2
293.2
462.0
114.8
114.8
115.5
384.6
447.9
269.4
390.0
470.5
501.5
455.7
260.1
251.3
201.3
327.8
355.1
367.1
415.4
116.0
294.0
451.7
115.9
115.9
115.8
384.8
446.5
270.6
381.1
450.5
507.2
434.2
261.1
251.1
200.7
329.3
355.6
A pp a rel and u p k e e p .................................................................
205.0
206.5
211.9
211.5
209.6
205.8
206.9
213.7
217.4
216.6
213.0
209.1
212.9
220.5
224.9
1985
1986
All item s ................................................................
C o m m o d itie s .............................................................................
Food and b eve ra ge s .........................................................
C o m m o d ities le ss foo d and b e v e ra g e s ...........................................
N ond u ra ble s le ss foo d and beve ra ge s .................................
A pp a rel c o m m o d itie s ......................................................................
N ond u ra ble s less foo d , beverages, and apparel .....................
D u ra b le s ..........................................................................
322.2
286.7
302.0
274.6
282.1
191.6
333.3
270.7
S e r v ic e s ...........................................................................................
R ent of sh elte r (1 2 /8 2 — 1 0 0 ) ................................................
H ousehold se rvice s less rent o f sh e lte r (1 2 /8 2 = 1 0 0 ) ................
T ra n spo rta tion s e r v ic e s ...................................................................
M edical care s e rv ic e s ...............................................................
O the r se rvices ..................................................................................
S pecial indexes:
All item s less foo d .................................................................
All item s less sh e lte r ..............................................................................
A ll item s less h o m e o w n e rs’ co sts ( 1 2 / 8 2 = 1 0 0 ) .............................
All item s less m e d ical c a r e ......................................................................
C o m m o d ities less f o o d ......................................................................
N o ndurables le ss fo o d ..................................................................
N ond u ra ble s less foo d and a pparel ....................................................
N o n d u ra b le s ........................................................................
S ervices less rent o f sh elte r (1 2 /8 2 = 100) .....................................
S ervices less m edical c a r e .......................................................
E n e rg y .................................................................................
All item s less e nergy ...............................................
All item s less foo d and energy ..............................................................
C o m m o d ities less foo d and e n e r g y ......................................................
E nergy co m m o dities .................................................................
S ervices less e n e rg y ..............................................
P urchasing p ow e r o f th e co nsu m e r dollar:
1 9 6 7 .---$ !.0 0 ........................................................................
1957-59 .$1 .00 ..............................................
C O N S U M E R P R IC E
IN D E X
FOR
URBAN
W AGE EARNERS
A N D C L E R IC A L W O R K E R S :
All item s ...................................................................
All item s (1957-59 = 1 0 0 ) .........................................
S ee fo o tn o te s at end o f table.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
85
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
31.
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics:
Price Data
Consumer Price Index: U.S. city average and available local area data: all items
(1967 = 100, unle ss oth e rw ise Indicated)
Urban W age E arners
A ll U rban C o nsum ers
A re a '
Pricing
sch e
d u le 2
O ther
index
base
M
.
1986
O ct.
U.S. city a v e r a g e .......................
330.5
Nov.
330.8
Sept.
July
Aug.
340.1
340.8
342.7
344.4
June
1987
1986
1987
Oct.
O ct.
Nov.
June
July
Aug.
345.3
325.0
325.4
334.9
335.6
337.4
179.5
179.9
176.1
176.3
Sept.
O ct.
339.1
340.0
181.2
182.1
183.0
177.7
179.0
179.7
Region and area size3
N o rth ea st u r b a n ..........................
Size A - M ore than
1,200,000 ....................................
S ize B - 500,000 to
1 ,200,000 ...................................
S ize C - 5 0,000 to
5 00,000 .......................................
N o rth C entral urban ..................
Size A - M ore than
1,200,000 ...................................
S ize B - 360 ,00 0 to
1,200,000 ....................................
S ize C - 5 0,000 to
360 ,00 0 .......................................
S ize D - N o n m e tro
polita n (less
tha n 50,0000 .............................
S outh u r b a n ..................................
S ize A - M o re than
1,200,000 ...................................
Size B - 450 ,00 0 to
1,200,000 ...................................
Size C - 50,0 00 to
450 ,00 0 .......................................
Size D - N o n m e tro
polita n (less
than 50,000) ..............................
W e st u r b a n ....................................
S ize A - M ore than
1,250,000 ...................................
S ize B - 330 ,00 0 to
1,250,000 ...................................
Size C - 50,000 to
330 ,00 0 ...................................
S ize classes:
A ....................................................
B ...............................................
C ..............................................
D ..............................................
M
1 2 /7 7
176.4
182.4
182.7
184.1
185.1
185.9
173.5
M
1 2 /7 7
174.2
180.5
180.7
182.1
183.5
184.1
169.7
_
174.6
_
M
1 2 /7 7
178.0
182.0
182.5
183.3
183.2
185.7
M
M
1 2 /7 7
1 2 /7 7
183.8
176.5
189.7
182.4
190.9
182.6
192.5
184.0
192.2
184.8
192.3
188.1
184.6 —172.4
M
1 2 /7 7
180.3
186.6
186.9
188.2
189.2
188.5
174.5
M
1 2 /7 7
174.0
180.2
180.2
182.0
182.4
182.7
169.5
-
_
177.8
178.2
179.6
180.8
181.4
168.7
_
_
_
M
1 2 /7 7
172.3
.
M
M
1 2 /7 7
1 2 /7 7
171.7
177.5
-
176.1
182.1
176.7
182.6
177.1
183.2
176.7
184.0
177.1
184.7
172.7
176.3
M
1 2 /7 7
177.6
.
182.6
183.3
184.0
184.7
185.4
179.0
179.5
180.3
180.2
182.4
194.1
178.3
195.1
178.6
196.6
179.8
197.0
180.6
197.2
180.5
180.7
181.0
182.3
183.3
182.6
175.5
175.6
177.4
177.8
178.3
177.3
174.0
174.3
175.5
176.6
-
177.4
181.0
178.2
181.6
178.5
182.1
178.3
183.0
178.8
183.6
176.9
_
182.1
182.7
183.3
184.2
184.8
179.6
180.0
180.6
182.1
182.5
181.6
182.2
182.5
182.9
183.3
179.7
181.9
180.6
182.1
180.9
183.0
181.9
183.9
182.8
184.6
183.9
184.9
185.6
M
1 2 /7 7
180.0
183.7
184.1
184.8
186.3
186.7
175.7
_
M
1 2 /7 7
175.8
180.8
181.4
181.7
182.0
182.6
176.3
_
M
M
1 2 /7 7
1 2 /7 7
175.4
180.4
179.1
184.5
179.9
184.7
180.0
185.6
181.1
186.7
182.1
187.4
175.9
177.8
M
1 2 /7 7
184.2
187.9
188.1
189.2
190.3
191.0
179.0
_
182.8
182.9
179.3
_
184.0
184.2
184.6
185.9
187.1
174.6
175.2
175.9
176.5
M
1 2 /7 7
-
183.9
179.2
184.0
184.3
185.8
187.0
M
1 2 /7 7
173.1
-
176.4
176.6
177.1
177.9
178.5
171.2
-
174.2
M
M
M
M
12/86
1 2 /7 7
1 2 /7 7
1 2 /7 7
178.3
175.9
174.5
-
103.2
183.0
181.5
179.5
103.8
183.9
182.4
179.7
104.4
184.8
182.9
180.3
104.6
185.8
183.4
181.0
175.1
175.7
175.1
-
-
103.0
182.7
181.0
178.8
-
103.1
179.6
180.8
179.6
103.3
179.9
181.4
180.3
103.9
180.8
182.2
180.7
104.5
181.7
182.9
181.3
104.7
182.6
183.4
182.1
328.7
331.3
345.0
346.1
348.8
349.9
343.9
313.4
316.1
328.9
330.0
332.5
333.5
328.2
336.2
333.8
344.2
344.1
346.7
348.6
350.4
328.3
326.3
336.3
336.2
338.8
340.4
342.1
-
327.8
324.7
327.5
324.1
340.6
339.0
340.7
339.1
343.7
342.2
346.4
342.8
347.4
344.1
318.7
326.1
318.6
325.4
331.7
340.4
331.6
340.7
334.4
343.9
337.4
344.2
338.3
345.8
-
347.7
-
353.5
356.0
356.9
358.5
359.9
341.1
-
347.3
349.3
349.9
351.4
353.2
330.4
325.9
329.6
176.1
319.0
335.9
_
-
341.9
336.3
337.9
180.9
331.0
345.4
_
-
344.3
345.5
343.4
181.6
335.7
350.8
-
-
353.8
327.8
345.1
322.2
Selected local areas
C hicago, IL- ;
N o rth w este rn IN ........................
L os A ng e les-Lo n g
Beach, A naheim , C A ..............
N ew York, NYP hiladelphia, P A - N J ...................
S an F ranciscoO akland, C A .............................
M
M
M
M
M
B altim ore, M D ..............................
B oston, M A ..................................
C leveland, O H ..............................
Miami, F L ...................................
St. Louis, M O -IL ........................
W a sh ing ton , D C -M D -VA ..........
1
1
1
1
1
1
D allas-Ft. W orth, T X ................
D e troit, M l ..................................
H o usto n, TX ..............................
P ittsburgh, PA ...........................
2
2
2
2
_
_
-
352.1
-
-
-
-
1 1 /7 7
_
“
345.9
324.3
334.0
331.8
333.4
329.3
352.7
175.8
323.8
334.0
_
325.3
-
_
354.1
330.2
341.5
338.9
343.8
338.0
361.4
180.5
334.7
343.1
_
“
' A rea is th e C onso lid a ted M e tro po lita n S ta tistica l A rea (C M SA), e xclu
sive o f farm s and military. A rea d e fin itio ns are th o se e sta b lish ed by th e O f
fice of M a n ag em en t and B ud g et in 1983, e xce p t fo r B osto n-La w re n ce-S a lem, M A -N H A rea (e xcludes M onroe County); and M ilw aukee, W l A rea (in
clu de s o nly th e M ilw aukee M SA). D e finition s do n ot in clu de revisions m ade
since 1983.
2
Foods, fuels, and several o th e r ite m s priced every m onth in all areas;
m o st o th e r g oo ds and se rvice s price d as indicated;.
M - Every m onth.
1 - January, M arch, May, July, S eptem ber, and Novem ber.
2 - February, April, June, A ugust, O ctob er, and D ecem ber.
86
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
_
356.0
333.5
344.0
341.7
346.0
347.2
367.5
181.3
339.5
347.8
_
”
_
-
_
329.3
-
-
-
360.5
339.3
346.5
344.1
338.5
313.6
331.7
310.6
_
314.7
“
347.4
319.7
339.7
317.8
_
“
349.5
322.7
341.7
320.3
"
-
3 R e gions are defin ed as the fo u r C ensus regions.
- Data n o t available.
NO TE: Local area CPI in dexes a re b yprod ucts o f th e n atio na l CPI p ro
gram . B eca u se each lo cal index is a sm all su bset o f the natio na l index, it
has a sm a lle r sam p le size and is, the re fore, su bje ct to su bsta ntia lly m ore
sam pling and o th e r m ea sure m e n t erro r than th e natio na l index. A s a result,
lo cal area in dexes sh ow g re ate r vo latility tha n th e natio na l index, altho ug h
the ir long -te rm tre nd s are q uite sim ilar. Therefo re , th e B ureau of L ab or S ta
tistics stro ng ly urges users to co nsid e r a do ptin g th e national a verage CPI
fo r use in e sca la to r clauses.
32.
Annual data: Consumer Price Index all items and major groups
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1 9 5 .4
2 1 7 .4
2 4 6 .8
2 7 2 .4
2 89 .1
2 9 8 .4
3 1 1 .1
3 2 2 .2
3 2 8 .4
7 .7
1 1 .3
1 3 .5
1 0.4
6.1
3 .2
4 .3
3 .6
1.9
I n d e x ........................................................................................................
2 0 6 .3
2 2 8 .5
2 4 8 .0
2 6 7 .3
2 7 8 .2
2 8 4 .4
2 95 .1
3 0 2 .0
3 1 1 .8
P e rc e n t c h a n g e .................................................................................
9 .7
1 0 .8
8 .5
7 .8
4.1
2 .2
3 .8
2 .3
3 .2
2 0 2 .8
2 2 7 .6
2 6 3 .3
2 9 3 .5
3 1 4 .7
3 2 3 .1
3 3 6 .5
3 4 9 .9
3 6 0 .2
8 .7
1 2 .2
1 5 .7
1 1 .5
7 .2
2 .7
4.1
4 .0
2 .9
S erie s
1978
C o n s u m e r P ric e In d e x fo r All U rb a n C o n s u m e rs:
A ll item s:
F o o d a n d b e v e ra g e s :
H o using:
I n d e x ........................................................................................................
A p p a re l a n d u p k ee p :
1 5 9 .6
1 6 6 .6
178 4
186 9
1 9 1 .8
1 9 6 .5
2 0 0 .2
2 0 6 .0
2 0 7 .8
3 .5
4 .4
7.1
4 .8
2 .6
2 .5
1.9
2 .9
.9
I n d e x ........................................................................................................
1 8 5 .5
2 1 2 .0
2 4 9 .7
2 8 0 .0
2 9 1 .5
2 9 8 .4
3 1 1 .7
3 1 9 .9
3 0 7 .5
P e rc e n t c h a n g e ..................................................................................
4 .7
1 4 .3
1 7 .8
12.1
4.1
2 .4
4 .5
2 .6
- 3 .9
2 1 9 .4
2 3 9 .7
2 6 5 .9
2 9 4 .5
3 2 8 .7
3 5 7 .3
3 7 9 .5
4 0 3 .1
4 3 3 .5
P e rc e n t c h a n g e .................................................................................
T ra n sp o rtatio n :
M e d ic a l care:
I n d e x ........................................................................................................
P e rc e n t c h a n g e ..................................................................................
8 .4
9 .3
1 0 .9
1 0 .8
1 1 .6
8 .7
6 .2
6 .2
7 .5
1 7 6 .6
1 8 8 .5
2 0 5 .3
2 2 1 .4
2 3 5 .8
2 4 6 .0
2 5 5 .1
2 6 5 .0
2 7 4 .1
5 .3
6 .7
8 .9
7 .8
6 .5
4 .3
3 .7
3 .9
3 .4
1 8 3 .3
1 9 6 .7
2 1 4 .5
2 3 5 .7
2 5 9 .9
2 8 8 .3
3 0 7 .7
3 2 6 .6
3 4 6 .4
6 .4
7 .3
9 .0
9 .9
1 0 .3
1 0 .9
6 .7
6.1
6.1
1 9 5 .3
2 1 7 .7
2 4 7 .0
2 7 2 .3
2 8 8 .6
2 9 7 .4
3 0 7 .6
3 1 8 .5
3 2 3 .4
7 .6
1 1 .5
1 3 .5
1 0 .2
6 .0
3 .0
3 .4
3 .5
1.5
E n te rta in m e n t:
I n d e x ........................................................................................................
O th e r g o o d s a n d services:
In d e x ........................................................................................................
C o n s u m e r P ric e In d e x fo r U rb a n W a g e E a rn e rs a n d
C le ric a l W o rk e rs:
A ll item s:
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics:
Price Data
33. Producer Price Indexes, by stage of processing
(1967=100)
Annual average
1986
1987
G r o u p in g
F in is h e d g o o d s ........................................................
Finished consumer goods ...........................
Finished consumer fo o d s ..........................
Finished consumer goods excluding
foods ...........................................................
Nondurable goods less food ................
Durable goods .........................................
Capital equ ipm ent.........................................
1985
1986
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
293.7
291.8
271.2
289.7
284.9
278.1
290.7
285.1
283.1
290.4
284.8
282.9
291.8
286.2
280.1
292.3
287.1
280.8
292.6
287.5
280.3
294.9
290.1
283.2
295.8
291.3
286.6
296.2
291.9
286.7
297.8
293.8
287.6
297.2
293.0
283.6
296.7
292.7
286.0
298.2
293.5
284.1
297.3
339.3
241.5
300.5
283.5
311.2
246.8
306.4
281.2
302.2
253.5
310.4
280.8
302.1
252.8
310.1
284.4
307.7
253.2
311.2
285.3
310.5
250.7
310.7
286.3
312.2
250.6
310.5
288.6
314.7
252.5
311.8
288.6
314.9
252.1
311.8
289.5
316.3
252.1
311.4
292.0
320.2
252.3
312.1
292.9
322.2
251.3
312.1
291.1
320.5
249.4
311.0
293.5
319.4
257.6
314.7
318.7
307.6
304.8
305.0
307.0
308.9
309.3
311.0
313.1
315.2
317.1
318.2
318.9
320.0
299.5
258.8
285.9
320.2
291.5
296.1
251.0
279.1
313.8
294.4
296.4
253.2
278.0
314.9
294.9
296.4
253.2
278.3
313.9
295.2
297.8
251.1
281.3
315.8
295.8
298.7
251.6
283.1
316.2
296.1
299.5
250.4
283.9
317.8
297.0
301.4
255.3
286.9
320.3
297.0
303.2
261.9
288.1
324.0
297.1
304.5
260.8
291.5
325.2
297.2
306.4
262.0
293.1
329.7
298.0
306.6
258.5
292.3
332.5
298.3
308.0
261.9
294.0
334.9
298.5
310.7
259.4
297.8
341.2
299.4
315.2
548.9
311.2
284.2
317.4
430.2
314.9
287.3
317.5
392.8
319.0
288.0
316.9
395.5
319.2
288.2
317.1
406.7
320.7
289.0
317.9
418.5
323.6
289.5
318.7
416.0
324.9
289.6
319.3
421.3
325.4
290.5
319.9
429.3
325.5
292.0
320.9
440.8
326.2
292.8
321.8
449.5
326.1
293.2
323.8
457.4
326.8
293.3
325.4
450.1
329.6
294.5
326.8
442.0
331.0
295.9
306.1
235.0
459.2
280.3
231.0
386.8
279.2
236.8
370.3
277.0
233.5
370.6
284.2
227.6
394.2
287.2
229.9
398.5
288.6
229.6
402.0
295.3
240.1
405.3
302.9
251.7
409.4
303.7
247.0
416.8
307.8
243.1
431.0
307.7
240.1
434.1
305.4
238.8
430.3
304.3
237.7
428.9
299.0
720.9
269.2
261.3
268.7
291.1
518.5
275.6
267.9
274.9
290.7
453.7
280.0
272.4
279.1
290.4
454.6
279.6
272.0
278.7
293.2
477.4
279.7
271.8
279.8
293.6
489.6
279.5
271.7
279.3
294.3
495.5
279.5
271.8
279.5
296.3
507.4
281.2
273.6
280.7
296.3
506.9
282.2
274.9
280.7
296.7
514.3
282.2
275.0
280.7
298.6
527.5
283.1
276.0
281.6
299.3
534.0
282.0
274.6
281.8
297.7
521.8
282.3
275.3
281.1
300.5
514.5
284.3
276.8
284.7
252.1
258.4
262.6
262.2
263.4
262.9
263.3
264.4
264.5
264.6
265.7
265.9
265.5
269.1
246.2
253.0
254.9
254.7
256.4
257.2
257.9
258.4
258.8
258.9
260.7
261.6
262.3
262.5
325.0
232.8
528.3
304.0
313.3
230.3
414.4
303.5
310.3
231.0
378.3
304.1
310.5
231.5
380.7
304.1
312.8
229.5
391.3
305.2
314.7
230.0
402.6
306.1
315.3
227.6
400.3
306.8
316.9
231.9
405.3
308.2
318.5
240.4
412.2
309.8
320.7
241.1
423.2
310.9
322.8
241.1
431.7
312.2
324.2
237.7
439.3
312.6
324.6
241.4
432.5
314.1
325.9
240.5
424.8
316.3
In t e r m e d i a t e m a te r ia ls , s u p p lie s , a n d
c o m p o n e n t s ..............................................................
Materials and components for
manufacturing ..............................................
Materials for food m anufacturing............
Materials for nondurable manufacturing .
Materials for durable m anufacturing.......
Components for m anufacturing...............
Materials and components for
construction..................................................
Processed fuels and lu bricants..................
C ontainers......................................................
Supplies...........................................................
C r u d e m a t e r ia ls f o r f u r t h e r p r o c e s s in g ...
Foodstuffs and feedstuffs ..........................
Crude nonfood m ate rials............................
S p e c ia l g r o u p in g s
Finished goods, excluding fo o d s ..................
Finished energy goods ...................................
Finished goods less energy ...........................
Finished consumer goods less e n e rg y........
Finished goods less food and energy .........
Finished consumer goods less food and
e n e rg y ...............................................................
Consumer nondurable goods less food and
e n e rg y ...............................................................
Intermediate materials less foods and
fe e d s .................................................................
Intermediate foods and fe e d s ........................
Intermediate energy goods ............................
Intermediate goods less energy ...................
Intermediate materials less foods and
e n e rg y ..............................................................
305.2
304.4
304.9
304.8
306.2
307.2
308.1
309.3
310.5
311.7
313.2
314.0
315.3
317.8
Crude energy m aterials...................................
Crude materials less energy ..........................
Crude nonfood materials less e n e rg y ..........
748.1
233.2
249.7
575.8
229.2
245.6
537.0
233.3
244.4
533.2
231.5
247.1
578.0
228.1
250.3
584.4
230.4
252.8
590.1
230.6
254.4
594.1
238.9
257.4
597.4
248.7
263.2
606.3
247.2
270.2
629.5
246.0
276.4
632.6
244.8
280.0
615.4
246.8
291.2
604.9
248.4
300.1
88
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
34.
Producer Price indexes, by durability of product
(1967=100)
1987
1986
Annual average
G rouping
1985
1986
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Mar.
Feb
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
305.0
309.5
306.2
312.0
306.9
312.0
307.4
311.5
310.9
310.7
Total durable goods ........................................
Total nondurable g o o d s ..................................
297.3
317.2
300.0
298.8
302.4
294.8
302.1
294.7
302.9
298.2
302.8
300.7
303.4
301.1
304.3
304.4
304.7
307.7
Total m anufactures..........................................
D u rab le............................................................
Nondurable ....................................................
304.3
298.1
310.5
297.6
300.8
294.0
297.1
303.3
290.5
297.2
302.9
291.0
299.5
303.7
294.7
300.7
303.5
297.4
300.8
304.1
297.0
303.0
305.0
300.5
304.4
305.3
303.0
305.3
305.4
304.8
306.8
306.3
306.8
307.5
306.9
307.7
307.5
307.1
307.5
309.6
310.3
308.4
Total raw or slightly processed goods ........
D u rab le............................................................
Nondurable ....................................................
327.9
252.2
332.4
305.6
252.0
308.6
300.6
254.4
303.1
298.6
255.4
300.9
301.6
258.8
303.9
303.6
260.9
305.8
305.9
261.1
308.3
308.4
262.1
310.9
313.9
267.8
316.4
315.9
277.2
317 9
320.0
286.3
321.7
318.3
292.5
319.5
317.8
302.8
318.3
314.0
318.7
313.2
35.
Annual data: Producer Price Indexes, by stage of processing
(1967 = 100)
In d e x
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
195.9
194.9
199.2
217.7
217.9
216.5
247.0
248.9
239.8
269.8
271.3
264.3
280.7
281.0
279.4
285.2
284.6
287.2
291.1
290.3
294.0
293.7
291.8
300.5
289.7
284.9
306.4
215.6
243.2
280.3
306.0
310.4
312.3
320.0
318.7
307.6
208.7
224.7
295.3
202.8
198.5
234.4
247.4
364.8
226.8
218.2
265.7
268.3
503.0
254.5
244.5
286.1
287.6
595.4
276.1
263.8
289.8
293.7
591.7
285.6
272.1
293.4
301.8
564.8
286.6
277.1
301.8
310.3
566.2
302.3
283.4
299.5
315.2
548.9
311.2
284.2
296.1
317.4
430.2
314.9
287.3
234.4
216.2
272.3
426.8
274.3
247.9
330.0
507.6
304.6
259.2
401.0
615.0
329.0
257.4
482.3
751.2
319.5
247.8
473.9
886.1
323.6
252.2
477.4
931.5
330.8
259.5
484.5
931.3
306.1
235.0
459.2
909.6
280.3
231.0
386.8
817.2
F in is h e d g o o d s :
Total ...........................................................................
Consumer goods .................................................
Capital equipment ...............................................
In t e r m e d i a t e m a te r ia ls , s u p p lie s , a n d
c o m p o n e n ts :
Total ...........................................................................
Materials and components for
m anufacturing......................................................
Materials and components for construction ....
Processed fuels and lubricants .........................
Containers .............................................................
S u p p lie s.................................................................
C r u d e m a t e r ia ls f o r fu r t h e r p r o c e s s in g :
Total ...........................................................................
Foodstuffs and feedstuffs ..................................
Nonfood materials except fuel ..........................
Fuel ........................................................................
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
89
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
36.
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics:
Price Data
U.S. export price indexes by Standard International Trade Classification,
(June 1977=100, unless otherwise indicated)
Category
1974
SITO
ALL COMMODITIES ( 9 /8 3 - 1 0 0 ) .....................................................................
Mar.
June
1986
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
1987
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
97.5
97.5
96.5
96.7
97.0
96.7
95.1
96.2
97.2
99.9
100.2
0
01
03
04
05
08
09
95.8
103.9
101.0
92.4
119.5
72.8
110.6
94.0
104.7
103.6
90.3
120.2
68.6
109.2
90.2
106.1
102.6
82.6
126.9
75.7
108.1
93.6
112.2
101.8
87.1
118.9
83.4
107.7
90.5
111.5
102.2
82.1
115.3
88.5
106.0
89.5
114.7
106.2
79.1
125.8
85.5
104.7
77.2
122.0
111.2
59.0
131.4
90.2
106.6
81.2
122.6
116.9
64.8
131.9
87.4
108.2
79.8
123.4
118.5
62.9
130.8
85.7
108.6
83.4
129.0
122.9
66.5
130.8
93.7
110.0
79.5
127.9
126.3
62.1
123.1
92.4
109.4
1
11
12
99.9
104.0
99.5
100.1
105.3
99.6
99.7
101.8
99.5
98.6
100.9
98.4
95.6
101.9
95.1
96.5
103.0
95.9
96.3
102.2
95.8
101.6
102.9
101.4
101.7
104.7
101.4
104.0
104.8
104.0
104.4
104.4
104.5
Raw hides and skins (6 /8 0 —100) ..................................................................
Oilseeds and oleaginous fruit ( 9 /7 7 - 1 0 0 ) ...................................................
Crude rubber (including synthetic and reclaimed) (9/83 = 1 0 0 )................
W o o d ....................................................................................................................
Pulp and waste paper (6 /8 3 -1 0 0 ) ................................................................
Textile fib e rs .......................................................................................................
Crude fertilizers and m inerals..........................................................................
Metalliferous ores and metal scrap ................................................................
2
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
97.5
121.0
71.0
106.4
128.7
100.5
102.4
165.6
89.2
96.8
126.2
71.2
106.3
125.7
96.1
105.8
167.9
82.0
93.3
129.0
64.2
107.1
124.5
93.8
103.6
169.4
80.1
92.5
139.9
63.9
106.0
128.1
92.7
97.7
165.5
78.7
95.8
138.9
66.9
106.0
128.7
98.8
101.6
168.0
83.4
95.6
148.9
65.8
106.1
128.7
109.7
98.6
166.1
80.5
92.3
138.0
64.5
105.3
129.7
119.8
74.7
164.3
84.6
94.8
148.3
62.9
104.4
135.5
121.2
92.2
162.8
80.7
97.1
168.8
60.4
106.2
139.0
133.0
99.7
155.6
82.2
106.3
191.2
68.6
107.5
146.2
138.7
,115.0
155.1
90.7
109.1
189.1
64.3
109.0
174.0
142.6
119.2
149.8
99.7
Mineral fuels.......................................................................................
3
100.1
99.2
97.6
96.6
91.9
86.7
85.7
84.7
85.6
84.4
85.6
Animal and vegetables oils, fats, and waxes......................................
4
42
142.0
152.9
144.5
164.8
114.5
128.8
101.4
108.7
90.8
95.4
84.4
95.3
76.5
80.8
86.8
87.0
88.9
89.1
94.5
94.7
94.1
94.3
5
51
56
97.0
93.8
92.5
96.8
96.5
87.9
97.1
97.1
89.8
96.6
95.4
90.0
96.5
93.5
88.6
95.4
89.3
84.0
93.1
88.0
77.4
92.2
89.4
68.7
96.6
99.5
75.4
103.1
114.3
80.4
104.1
111.1
88.0
6
61
62
64
67
68
69
99.4
82.5
150.2
155.0
95.5
79.7
105.4
99.2
79.2
149.0
151.6
95.3
79.6
105.2
99.2
75.9
148.3
149.6
95.9
79.8
105.4
99.1
78.5
148.7
148.2
98.2
78.2
104.4
100.3
77.8
151.0
152.2
98.4
80.2
105.3
101.2
82.5
150.0
158.7
99.4
79.1
105.5
102.2
84.2
150.4
165.3
100.2
79.4
105.6
102.7
88.0
151.3
167.9
100.1
78.8
105.7
104.4
96.3
152.1
174.4
101.5
80.3
105i?
106.8
101.1
153.9
177.7
101.5
90.1
105.6
108.5
99.7
155.2
182.5
102.4
94.6'
106.2
7
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
142.3
165.3
155.0
153.4
152.4
100.9
133.3
114.9
133.1
195.5
142.9
167.4
155.7
155.1
152.0
100.0
133.3
116.1
133.9
196.6
143.1
167.1
156.0
156.3
152.4
99.9
134.1
115.3
133.8
199.3
143.3
167.5
156.2
158.4
152.2
99.4
134.5
113.8
135.0
200.7
144.0
169.1
155.5
159.0
152.3
99.9
136.5
115.1
135.5
203.3
144.2
169.2
154.7
158.9
153.3
99.2
137.0
114.2
136.4
206.8
144.6
169.5
155.0
160.4
154.4
98.9
137.8
114.4
136.5
207.4
145.5
171.4
155.7
161.8
155.3
98.1
139.7
114.9
137.9
209.7
146.2
173.0
154.7
165.0
157.7
96.1
141.3
117.0
138.0
211.4
146.7
171.7
155.9
165.8
157.8
96.0
140.8
117.4
138.5
214.7
147.1
173.4
156.5
167.8
157.9
95.5
141.2
117.6
138.9
215.7
8
84
87
99.5
104.7
175.5
100.4
104.7
178.3
100.3
105.0
178.7
100.3
105.3
178.8
102.6
103.4
104.1
105.3
107.3
107.7
182.1
183.8
183.8
104.3
110.0
184.8
186.4
188.5
190.2
88
128.0
129.1
127.5
128.5
131.6
132.9
132.7
132.0
133.4
133.1
129.5
Miscellaneous manufactured articles, n.e.s....................................................
89
92.4
93.1
93.1
92.4
95.6
95.6
97.6
97.7
98.1
102.1
103.0
Gold, non-monetary (6/83—100)........................................................
971
69.1
75.4
77.4
77.5
81.8
82.2
97.5
94.5
98.2
108.4
110.0
Food ( 3 /8 3 - 1 0 0 ) ................................................................................................
Meat ( 3 /8 3 - 1 0 0 ) ..............................................................................................
Fish ( 3 /8 3 - 1 0 0 ) ...............................................................................................
Grain and grain preparations (3 /8 0 -1 0 0 ) ...................................................
Vegetables and fruit (3 /8 3 —100) ...................................................................
Feedstuffs for animals (3/83 = 1 0 0 )...............................................................
Misc. food products ( 3 /8 3 - 1 0 0 ) ....................................................................
Beverages and tobacco ( 6 /8 3 - 1 0 0 ) .............................................................
Beverages (9 /8 3 = 1 0 0 ) ....................................................................................
Tobacco and tobacco products (6 /8 3 —1 0 0 )...............................................
Crude materials ( 6 /8 3 - 1 0 0 ) ............................................................................
Fixed vegetable oils and fats (6/83 = 1 0 0 )...................................................
Chemicals ( 3 /8 3 - 1 0 0 ) ......................................................................................
Organic chemicals (12 /8 3 —1 0 0 )....................................................................
Fertilizers, manufactured ( 3 /8 3 - 1 0 0 ) ............................................................
Intermediate manufactured products ( 9 /8 1 = 1 0 0 ) ....................................
Leather and furskins ( 9 /7 9 - 1 0 0 ) ...................................................................
Rubber manufactures .......................................................................................
Paper and paperboard products (6/78 = 1 0 0 )..............................................
Iron and steel (3 /8 2 -1 0 0 ) ..............................................................................
Nonferrous metals (9/81 —100) ......................................................................
Metal manufactures, n.e.s. (3 /8 2 -1 0 0 ) ........................................................
Machinery and transport equipment, excluding military
and commercial aircraft (1 2 /7 8 -1 0 0 ) .........................................................
Power generating machinery and equipment (1 2 /7 8 -1 0 0 ) ......................
Machinery specialized for particular industries (9 /7 8 = 1 0 0 ) ......................
Metalworking machinery (6 /7 8 -1 0 0 ) ............................................................
General industrial machines and parts n.e.s. 9 / 7 8 = 1 0 0 ) ..........................
Office machines and automatic data processing e q u ip m e n t....................
Telecommunications, sound recording and reproducing equ ipm ent........
Electrical machinery and equipm ent...............................................................
Road vehicles and parts ( 3 /8 0 = 1 0 0 ) ............................................................
Other transport equipment, excl. military and commercial a v ia tio n ........
Other manufactured articles..............................................................
Apparel (9/83 = 1 0 0 ).........................................................................................
Professional, scientific, and controlling instruments and apparatus.........
Photographic apparatus and supplies, optical goods, watches and
clocks ( 1 2 /7 7 - 1 0 0 ) ........................................................................................
-
90
1985
Data not available.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
-
_
_
-
_
_
37.
U.S. import price indexes by Standard International Trade Classification
(June 1977 = 100, unless otherwise indicated)
Category
1974
SITC
ALL COMMODITIES (9/82 = 10 0 ).....................................................................
1985
Sept.
1986
Dec.
Mar.
June
1987
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
92.9
94.2
88.5
83.2
83.9
86.0
91.6
95.3
96.9
Food ( 9 /7 7 - 1 0 0 ) ................................................................................................
Meat .....................................................................................................................
Dairy products and eggs (6/81 = 100) .........................................................
F is h .......................................................................................................................
Bakery goods, pasta products, grain and grain preparations
(9/77 = 100) .......................................................................................................
Fruits and vegetables .......................................................................................
Sugar, sugar preparations, and honey (3/82 = 1 0 0 )....................................
Coffee, tea, c o c o a .............................................................................................
0
01
02
03
94.9
120.6
99.1
129.7
102.8
131.2
100.5
132.7
113.4
122.7
106.7
139.3
104.7
118.5
107.1
144.8
109.1
126.9
109.4
149.6
105.3
134.4
111.5
157.1
100.2
132.1
116.8
161.6
102.0
135.9
119.6
167.4
102.8
142.9
118.9
174.4
04
05
06
07
136.3
120.2
123.1
54.4
141.9
131.3
111.9
64.6
146.9
119.4
124.6
85.9
149.2
119.4
121.6
69.2
154.0
127.1
123.9
71.8
155.3
125.5
124.3
61.0
161.0
120.5
126.0
50.9
165.2
125.4
128.6
49.3
161.2
124.5
128.0
48.3
Beverages and tobacco ...................................................................................
Beverages ...........................................................................................................
1
11
158.0
156.0
162.1
159.1
163.2
161.8
165.5
163.9
165.8
165.5
168.0
168.2
170.8
171.5
174.1
174.6
174.4
175.6
Crude materials ..................................................................................................
Crude rubber (inc. synthetic & reclaimed) (3/84 —1 0 0 )..............................
Wood (9 /8 1 = 1 0 0 ) ............................................................................................
Pulp and waste paper (12/81 =100) .............................................................
Crude fertilizers and crude minerals (12/83 = 100) .....................................
Metalliferous ores and metal scrap (3/84 = 1 0 0 ).........................................
Crude vegetable and animal materials, n.e.s.................................................
2
23
24
25
27
28
29
91.5
68.9
101.6
76.8
102.7
89.5
102.5
91.2
73.2
99.4
75.8
102.1
90.1
102.5
94.2
78.8
104.3
74.9
101.5
94.5
103.6
95.3
75.5
106.3
79.9
100.0
95.6
104.4
98.1
76.9
109.4
86.0
100.4
98.2
104.8
98.5
78.5
107.2
92.8
100.2
95.4
104.7
103.1
79.1
115.0
100.5
99.5
98.0
113.4
105.6
84.5
112.0
104.6
98.5
100.0
120.3
108.6
89.4
119.2
105.6
97.3
102.9
113.6
Fuels and related products (6/82 = 10 0 )......................................................
Petroleum and petroleum products (6/82 —100) ..........................................
3
33
79.8
80.3
79.1
80.1
55.3
54.7
37.5
36.1
33.6
32.1
38.4
37.9
49.7
49.9
54.8
55.2
56.4
57.3
Fats and oils (9/83 = 1 0 0 ).................................................................................
Vegetable oils (9/83 = 1 0 0 )..............................................................................
4
42
57.6
56.2
50.6
48.9
41.4
39.3
39.3
37.4
35.5
33.5
51.6
50.0
50.8
49.2
54.5
52.6
61.3
59.4
Chemicals (9/82 = 1 0 0 )......................................................................................
Medicinal and pharmaceutical products (3/84 = 100) .................................
Manufactured fertilizers (3/84 = 1 0 0 )..............................................................
Chemical materials and products, n.e.s. (9/84 = 10 0 ).................................
5
54
56
59
94.5
95.3
80.8
96.9
94.2
96.7
78.5
97.8
94.6
102.9
79.2
99.9
93.3
104.9
79.7
100.3
93.4
110.0
77.4
101.0
93.2
110.1
79.7
102.8
95.9
116.2
81.8
104.3
98.7
120.3
83.6
105.0
99.5
118.8
98.8
108.2
Intermediate manufactured products (1 2 /7 7 -1 0 0 ) .................................
Leather and furskins .........................................................................................
Rubber manufactures, n.e.s..............................................................................
Cork and wood manufactures .........................................................................
Paper and paperboard products .....................................................................
T extiles.................................................................................................................
Nonmetallic mineral manufactures, n.e.s........................................................
Iron and steel (9/78 = 100) ..............................................................................
Nonferrous metals (12/81 — 100) ....................................................................
Metal manufactures, n.e.s.................................................................................
6
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
133.6
137.0
137.3
123.4
157.8
126.5
157.6
119.1
83.7
119.5
133.4
141.3
138.1
124.0
156.5
128.1
162.2
118.3
80.4
121.6
134.0
141.6
136.5
130.8
157.1
131.2
164.2
117.3
79.4
124.4
135.6
143.0
137.7
134.3
157.1
132.9
169.6
118.1
78.9
127.8
138.8
147.4
138.1
137.4
157.5
135.1
178.2
119.0
83.5
129.1
139.4
143.3
138.1
142.7
164.8
135.3
180.2
118.5
81.6
129.1
142.2
149.5
140.8
144.3
165.2
138.8
183.1
122.3
82.4
133.4
147.4
156.6
140.5
151.6
165.0
140.4
190.3
127.1
90.9
134.5
152.9
159.6
138.4
157.5
175.0
142.8
195.1
132.1
97.5
136.0
Machinery and transport equipment (6/81 = 1 0 0 )....................................
Machinery specialized for particular industries (9/78 = 100) .....................
Metalworking machinery (3 /8 0 -1 0 0 ) ...........................................................
General industrial machinery and parts, n.e.s. (6/81 = 100) .....................
Office machines and automatic data processing equipment
(3/80 = 1 0 0 )......................................................................................................
Telecommunications, sound recording and reproducing apparatus
(3/80 = 1 0 0 ).....................................................................................................
Electrical machinery and equipment (12/81 = 100) .....................................
Road vehicles and parts (6/81 = 1 0 0 )............................................................
7
72
73
74
103.5
101.4
94.2
94.3
107.2
104.9
98.1
98.0
111.5
112.1
105.0
103.8
115.3
115.4
107.7
109.0
118.1
120.1
110.7
112.8
120.2
121.0
115.7
113.9
123.9
127.5
122.4
120.5
126.1
130.0
126.1
123.0
126.4
130.0
129.6
122.2
75
90.3
93.7
96.9
101.3
102.5
102.4
103.2
106.4
106.8
76
77
78
88.3
81.4
112.7
88.6
83.1
117.8
89.4
84.5
123.4
91.6
87.5
127.1
93.7
89.5
129.8
93.9
91.7
133.2
94.6
93.6
137.0
95.5
94.8
139.2
95.8
94.2
139.6
8
81
82
84
85
99.6
117.8
142.1
134.5
142.1
100.8
115.0
142.7
134.5
142.7
103.3
120.1
147.0
133.4
147.0
104.8
123.5
142.2
135.3
142.2
109.5
125.5
145.8
137.8
145.8
109.6
125.5
146.9
139.1
146.9
114.3
125.5
148.9
145.5
148.9
118.1
130.6
153.3
150.9
153.3
119.8
131.1
156.1
154.0
156.1
Mise, manufactured articles (3/80 = 10 0 ).....................................................
Plumbing, heating, and lighting fixtures (6/80 = 100) ..................................
Furniture and parts (6 /8 0 = 1 0 0 ) .....................................................................
Clothing (9 /7 7 -1 0 0 ) ........................................................................................
Footw ear.............................................................................................................
Professional, scientific, and controlling instruments and
apparatus (12/79 = 1 0 0 )..................................................................................
Photographic apparatus and supplies, optical goods, watches, and
clocks (3/80 = 1 0 0 )..........................................................................................
Mise, manufactured articles, n.e.s. (6/82 = 1 0 0 )..........................................
87
98.8
102.4
106.4
112.5
118.3
118.0
125.6
129.5
127.0
88
89
91.1
96.4
94.5
97.9
99.3
102.1
103.2
103.4
106.9
112.3
107.6
111.0
111.8
116.9
114.4
121.8
113.2
124.6
Gold, non-monetary (6 /8 2 = 1 0 0 ) ....................................................................
971
101.1
101.0
106.7
107.3
126.9
123.3
128.0
141.5
143.5
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
38.
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics:
Price Data
U.S. export price indexes by end-use category
(September 1983 = 100 unless otherwise indicated)
Category
Foods, feeds, and beverages ............................................................
Raw m aterials........................................................................................
Raw materials, nondurable ...............................................................
Raw materials, d u ra b le ......................................................................
Capital goods (12/82 = 1 0 0 )................................................................
Automotive vehicles, parts and engines (1 2 /8 2 = 100) .................
Consumer g o o d s ...................................................................................
Nondurables........................................................................................
39.
Percentage
of 1980
trade
value
16.294
30.696
21.327
9.368
30.186
7.483
7.467
3.965
3.501
Dec.
Sept.
76.2
96.5
98.7
91.1
106.6
108.1
101.9
100.4
103.3
1987
1986
1985
77.5
95.9
97.9
91.0
106.6
109.2
101.4
99.5
103.3
Sept.
June
Mar.
75.5
96.0
97.5
92.5
107.4
109.5
103.7
101.8
105.5
74.7
94.9
96.1
91.9
107.5
110.4
104.5
101.8
107.2
66.0
93.3
93.7
92.5
107.7
110.8
104.5
102.1
106.9
Dec.
68.4
94.8
95.4
93.2
108.3
111.8
105.7
102.7
108.5
Mar.
67.1
98.2
99.4
95.1
108.9
111.9
106.9
103.9
109.8
June
71.3
103.1
104.7
99.2
109.4
112.1
107.1
103.6
110.5
Sept.
67.9
105.9
106.1
105.3
109.8
107.5
104.3
110.5
U.S. import price indexes by end-use category
(December 1982 = 100)
Category
Foods, feeds, and beverages .............................................................
Petroleum and petroleum products, excl. natural g a s ....................
Raw materials, excluding petroleum .................................................
Raw materials, nondurable ...............................................................
Raw materials, d u ra b le ......................................................................
Capital g o o d s.........................................................................................
Automotive vehicles, parts and en g in e s ...........................................
Consumer g o o d s ...................................................................................
Durable .................................................................................................
Nondurable..........................................................................................
40.
Percentage
of 1980
trade
value
7.477
31.108
19.205
9.391
9.814
13.164
11.750
14.250
5.507
8.743
Sept.
99.0
80.9
95.4
93.5
97.4
97.6
106.4
101.0
98.9
103.9
1987
1986
1985
Dec.
106.0
80.5
93.9
91.8
96.2
100.0
111.4
102.4
100.7
104.7
Mar.
June
115.8
55.4
94.5
91.1
98.1
102.8
115.6
104.5
103.4
106.0
108.2
36.8
94.0
89.7
98.7
106.7
119.0
106.5
106.5
106.6
Sept.
112.3
32.6
95.3
89.5
101.4
109.4
121.0
110.1
111.2
108.6
Dec.
109.2
38.3
94.9
89.7
100.3
110.7
123.9
110.6
111.6
109.2
Mar.
104.7
50.5
96.9
91.8
102.3
115.3
126.2
114.3
114.8
113.7
June
106.6
55.8
100.5
94.5
106.8
117.8
128.0
117.5
117.5
117.6
U.S. export price indexes by Standard Industrial Classification 1
1987
1986
1985
Industry group
Sept.
Manufacturing:
Food and Kindred products (6/83 — 100) .............................
Lumber and wood products, except furniture
(6 /8 3 - 100) ............................................................................
Furniture and fixtures (9/83 = 100) .......................................
Paper and allied products (3/81 = 1 0 0 )................................
Chemicals and allied products (12/84 = 1 0 0 ).....................
Petroleum and coal products ( 1 2 /8 3 = 1 0 0 ) ........................
Primary metal products (3/82 = 100) ....................................
Machinery, except electrical (9/78 = 1 0 0 )............................
Electrical machinery (12/80—100) .......................................
Transportation equipment ( 1 2 / 7 8 - 1 0 0 ) ..............................
Scientific instruments; optical goods; clocks
(6/77 = 100) ............................................................................
1 SIC - based classification.
92
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
96.7
98.1
97.0
95.0
95.2
97.6
99.0
104.1
103.6
98.3
107.1
93.2
99.7
102.0
88.1
140.6
111.9
162.6
101.2
108.4
92.1
99.2
99.1
87.9
140.5
111.2
164.1
101.5
109.2
95.7
98.9
93.5
89.8
140.6
112.6
165.1
101.2
109.7
101.5
98.3
83.1
89.8
140.3
112.3
167.1
102.1
110.1
106.1
96.2
83.1
90.7
140.5
112.6
167.4
105.7
110.4
108.7
95.9
82.2
89.9
140.7
113.6
169.4
109.8
113.4
113.7
100.1
83.5
91.7
141.0
115.2
170.0
113.0
114.0
116.7
106.3
86.8
97.4
141.2
115.3
171.2
133.1
114.1
120.3
107.6
87.1
100.1
141.3
115.8
172.3
156.2
156.7
159.7
161.2
161.5
162.3
163.3
164.6
164.7
Sept.
107.5
57.9
103.5
95.5
112.1
118.2
127.9
119.2
119.0
119.4
41.
U.S. import price indexes by Standard Industrial Classification 1
1985
1986
1987
Industry group
Sept.
Manufacturing:
Food and kindred products (6/77 = 100) ................................
Textile mill products (9 /8 2 = 1 0 0 ) ..........................................
Apparel and related products ( 6 /7 7 = 1 0 0 ) .................................
Lumber and wood products, except furniture
(6/77 = 100) .........................................................
Furniture and fixtures (6/80 = 10 0 ).............................
Paper and allied products ( 6 /7 7 = 1 0 0 ) .....................................
Chemicals and allied products (9 /8 2 = 1 0 0 ) ........................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastic products
(12/80 = 1 0 0 )...............................................
Leather and leather products ..................................
Primary metal products (6/81 = 100) ...........................................
Fabricated metal products (12/84 = 1 0 0 )....................................
Machinery, except electrical (3/80 = 100) ............
Electrical machinery (9/84 = 10 0 ).....................
Transportation equipment (6/8 1 = 1 0 0 ) .............................
Scientific instruments; optical goods; clocks
( 1 2 /7 9 = 1 0 0 ) ......................................................
Miscellaneous manufactured commodities
(9 /8 2 = 1 0 0 ) .............................................................
'
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
114.2
100.4
133.9
115.1
101.8
134.4
117.7
104.7
133.4
115.6
106.4
135.1
118.0
107.1
137.8
122.4
108.0
139.3
122.7
111.7
146.0
125.9
113.6
150.9
128.5
116.2
154.1
117.5
97.7
138.7
93.3
115.8
98.2
137.4
95.8
122.1
101.2
137.6
98.6
124.8
103.5
139.4
102.1
127.9
105.4
142.2
103.8
127.9
105.6
150.3
102.4
134.5
109.6
154.0
104.7
135.0
110.2
155.7
105.7
141.7
111.5
163.1
106.1
96.6
142.3
84.3
101.0
96.6
94.5
114.8
97.5
144.0
82.6
102.6
100.0
95.8
119.6
100.9
145.8
82.0
104.9
105.5
97.0
123.9
100.6
144.6
82.4
108.5
109.0
100.2
128.0
101.9
147.7
84.9
110.3
112.5
102.6
130.4
102.1
148.7
84.0
111.1
114.2
104.0
133.2
104.4
151.8
85.4
115.5
119.1
105.7
136.5
105.8
156.2
91.3
116.2
122.1
106.9
138.4
105.0
159.8
96.0
118.1
122.5
106.5
138.8
94.6
98.8
103.9
109.1
113.7
113.7
119.1
122.1
120.4
96.6
98.7
99.9
101.7
106.9
108.1
110.3
113.8
116.4
SIC - based classification.
42.
Indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, and unit costs, quarterly data seasonally adjusted
(1977 = 100)
Quarterly Indexes
I
109.6
183.6
101.4
167.5
165.7
166.9
109.6
185.2
101.6
169.0
162.4
166.7
109.7
185.8
100.7
169.4
166.0
168.2
110.1
187.3
100.3
170.2
168.6
169.6
110.9
189.3
100.4
170.7
169.7
170.3
107.7
180.0
99.7
167.2
164.7
166.4
107.7
181.3
100.8
168.4
165.2
167.3
107.5
182.6
100.9
169.8
167.0
168.8
107.5
184.4
101.2
171.5
163.9
168.8
107.6
184.9
100.2
171.8
167.4
170.3
108.0
186.3
99.7
172.5
169.2
171.4
108.7
188.1
99.7
173.1
170.6
172.2
108.9
175.7
97.7
166.0
161.4
179.4
128.7
161.6
161.5
109.8
177.2
98.2
166.3
161.5
180.7
129.7
162.8
161.9
109.7
178.4
99.1
167.2
162.6
180.6
129.5
162.7
162.7
109.9
179.5
99.2
168.5
163.2
184.2
130.6
165.4
164.0
110.5
181.0
99.3
168.7
163.8
183.2
127.7
163.7
163.8
109.7
180.8
98.0
169.7
164.8
184.1
132.2
165.9
165.2
109.9
182.0
97.4
170.9
165.6
186.6
132.9
167.8
166.3
126.1
180.2
100.2
142.9
127.6
181.0
100.3
141.9
128.4
182.1
101.2
141.8
129.3
183.1
101.2
141.7
129.8
184.3
101.2
142.0
130.8
183.9
99.6
140.5
132.9
184.8
98.9
139.0
108.2
177.0
99.4
163.6
161.8
163.0
107.9
179.3
99.7
166.1
160.2
164.0
109.5
180.7
100.1
165.0
163.1
164.3
105.2
172.2
98.4
163.6
159.5
162.2
105.7
174.1
98.3
164.7
161.5
163.6
106.4
176.2
98.9
165.7
163.4
164.9
105.9
178.3
99.2
168.3
160.8
165.7
Nonfinancial corporations:
Output per hour of all em plo yees...........................
Compensation per h o u r............................................
Real compensation per h o u r ...................................
Total unit c o s ts ...........................................................
Unit labor costs ......................................................
Unit nonlabor c o s ts ................................................
Unit p ro fits ...................................................................
Unit nonlabor payments ...........................................
Implicit price deflator ................................................
107.0
169.9
97.0
163.6
158.9
177.5
132.0
161.6
159.8
107.7
171.8
97.0
164.3
159.5
178.7
132.2
162.5
160.5
109.2
173.8
97.6
163.7
159.1
177.5
142.5
165.2
161.2
Manufacturing:
Output per hour of all p e rs o n s ................................
Compensation per h o u r............................................
Real compensation per h o u r ...................................
Unit labor costs .........................................................
121.3
173.3
99.0
142.9
124.1
176.1
99.5
142.0
125.3
178.0
99.9
142.1
Nonfarm business:
Output per hour of all p e rs o n s ................................
Compensation per h o u r............................................
Real compensation per h o u r ...................................
Unit labor costs ..........................................................
Unit nonlabor payments ...........................................
Implicit price deflator ................................................
III
109.7
182.2
101.3
166.2
163.9
165.4
107.2
174.6
98.6
162.8
160.4
162.0
106.5
172.4
98.5
161.9
158.7
160.8
II
II
IV
IV
II
I
III
III
I
Business:
Output per hour of all p e rs o n s ................................
Compensation per h o u r............................................
Real compensation per hour ...................................
Unit labor costs .........................................................
Unit nonlabor payments ...........................................
Implicit price deflator ................................................
1987
1986
1985
Item
-
-
-
“
134.4
185.4
98.3
138.0
Data not available.
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93
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
43.
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics:
Productivity Data
Annual indexes of multifactor productivity and related measures, selected years
(1977 = 100)
Item
1960
1970
1973
1976
1978
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
Private business
Productivity:
Output per hour of all persons .............................
Output per unit of capital s e rv ic e s ......................
Multifactor productivity...........................................
Output ..........................................................................
Inputs:
Hours of all persons...............................................
Capitai services ......................................................
Combined units of labor and capital in p u t.........
Capital per hour of all persons................................
67.3
102.1
78.1
55.3
88.4
101.9
92.9
80.2
95.9
105.3
99.1
93.0
98.4
97.2
98.0
94.5
100.8
102.0
101.2
105.8
99.2
94.2
97.4
106.6
100.6
92.4
97.7
108.9
100.3
86.7
95.3
105.4
103.1
88.4
97.7
109.9
105.7
92.8
101.0
119.2
107.6
92.8
102.2
124.0
109.7
92.8
103.4
128.1
82.2
54.2
70.8
65.9
90.8
78.7
86.3
86.7
96.9
88.3
93.8
91.1
96.1
97.2
96.5
101.2
105.0
103.8
104.5
98.8
107.5
113.1
109.4
105.3
108.2
117.8
111.5
108.8
105.2
121.7
110.7
115.7
106.7
124.4
112.6
116.6
112.8
128.5
118.1
113.9
115.2
133.6
121.3
116.0
116.8
138.0
123.8
118.2
70.7
103.6
80.9
54.4
89.2
102.8
93.7
79.9
96.4
106.0
99.6
92.9
98.5
97.3
98.1
94.4
100.8
101.9
101.2
106.0
98.7
93.4
96.9
106.6
99.6
91.1
96.7
108.4
99.1
85.1
94.1
104.8
102.5
87.3
97.0
110.1
104.7
91.3
99.9
119.3
105.9
90.8
100.5
123.7
107.6
90.5
101.4
127.6
77.0
52.5
67.3
68.2
89.6
77.8
85.3
86.8
96.3
87.6
93.3
91.0
95.8
97.0
96.2
101.3
105.1
104.0
104.7
98.9
108.0
114.1
110.0
105.6
108.8
119.0
112.2
109.4
105.7
123.2
111.4
116.5
107.4
126.1
113.5
117.4
114.0
130.6
119.4
114.6
116.8
136.3
123.1
116.7
118.5
141.0
125.8
119.0
62.2
102.5
71.9
52.5
80.8
98.6
85.2
78.6
93.4
111.4
97.9
96.3
97.1
96.2
96.8
93.1
101.5
102.1
101.7
106.0
101.4
91.2
98.7
103.2
103.6
89.2
99.8
104.8
105.9
81.8
99.2
98.4
112.0
86.9
105.1
104.7
118.1
95.7
112.2
117.5
124.2
97.8
117.0
122.5
128.8
99.3
120.6
125.9
84.4
51.2
73.0
60.7
97.3
79.7
92.2
82.0
103.1
86.4
98.4
83.8
95.9
96.7
96.1
100.9
104.4
103.7
104.2
99.4
101.7
113.1
104.5
111.2
101.1
117.5
105.0
116.2
92.9
120.3
99.2
129.4
93.5
120.6
99.7
129.0
99.5
122.8
104.7
123.5
98.7
125.3
104.8
127.0
97.8
126.8
104.4
129.7
Private nonfarm business
Productivity:
Output per hour of all persons .............................
Output per unit of capital s e rv ic e s .......................
Multifactor productivity...........................................
Output ..........................................................................
Inputs:
Hours of all persons...............................................
Capital services ......................................................
Combined units of labor and capital input .........
Capital per hour of all persons................................
Manufacturing
Productivity:
Output per hour of all persons .............................
Output per unit of capital s e rv ic e s ......................
Multifactor productivity...........................................
O u tp u t..........................................................................
Inputs:
Hours of all persons...............................................
Combined units of labor and capital inputs .......
Capital per hour of all persons................................
94
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
44.
Annual indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices, selected years
(1977 = 100)
Item
1960
1970
1973
1975
1977
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
67.6
33.6
68.9
49.7
46.4
48.5
88.4
57.8
90.2
65.4
59.4
63.2
95.9
70.9
96.7
73.9
72.5
73.4
95.7
85.2
95.9
89.0
88.2
88.7
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
99.6
119.1
99.4
119.5
112.5
117.0
99.3
131.5
96.7
132.5
118.7
127.6
100.7
143.7
95.7
142.7
134.6
139.8
100.3
154.9
97.3
154.5
136.6
148.1
103.0
161.5
98.2
156.7
146.4
153.0
105.6
168.0
98.0
159.1
156.5
158.2
107.5
175.9
99.1
163.6
160.3
162.4
109.5
182.8
101.0
166.9
163.8
165.8
71.0
35.3
72.3
49.7
46.3
48.5
89.3
58.2
90.8
65.2
60.0
63.4
96.4
71.2
97.1
73.9
69.3
72.3
96.0
85.6
96.4
89.2
86.7
88.3
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
99.3
118.9
99.2
119.7
110.5
116.5
98.8
131.3
96.6
132.9
118.5
127.8
99.8
143.6
95.7
144.0
133.5
140.3
99.2
154.8
97.2
156.0
136.5
149.2
102.5
161.5
98.2
157.6
148.3
154.3
104.6
167.8
97.9
160.4
156.4
159.0
105.8
175.2
98.7
165.6
161.3
164.1
107.5
182.0
100.6
169.3
165.2
167.8
73.4
36.9
75.5
49.4
50.2
47.0
59.8
51.5
50.7
91.1
59.2
92.4
64.8
65.0
64.2
52.3
60.1
63.3
97.5
71.6
97.6
72.7
73.4
70.7
65.6
68.9
71.9
96.7
85.9
96.7
90.3
88.8
94.9
77.0
88.6
88.7
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
99.8
118.7
99.1
118.2
119.0
115.8
94.5
108.4
115.4
99.1
131.1
96.4
133.4
132.3
136.7
85.2
118.6
127.6
99.6
143.3
95.5
147.7
143.8
159.1
98.1
137.8
141.7
100.4
154.3
96.9
159.5
153.8
176.4
78.5
142.1
149.8
103.5
159.9
97.3
159.5
154.5
174.3
110.9
152.1
153.7
106.0
165.8
96.7
160.8
156.5
173.6
136.5
160.6
157.9
108.2
172.8
97.4
164.4
159.7
178.3
133.9
162.7
160.7
109.9
178.9
98.9
167.7
162.8
182.2
129.3
163.7
163.1
62.2
36.5
74.8
58.7
60.0
59.1
80.8
57.4
89.5
71.0
64.1
69.0
93.4
68.8
93.8
73.7
70.7
72.8
92.9
85.1
95.9
91.7
87.5
90.5
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
101.4
118.6
99.1
117.0
98.9
111.7
101.4
132.4
97.4
130.6
97.8
121.0
103.6
145.2
96.7
140.1
111.8
131.8
105.9
157.5
98.9
148.7
114.0
138.6
112.0
162.4
98.8
145.0
128.5
140.2
118.1
168.0
98.0
142.2
138.6
141.2
124.2
176.9
99.6
142.4
134.7
140.2
128.8
182.7
100.9
141.8
137.9
140.7
Business:
Output per hour of all p e rs o n s ................................
Compensation per h o u r...........................................
Real compensation per hour ..................................
Unit labor c o s ts ..........................................................
Unit nonlabor p a ym e n ts ...........................................
Implicit price deflator ................................................
Nonfarm business:
Output per hour of all p e rs o n s ................................
Compensation per h o u r............................................
Real compensation per h o u r ...................................
Unit labor costs ..............................................
Unit nonlabor payments ...........................................
Implicit price deflator ................................................
Nonfinancial corporations:
Output per hour of all em plo yees...........................
Compensation per h o u r............................................
Real compensation per h o u r ...................................
Total unit c o s ts ...........................................................
Unit labor costs .......................................................
Unit nonlabor c o s ts ................................................
Unit p ro fits ...................................................................
Unit nonlabor payments ...........................................
Implicit price deflator ................................................
Manufacturing:
Output per hour of all p e rs o n s ................................
Compensation per h o u r............................................
Real compensation per h o u r ...................................
Unit labor costs .........................................................
Unit nonlabor payments ...........................................
Implicit price deflator ................................................
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics:
International Comparisons Data
45. Unemployment rates, approximating U.S. concepts, in nine countries, quarterly data
seasonally adjusted
Annual average
1986
1987
Country
1985
1986
I
III
II
IV
I
II
III
Total labor force basis
United S ta te s ........................................
Canada ..................................................
Australia ................................................
Japan .....................................................
7.1
10.4
8.2
2.6
6.9
9.5
8.0
2.8
France ....................................................
G erm any................................................
Italy
2 ..................................................
Sweden .................................................
United K ingdom ....................................
10.2
7.7
5.9
2.8
11.2
United S ta te s ........................................
Canada ..................................................
Australia ................................................
Japan .....................................................
France ...................................................
G erm any................................................
Italy', 2 ...................................................
Sweden .................................................
United Kingdom ....................................
7.0
9.7
7.9
2.7
7.0
9.5
7.7
2.8
6.8
9.6
8.2
2.9
6.8
9.4
8.3
2.9
6.6
9.6
8.3
3.0
6.1
9.0
8.1
3.1
10.4
7.4
6.2
2.6
11.1
10.2
7.6
6.1
2.7
11.1
10.4
7.5
6.2
2.6
11.2
10.6
7.4
5.9
2.6
11.1
10.6
7.2
6.5
2.6
10.9
11.0
7.3
6.6
2.0
10.6
11.0
7.4
6.6
1.9
10.2
7.2
10.5
8.3
2.6
7.0
9.6
8.1
2.8
7.1
9.7
8.0
2.7
7.1
9.6
7.8
2.8
6.9
9.7
8.3
2.9
6.9
9.4
8.4
2.9
6.7
9.6
8.3
3.0
6.2
9.1
8.2
3.1
10.4
7.9
6.0
2.8
11.2
10.7
7.6
6.3
2.7
11.1
10.5
7.8
6.2
2.8
11.2
10.7
7.7
6.3
2.6
11.2
10.8
7.5
6.0
2.6
11.2
10.8
7.4
6.6
2.6
10.9
11.2
7.4
6.7
2.0
10.7
11.3
7.5
6.7
1.9
10.3
5.9
8.8
-
10.9
7.5
6.6
-
9.7
Civilian labor force basis
' Quarterly rates are for the first month of the quarter.
2 Major changes in the Italian labor force survey, intro
duced in 1977, resulted in a large increase in persons enu
merated as unemployed. However, many persons reported
that they had not actively sought work in the past 30 days,
and they have been provisionally excluded for comparability
with U.S. concepts. Inclusion of such persons would about
6.0
8.8
-
11.2
7.6
6.8
-
9.8
double the Italian unemployment rate shown.
- Data not available.
NOTE: Quarterly figures for France, Germany, and the
United Kingdom are calculated by applying annual adjust
ment factors to current published data and therefore should
be viewed as less precise indicators of unemployment under
U.S. concepts than the annual figures.
46. Annual data: Employment status of the civilian working-age population, approximating U.S. concepts,
10 countries
(Numbers in thousands)
Employment status and country
1977
1978
1979
1980
99,009
10.50C
6,358
53,820
22,300
25,870
20,510
4,950
4,168
26,050
102,251
10,895
6,443
54,610
22,460
26,000
20,570
5,010
4,203
26,260
104,962
11,231
6,519
55,210
22,670
26,250
20,850
5,100
4,262
26,350
106,940
11,573
6,693
55,740
22,800
26,520
21,120
5,310
4,312
26,520
62.3
61.6
62.7
62.5
57.6
53.4
48.2
49.0
65.9
62.7
63.2
62.7
61.9
62.8
57.5
53.3
47.8
48.8
66.1
62.8
63.7
63.4
61.6
62.7
57.5
53.3
48.0
49.0
66.6
62.6
92,017
9,651
6,000
52,720
21,180
24,970
19,670
4,700
4,093
24,400
96,048
9,987
6,038
53,370
21,250
25,130
19,720
4,750
4,109
24,610
57.9
56.6
59.2
61.2
54.7
51.6
46.3
46.5
64.8
58.7
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
108,670
11,904
6,810
56,320
22,930
26,650
21,320
5,520
4,327
26,590
110,204
11,958
6,910
56,980
23,160
26,710
21,410
5,570
4,350
26,740
111,550
12,183
6,997
58,110
23,130
26,740
21,590
5,600
4,369
26,790
113,544
12,399
7,133
58,480
23,290
26,890
21,670
5,620
4,385
27,180
115,461
12,639
7,272
58,820
23,340
27,090
21,800
5,710
4,418
27,370
117,834
12,870
7,562
59,410
23,480
27,280
21,990
63.8
64.1
62.1
62.6
57.2
53.2
48.2
50.2
66.9
62.5
63.9
64.8
61.9
62.6
57.1
52.9
48.3
51.4
66.8
62.2
64.0
64.1
61.7
62.7
57.1
52.7
47.7
51.2
66.8
62.3
64.0
64.4
61.4
63.1
56.6
52.5
47.5
50.9
66.7
62.1
64.4
64.8
61.5
62.7
56.6
52.6
47.3
50.5
66.6
62.6
64.8
65.2
61.8
62.3
56.2
52.8
47.2
50.7
66.9
62.7
65.3
65.7
63.0
62.1
56.2
53.2
47.5
98,824
10,395
6,111
54,040
21,300
25,470
19,930
4,830
4,174
24,940
99,303
10,708
6,284
54,600
21,330
25,750
20,200
4,980
4,226
24,670
100,397
11,006
6,416
55,060
21,200
25,560
20,280
5,010
4,219
23,800
99,526
10,644
6,415
55,620
21,240
25,130
20,250
4,980
4,213
23,710
100,834
10,734
6,300
56,550
21,170
24,750
20,320
4,890
4,218
23,600
59.3
57.5
58.0
61.3
54.4
51.5
45.9
46.3
64.6
58.8
59.9
58.7
57.8
61.4
54.0
51.7
45.9
46.4
65.3
59.2
59.2
59.3
58.3
61.3
53.5
51.7
46.1
47.0
65.6
58.1
59.0
59.9
58.4
61.2
52.8
50.8
45.9
46.6
65.1
55.7
57.8
57.0
57.3
61.2
52.3
49.6
45.2
45.8
64.7
55.3
57.9
56.7
55.3
61.4
51.8
48.6
44.7
44.5
64.4
54.7
59.5
57.4
56.0
61.0
51.0
48.5
44.5
44.3
64.5
55.3
60.1
58.4
56.6
60.6
50.4
48.7
44.4
45.7
65.0
55.7
6,991
849
358
1,100
1,120
900
840
250
75
1,660
6,202
908
405
1,240
1,210
870
850
260
94
1,650
6,137
836
408
1,170
1,370
780
920
270
88
1,420
7,637
865
409
1,140
1,470
770
920
330
86
1,850
8,273
898
394
1,260
1,730
1,090
1,040
510
108
2,790
10,678
1,314
495
1,360
1,920
1,580
1,160
590
137
3,030
10,717
1,448
697
1,560
1,960
1,990
1,270
710
151
3,190
8,539
1,399
642
1,610
2,310
2,090
1,280
690
136
3,180
8,312
1,328
602
1,560
2,440
2,130
1,310
600
125
3,070
7.1
8.1
5.6
2.0
5.0
3.5
4.1
5.1
1.8
6.4
6.1
8.3
6.3
2.3
5.4
3.3
4.1
5.2
2.2
6.3
5.8
7.4
6.3
2.1
6.0
3.0
4.4
5.3
2.1
5.4
7.1
7.5
6.1
2.0
6.4
2.9
4.4
6.2
2.0
7.0
7.6
7.5
5.8
2.2
7.5
4.1
4.9
9.2
2.5
10.5
9.7
11.0
7.2
2.4
8.3
5.9
5.4
10.6
3.1
11.3
9.6
11.9
10.0
2.7
8.5
7.4
5.9
12.7
3.5
11.9
7.5
11.3
9.0
2.8
9.9
7.8
5.9
12.3
3.1
11.7
7.2
10.5
8.3
2.6
10.4
7.9
6.0
10.5
2.8
11.2
Labor force
United S ta te s .............................................................
Canada .......................................................................
A u stralia......................................................................
Japan ..........................................................................
France .........................................................................
G erm any.........................................
Ita ly ......................................
N etherlands.........................................
S w e d e n ...................................................
United K ingdo m .................................................
4,437
27,460
Participation rate1
United S ta te s ..........................................
Canada .......................................................................
A u stralia......................................................................
Japan ..........................................................................
F ra n ce ..........................................................................
G erm any......................................................................
Ita ly ...............................................................................
N etherlands.................................................................
S w eden........................................................................
United K ingdo m ..........................................................
67.2
62.5
Employed
United S ta te s .............................................
Canada .............................................
A u stralia.................................
Japan ...........................................................................
F ra n ce ..........................................................................
G erm any......................................................................
Ita ly ...............................................................................
N etherlands.................................................................
S w eden...........................
United K ingdo m ...............................
105,005 " 107,150
11,000
11,311
6,490
6,670
56,870
57,260
20,980
20,900
24,800
24,960
20,390
20,490
4,930
5,110
4,249
4,293
24,000
24,300
109,597
11,634
6,952
57,740
20,970
25,210
20,610
4,319
24,400
Employment-population ratio2
United S ta te s .....................................
Canada ........................................................................
A u stralia.......................................................................
Japan ...........................................................................
France ..........................................................................
G erm any......................................................................
Ita ly .............................
N etherlands...............................
S w eden........................................
United K ingdo m ...........................
60.7
59.4
57.9
60.4
50.2
49.1
44.6
_
65.4
55.6
Unemployed
United S ta te s ..............................................................
A u stralia...................................
Japan ...........................
France ..................................
G erm any...........................
Ita ly .................................
N etherlands..........................
Sweden ........................
United K ingdo m ............................
8,237
1,236
610
1,670
2,510
2,070
1,380
118
3,060
Unemployment rate
United States ..............................................................
Canada ........................................................................
A u stralia.......................................................................
Japan ...........................................................................
F ra n ce ..........................................................................
G erm any......................................................................
Ita ly ..........................................................................
N etherlands........................
S w e d e n ..................................
United K ingdo m ................................
Labor force as a percent of the civilian working-age population.
Employment as a percent of the civilian working-age population.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Data not available.
7.0
9.6
8.1
2.8
10.7
7.6
63
2.7
11.1
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics:
International Comparisons Data
47. Annual indexes of manufacturing productivity and related measures, 12 countries
(1977 = 100)
Item and country
1960
1970
1973
1974
1975
1976
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
Output per hour
Japan ...........................................................................
B e lgium ........................................................................
G erm any......................................................................
Ita ly ...............................................................................
N o rw ay.........................................................................
United K ingdom ..........................................................
62.2
50.7
23.2
32.8
37.2
36.4
40.3
36.5
32.4
54.6
42.3
55.5
80.8
75.6
64.8
59.9
65.5
69.6
71.2
72.7
64.3
81.7
80.7
79.7
93.4
90.3
83.1
78.2
83.2
82.2
84.0
90.9
81.5
94.6
94.8
95.6
90.6
91.7
86.5
82.6
86.0
85.2
87.4
95.3
88.1
97.7
98.8
97.4
92.9
88.6
87.7
85.9
94.6
88.5
90.1
91.1
86.2
96.8
100.2
95.2
97.1
94.8
94.3
95.1
98.2
95.0
96.5
98.9
95.8
99.7
101.7
99.5
101.5
101.1
108.0
106.3
101.5
105.7
103.1
103.0
106.4
101.8
102.8
101.5
101.4
102.0
114.8
112.3
106.5
110.3
108.2
110.5
112.3
107.1
110.9
102.4
101.4
98.2
122.7
119.7
112.3
112.0
108.6
116.9
113.9
106.7
112.7
101.7
103.6
102.9
127.2
128.1
114.2
116.4
111.0
121.0
116.9
107.0
113.2
107.0
105.9
100.4
135.0
135.7
114.6
123.5
112.6
123.4
119.4
109.8
116.5
113.6
112.0
106.9
142.3
144.7
120.2
128.8
119.1
126.6
127.5
117.2
125.5
123.0
116.6
110.2
152.5
149.8
118.9
133.8
123.5
134.7
141.2
123.9
131.0
129.5
121.7
112.7
163.7
153.3
117.2
138.3
128.9
136.8
145.6
125.2
134.5
134.2
126.0
112.1
168.2
”
116.6
140.9
131.4
138.4
52.5
41.3
19.2
41.6
49.2
35.4
50.0
37.4
44.8
55.1
52.6
71.2
78.6
73.5
69.9
78.0
82.0
73.3
86.6
78.0
84.4
86.9
92.5
95.0
96.3
93.5
91.9
95.7
95.9
88.6
96.1
90.5
95.8
99.5
100.3
104.8
91.7
96.3
91.7
99.5
97.4
91.8
95.4
96.3
100.0
104.0
105.7
103.5
84.9
89.9
86.2
92.0
95.0
90.0
91.0
86.9
92.7
101.0
106.1
96.3
93.1
96.5
94.8
99.4
99.6
96.1
98.0
97.9
99.0
101.4
106.1
98.2
106.0
104.6
106.7
101.6
99.7
103.4
101.8
101.8
102.8
98.2
97.3
100.6
108.1
108.5
113.9
104.4
105.4
106.1
106.6
108.6
106.1
100.3
103.6
100.5
103.2
103.6
124.1
107.3
110.1
106.6
106.6
115.4
106.6
98.8
104.0
91.7
104.8
107.4
129.8
106.0
106.6
105.9
104.9
114.3
106.7
97.7
100.6
86.2
98.4
95.6
137.3
110.5
108.3
106.0
102.4
111.6
105.0
97.4
100.1
86.4
104.7
101.0
148.2
112.1
115.6
107.4
103.6
109.2
107.0
97.2
105.2
88.9
116.0
108.4
165.4
114.1
120.0
108.4
106.4
113.7
112.9
102.6
111.5
92.4
120.4
113.6
179.3
115.1
123.6
108.6
111.7
115.5
115.3
105.2
113.8
95.2
124.4
115.4
182.1
"
127.0
108.1
114.5
119.3
~
107.0
114.4
96.0
84.4
81.4
82.7
127.1
132.4
97.2
123.8
102.3
138.4
101.0
124.4
128.3
97.3
97.2
107.9
130.2
125.1
105.3
121.7
107.4
131.2
106.4
114.6
119.1
103.1
103.6
110.7
122.3
115.2
107.8
114.4
99.6
117.6
105.1
105.7
109.5
101.2
105.0
106.1
120.4
113.2
107.8
109.2
101.0
113.5
106.5
107.0
106.3
91.4
101.5
98.2
107.1
100.4
101.7
101.0
95.4
107.6
104.3
105.9
101.2
95.9
101.8
100.6
104.6
101.4
101.2
101.6
99.0
103.3
101.7
104.3
98.7
104.4
103.4
98.8
95.5
98.3
97.8
98.7
98.8
96.6
96.5
94.6
99.1
106.5
106.3
99.3
93.0
99.0
96.2
98.5
98.2
94.4
93.6
93.4
98.1
101.7
105.5
101.2
89.6
98.1
95.2
98.1
98.7
93.6
92.6
92.3
90.2
101.1
104.3
102.0
82.8
93.4
91.0
94.6
94.5
91.2
91.3
88.9
80.6
92.9
95.1
101.7
81.4
94.5
85.8
91.0
90.4
88.0
88.6
85.9
76.1
93.5
94.5
104.2
77.5
96.2
83.4
87.0
86.2
83.9
82.9
83.9
72.3
99.5
98.3
108.5
76.2
101.0
81.0
86.2
84.4
79.9
82.8
85.1
71.3
98.9
100.8
109.6
75.1
105.5
78.5
86.7
84.4
79.2
84.0
84.6
71.0
98.7
103.0
108.3
“
108.9
76.7
87.2
86.2
“
87.6
83.9
69.5
36.5
27.5
8.9
13.8
12.6
15.1
18.8
8.3
12.5
15.8
14.7
15.2
57.4
47.9
33.9
34.9
36.3
36.6
48.0
26.1
39.0
37.9
38.5
31.5
68.8
60.3
55.1
53.5
56.1
52.3
67.5
43.7
60.5
54.5
54.2
48.3
76.2
69.1
72.3
65.2
67.9
62.0
76.9
54.5
71.9
63.6
63.8
57.7
85.1
78.9
84.2
79.0
81.0
76.7
84.5
70.2
82.2
77.2
77.3
77.3
92.1
90.3
90.7
89.5
90.4
88.9
91.3
84.2
91.9
88.8
91.5
89.3
108.2
107.6
106.6
107.8
110.2
113.5
107.8
114.5
108.4
110.0
111.4
116.4
118.6
118.6
113.4
117.5
123.1
129.3
116.1
134.7
117.0
116.0
120.1
138.8
132.4
J31.3
120.7
130.4
135.9
148.2
125.6
160.2
123.6
128.0
133.6
168.3
145.2
151.1
129.8
144.5
149.6
171.5
134.5
197.1
129.1
142.8
148.1
192.5
157.5
167.3
136.6
150.7
162.9
202.3
141.0
237.3
137.5
156.0
158.9
212.3
162.4
177.4
140.7
159.8
174.2
227.0
148.4
276.4
144.0
173.5
173.3
227.7
168.2
188.0
144.9
173.1
184.3
246.9
155.5
307.4
151.0
188.3
189.7
243.9
176.7
195.9
152.0
183.7
194.4
262.5
162.8
339.5
159.0
204.8
208.9
261.3
181.9
202.2
157.3
“
202.6
274.0
171.0
353.9
58.7
54.2
38.4
42.0
33.8
41.6
46.6
22.8
38.5
29.0
34.8
27.4
71.0
63.4
52.3
58.2
55.4
52.6
67.4
36.0
60.7
46.4
47.7
39.5
73.7
66.8
66.4
68.4
67.4
63.6
80.3
48.1
74.3
57.6
57.2
50.5
84.1
75.3
83.6
78.9
79.0
72.8
88.0
57.2
81.6
65.2
64.6
59.3
91.7
89.1
96.0
91.9
85.6
86.7
93.8
77.1
95.4
79.7
77.1
81.2
94.9
95.3
96.2
94.2
92.1
93.6
94.6
85.1
96.0
89.1
90.0
89.8
106.6
106.5
98.7
101.4
108.6
107.4
104.5
111.2
101.8
108.1
108.4
114.7
117.0
116.2
98.8
104.7
115.7
117.3
107.3
121.9
104.1
108.2
108.3
135.5
130.6
133.7
98.4
109.0
121.0
132.3
115.7
137.0
108.5
120.0
118.6
165.4
140.1
146.7
102.0
112.8
131.1
147.4
121.2
162.9
110.4
133.4
130.9
179.9
148.7
166.5
101.2
111.1
142.2
163.8
125.2
192.4
115.2
142.1
136.3
186.9
145.0
166.0
98.9
110.5
144.9
176.2
124.6
218.3
113.0
148.0
138.1
185.1
144.2
170.6
95.0
115.6
155.1
184.5
125.9
228.2
106.9
152.0
144.8
188.4
145.1
173.8
92.9
119.8
166.0
189.8
126.3
248.2
109.2
163.5
155.3
194.7
144.3
180.4
93.5
“
173.8
194.4
130.2
255.7
180.5
163.6
204.4
58.7
59.4
28.5
30.2
29.5
41.7
25.9
32.5
25.1
21.7
30.1
44.2
71.0
64.5
39.1
42.0
44.4
46.8
42.9
50.6
41.2
34.5
41.1
54.2
73.7
71.0
65.6
63.1
67.2
70.4
70.4
73.1
65.6
53.4
58.7
70.9
84.1
81.8
76.8
72.7
77.9
74.5
79.1
77.6
74.6
62.8
65.1
79.5
91.7
93.1
86.7
89.7
89.6
99.5
88.7
104.3
92.8
81.4
83.2
103.4
94.9
102.7
86.9
87.5
91.5
96.3
87.3
90.5
89.1
86.9
92.3
92.9
106.6
99.3
126.8
115.6
118.4
117.3
121.0
115.6
115.7
109.7
107.2
126.1
117.0
105.4
121.3
127.9
132.0
135.5
135.9
129.5
127.4
113.8
112.9
164.9
130.6
121.5
116.8
133.7
129.0
154.1
147.9
141.4
134.2
129.3
125.3
220.5
140.1
130.0
123.8
109.2
110.3
133.2
124.9
126.3
108.9
123.6
115.4
208.8
148.7
143.4
108.8
86.9
102.3
122.4
119.7
125.4
105.8
117.1
96.9
187.2
145.0
143.1
111.5
77.4
95.1
113.7
113.3
126.8
97.1
107.9
80.4
160.8
144.2
139.9
107.2
71.7
89.9
103.8
102.7
114.7
81.8
99.1
78.2
144.3
145.1
135.2
104.3
72.3
94.0
103.9
99.6
114.8
80.7
101.3
80.6
144.8
144.3
137.9
148.7
“
128.9
138.0
139.2
151.4
Output
Japan ...........................................................................
B e lgium ........................................................................
G e rm any......................................................................
Ita ly ...............................................................................
N orw ay.........................................................................
United K ingdom ..........................................................
Total hours
Japan ...........................................................................
B e lgium ........................................................................
G erm any......................................................................
Ita ly ...............................................................................
N o rw ay.........................................................................
United K ingdo m ..........................................................
Compensation per hour
Japan ...........................................................................
B e lgium ........................................................................
G e rm any......................................................................
Ita ly ...............................................................................
N o rw ay.........................................................................
United K ingdo m .........................................................
Unit labor costs: National currency basis
Japan ...........................................................................
Unit labor costs: U.S. dollar basis
B elgium .......................................................................
United K ingdo m ........................................................
-
Data not available.
98
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
s
122.1
136.4
138.2
220.5
223.1
282.4
“
129.8
102.5
171.9
48. Occupational injury and illness incidence rates by industry, United States
Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers2
Industry and type of case'
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
PRIVATE SECTOR'
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday cases ..........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
9.4
4.1
63.5
9.5
4.3
67.7
8.7
4.0
65.2
8.3
3.8
61.7
7.7
3.5
58.7
7.6
3.4
58.5
8.0
3.7
63.4
7.9
3.6
64.9
7.9
3.6
65.8
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing*
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ..........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
11.6
5.4
80.7
11.7
5.7
83.7
11.9
5.8
82.7
12.3
5.9
82.8
11.8
5.9
86.0
11.9
6.1
90.8
12.0
6.1
90.7
11.4
5.7
91.3
11.2
5.6
93.6
Mining
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday cases ..........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
11.5
6.4
143.2
11.4
6.8
150.5
11.2
6.5
163.6
11.6
6.2
146.4
10.5
5.4
137.3
8.4
4.5
125.1
9.7
5.3
160.2
8.4
4.8
145.3
7.4
4.1
125.9
16.0
6.4
109.4
16.2
6.8
120.4
15.7
6.5
117.0
15.1
6.3
113.1
14.6
6.0
115.7
14.8
6.3
118.2
15.5
6.9
128.1
15.2
6.8
128.9
15.2
6.9
134.5
15.9
6.3
105.3
16.3
6.8
111.2
15.5
6.5
113.0
15.1
6.1
107.1
14.1
5.9
112.0
14.4
6.2
113.0
15.4
6.9
121.3
15.2
6.8
120.4
14.9
6.6
122.7
Construction
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday cases ..........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
General building contractors:
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ..........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
Heavy construction contractors:
Total c a s e s ...................................................................................................
Lost workday cases ..........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys...................................................................................................
Special trade contractors:
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ...........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys..................................................................................................
16.6
6.2
110.9
16.6
6.7
123.1
16.3
6.3
117.6
14.9
6.0
106.0
15.1
5.8
113.1
15.4
6.2
122.4
14.9
6.4
131.7
14.5
6.3
127.3
14.7
6.3
132.9
15.8
6.6
111.0
16.0
6.9
124.3
15.5
6.7
118.9
15.2
6.6
119.3
14.7
6.2
118.6
14.8
6.4
119.0
15.8
7.1
130.1
15.4
7.0
133.3
15.6
7.2
140.4
Manufacturing
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ..........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys...................................................................................
13.2
5.6
84.9
13.3
5.9
90.2
12.2
5.4
86.7
11.5
5.1
82.0
10.2
4.4
75.0
10.0
4.3
73.5
10.6
4.7
77.9
10.4
4.6
80.2
10.6
4.7
85.2
22.6
11.1
178.8
20.7
10.8
175.9
18.6
9.5
171.8
17.6
9.0
158.4
16.9
8.3
153.3
18.3
9.2
163.5
19.6
9.9
172.0
18.5
9.3
171.4
18.9
9.7
177.2
17.5
6.9
95.9
17.6
7.1
99.6
16.0
6.6
97.6
15.1
6.2
91.9
13.9
5.5
85 6
14.1
5.7
83.0
15.3
6.4
101.5
15.0
6.3
100.4
15.2
6.3
103.0
16.8
7.8
126.3
16.8
8.0
133.7
15.0
7.1
128.1
14.1
6.9
122.2
13.0
6.1
112.2
13.1
6.0
112.0
13.6
6.6
120.8
13.9
6.7
127.8
13.6
6.5
126.0
17.0
7.5
123.6
17.3
8.1
134.7
15.2
7.1
128.3
14.4
6.7
121.3
12.4
5.4
101.6
12.4
5.4
103.4
13.3
6.1
115.3
12.6
5.7
113.8
13.6
6.1
125.5
19.3
8.0
112.4
19.9
8.7
124.2
18.5
8.0
118.4
17.5
7.5
109.9
15.3
6.4
102.5
15.1
6.1
96.5
16.1
6.7
104.9
16.3
6.9
110.1
16.0
6.8
115.5
14.4
5.4
75.1
14.7
5.9
83.6
13.7
5.5
81.3
12.9
5.1
74.9
10.7
4.2
66.0
9.8
3.6
58.1
10.7
4.1
65.8
10.8
4.2
69.3
10.7
4.2
72.0
8.7
3.3
50.3
8.6
3.4
51.9
8.0
3.3
51.8
7.4
3.1
48.4
6.5
2.7
42.2
6.3
2.6
41.4
6.8
2.8
45.0
6.4
2.7
45.7
6.4
2.7
49.8
11.5
5.1
78.0
11.6
5.5
85.9
10.6
4.9
82.4
9.8
4.6
78.1
9.2
4.0
72.2
8.4
3.6
64.5
9.3
4.2
68.8
9.0
3.9
71.6
9.6
4.1
79.1
6.9
2.6
37.0
7.2
2.8
40.0
6.8
2.7
41.8
6.5
2.7
39.2
5.6
2.3
37.0
5.2
2.1
35.6
5.4
2.2
37.5
5.2
2.2
37.9
5.3
2.3
42.2
11.8
4.5
66.4
11.7
4.7
67.7
10.9
4.4
67.9
10.7
4.4
68.3
9.9
4.1
69.9
9.9
4.0
66.3
10.5
4.3
70.2
9.7
4.2
73.2
10.2
4.3
70.9
Durable goods
Lumber
Total c a s e s .................................................................................
Lost workday cases ..................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.............................................................................
Furniture and fixtures:
Total c a s e s ...................................................................................
Lost workday cases ..........................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys..................................................................................
Stone, clay, and glass products:
Total c a s e s ....................................................................................
Lost workday cases ....................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys......................................................
Primary metal industries:
Total c a s e s ......................................................................
Lost workday cases ..........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
Fabricated metal products:
Total c a s e s ................................................................
Lost workday cases ........................................................
Lost w o rkda ys..................................................................
Machinery, except electrical:
Total c a s e s ...............................................................
Lost workday cases ......................................................
Lost w o rkda ys....................................................................
Electric and electronic equipment:
Total c a s e s .....................................................................................
Lost workday cases ..........................................................................................
Lost w o rkdays................................................................................................
Transportation equipment:
Total c a s e s ................................................................
Lost workday cases ..................................................
Lost w o rkda ys...............................................................
Instruments and related products:
Total c a s e s .......................................................................
Lost workday cases ........................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys..............................................................
Miscellaneous manufacturing industries:
Total c a s e s ...........................................................................
Lost workday cases ..........................................................................................
Lost workdays .....................................................
See footnotes at end of table.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Current Labor Statistics:
Compensation and Industrial Relations Data
48. Continued— Occupational injury and illness incidence rates by industry, United States
Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers2
Industry and type of case1
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
Nondurable goods
Food and kindred products:
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ......................................... .................................................
Lost w o rkdays.....................................................................................................
Tobacco manufacturing:
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ...........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
Textile mill products:
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ...........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
Apparel and other textile products:
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday cases ...........................................................................................
Lost w o rkdays.....................................................................................................
Paper and allied products:
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ...........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
Printing and publishing:
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ...........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
Chemicals and allied products:
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ...........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
Petroleum and coal products:
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ...........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products:
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ...........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
Leather and leather products:
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ...........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
19.4
8.9
132.2
19.9
9.5
141.8
18.7
9.0
136.8
17.8
8.6
130.7
16.7
8.0
129.3
16.5
7.9
131.2
16.7
8.1
131.6
16.7
8.1
138.0
16.5
8.0
137.8
8.7
4.0
58.6
9.3
4.2
64.8
8.1
3.8
45.8
8.2
3.9
56.8
7.2
3.2
44.6
6.5
3.0
42.8
7.7
3.2
51.7
7.3
3.0
51.7
6.7
2.5
45.6
10.2
3.4
61.5
9.7
3.4
61.3
9.1
3.3
62.8
8.8
3.2
59.2
7.6
2.8
53.8
7.4
2.8
51.4
8.0
3.0
54.0
7.5
3.0
57.4
7.8
3.1
59.3
6.5
2.2
32.4
6.5
2.2
34.1
6.4
2.2
34.9
6.3
2.2
35.0
6.0
2.1
36.4
6.4
2.4
40.6
6.7
2.5
40.9
6.7
2.6
44.1
6.7
2.7
49.4
13.5
5.7
103.3
13.5
6.0
108.4
12.7
5.8
112.3
11.6
5.4
103.6
10.6
4.9
99.1
10.0
4.5
90.3
10.4
4.7
93.8
10.2
4.7
94.6
10.5
4.7
99.5
7.0
2.9
43.8
7.1
3.1
45.1
6.9
3.1
46.5
6.7
3.0
47.4
6.6
2.8
45.7
6.6
2.9
44.6
6.5
2.9
46.0
6.3
2.9
49.2
6.5
2.9
50.8
7.8
3.3
50.9
7.7
3.5
54.9
6.8
3.1
50.3
6.6
3.0
48.1
5.7
2.5
39.4
5.5
2.5
42.3
5.3
2.4
40.8
5.1
2.3
38.8
6.3
2.7
49.4
7.9
3.4
58.3
7.7
3.6
62.0
7.2
3.5
59.1
6.7
2.9
51.2
5.3
2.5
46.4
5.5
2.4
46.8
5.1
2.4
53.5
5.1
2.4
49.9
7.1
3.2
67.5
17.1
8.1
125.5
17.1
8.2
127.1
15.5
7.4
118.6
14.6
7.2
117.4
12.7
6.0
100.9
13.0
6.2
101.4
13.6
6.4
104.3
13.4
6.3
107.4
14.0
6.6
118.2
11.7
4.7
72.5
11.5
4.9
76.2
11.7
5.0
82.7
11.5
5.1
82.6
9.9
4.5
86.5
10.0
4.4
87.3
10.5
4.7
94.4
10.3
4.6
88.3
10.5
4.8
83.4
10.1
5.7
102.3
10.0
5.9
107.0
9.4
5.5
104.5
9.0
5.3
100.6
8.5
4.9
96.7
8.2
4.7
94.9
8.8
5.2
105.1
8.6
5.0
107.1
8.2
4.8
102.1
7.9
3.2
44.9
8.0
3.4
49.0
7.4
3.2
48.7
7.3
3.1
45.3
7.2
3.1
45.5
7.2
3.1
47.8
7.4
3.3
50.5
7.4
3.2
50.7
7.7
3.3
54.0
8.9
3.9
57.5
8.8
4.1
59.1
8.2
3.9
58.2
7.7
3.6
54.7
7.1
3.4
52.1
7.0
3.2
50.6
7.2
3.5
55.5
7.2
3.5
59.8
7.2
3.6
62.5
7.5
2.8
39.7
7.7
3.1
44.7
7.1
2.9
44.5
7.1
2.9
41.1
7.2
2.9
42.6
7.3
3.0
46.7
7.5
3.2
48.4
7.5
3.1
47.0
7.8
3.2
50.5
2.1
.8
12.5
2.1
.9
13.3
2.0
.8
12.2
1.9
.8
11.6
2.0
.9
13.2
2.0
.9
12.8
1.9
.9
13.6
2.0
.9
15.4
2.0
.9
17.1
5.5
2.4
36.2
5.5
2.5
38.1
5.2
2.3
35.8
5.0
2.3
35.9
4.9
2.3
35.8
5.1
2.4
37.0
5.2
2.5
41.1
5.4
2.6
45.4
5.3
2.5
43.0
Transportation and public utilities
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ...........................................................................................
Lost workdays ...................................................................................................
Wholesale and retail trade
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ...........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
Wholesale trade:
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ...........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
Retail trade:
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ...........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
Finance, insurance, and real estate
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday c a s e s ...........................................................................................
Lost w o rkda ys.....................................................................................................
Services
Total c a s e s ..........................................................................................................
Lost workday cases ..........................................................................................
Lost w o rkdays.....................................................................................................
1 Total cases include fatalities.
2 The Incidence rates represent the number of Injuries and Illnesses or lost
workdays per 100 full-time workers and were calculated as:
(N/EH) X 200,000, where:
N = number of injuries and illnesses or lost workdays.
100
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
EH = total hours worked by all employees during calendar year.
200,000 = base for 100 full-time equivalent workers (working 40 hours per
week, 50 weeks per year.)
3 Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees since 1976.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
Index of Volume 110
January 1987 through December 1987
101
INDEX TO VOLUME 110
JANUARY 1987 THROUGH DECEMBER 1987
ABSENTEEISM
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (See also Prices.)
Linking employee fitness programs to lower medical costs and absenteeism
1987 Nov. 27-28.
Comparison of the revised and the old cpi. 1987 Nov. 3-6.
Defense buildup, 1977-85: effects on production and employment, The.
1987 Aug. 3-11.
Inflation fueled by oil prices in first 9 months of 1987. 1987 Dec. 3-6.
New basket of goods and services being priced in revised cpi. 1987 Jan.
3-22.
Sharp drop in energy prices holds inflation in check during 1986. 1987
May. 3-9.
AUSTRIA
DEFENSE (See Armed Forces.)
ARMED FORCES
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview.
Mar. 19-33.
1987
AUTOMATION (See Technological change.)
DENMARK
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview.
Mar. 19-33.
1987
BELGIUM
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview. 1987
Mar. 19-33.
Labor productivity in manufacturing at home and abroad, 1980-86. 1987
Dec. 25-30.
DISABILITY
Employer-sponsored long-term disability insurance.
Work disability. 1987 Jan. 2.
1987 July. 16-22.
DISPLACED WORKERS
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Ewan Clague, 1896-1987.
1987 May. 2.
CANADA
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview. 1987
Mar. 19-33.
Labor productivity in manufacturing at home and abroad, 1980-86. 1987
Dec. 25-30.
Purchasing power parity between the U.S. and Canada. 1987 Dec. 7-24.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
Collective bargaining in 1987: local, regional issues to set tone. 1987
Jan. 23-36.
Labor-management scene in 1986 reflects continuing difficulties. 1987
Jan. 37-48.
Major labor contracts in 1986 provided record low wage adjust
ments. 1987 May. 10-16.
CONSUMER EXPENDITURES
Comparing medical care expenditures of two diverse U.S. data sources.
1987 Mar. 15-18.
Consumer Expenditure Survey: quality control by comparative analysis,
The. 1987 Mar. 8-14.
Employment and wage changes of families from ce Survey data. 1987
Feb. 31-33.
New basket of goods and services being priced in revised cpi. 1987 Jan.
3-22.
102
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Britain’s redundancy payments for displaced workers. 1987 June. 18-23.
Health insurance loss: the case of the displaced worker. 1987 Apr. 3033.
How often do workers receive advance notice of layoffs? 1987 June.
13-17.
Pulse of economic change: displaced workers of 1981-85, The. 1987
June. 3-12.
Technological change and employment: some results from bls research.
1987 Apr. 26-29.
Worker dislocation report. 1987 Feb. 2.
EARNINGS AND WAGES
General
Minimum wage: its relation to incomes and poverty. 1987 June. 24-30.
Pay-for-knowledge compensation plans: hypotheses and survey results.
1987 Oct. 40-43.
State and local government pay increases outpace five-year rise in private
industry. 1987 Feb. 18-20.
Weekly earnings in 1986: a look at more than 200 occupations. 1987 June.
41-46.
White-collar salaries. 1987 Aug. 2.
White-collar salaries vary widely in the service industries. 1987 Nov.
21-23.
Workers at the minimum wage or less: who they are and the jobs they hold.
1987 July. 34-38.
Specified industries and occupations
GERMANY
Furniture workers' wage higher under incentive systems. 1987 Nov. 2627.
Hospital occupational pay in 23 metropolitan areas. 1987 Oct. 43-45.
Occupational pay structure in cigarette manufacturing plants. 1987 May.
36-38.
Occupational pay structure in nursing and personal care facilities. 1987
July. 41-42.
Occupational wages in textile manufacturing. June 1985. 1987 Feb. 3335.
Pay in synthetic fibers manufacturing in the Southern region. 1987 Feb.
35-36.
Cooperative training in telecommunications: case studies. 1987 May.
32-36.
Successful worker training programs help ease impact of technol
ogy. 1987 Nov. 14-20.
EMPLOYMENT
A look at occupational employment trends to the year 2000. 1987 Sept.
46-63.
Decline in youth population does not lead to lower jobless rates. 1987
June. 37-41.
Defense buildup, 1977-85: effects on production and employment, The.
1987 Aug. 3-11.
Employment and wage changes of families from ce Survey data. 1987
Feb. 31-33.
Employment situation during 1986: job gains continue, unemployment
dips. The. 1987 Feb. 3-10.
Evaluation of State projections of industry, occupational employment.
An. 1987 Oct. 29-38.
Industry output and employment projections through the end of the century.
1987 Sept. 30-45.
Labor force status of Vietnam-era veterans. 1987 Feb. 11-17.
Moonlighting: a key to differences in measuring employment
growth. 1987 Feb. 30-31.
On their own: the self-employed and others in private business. 1987
May. 17-23.
Profile of husbands in today’s labor market, A. 1987 Oct. 12-17.
Pulse of economic change: displaced workers of 1981-85, The. 1987
June. 3-12.
Strong employment growth highlights first half of 1987. 1987 Sept. 6469.
Technological change and employment: some results from bls research.
1987 Apr. 26-29.
Work experience of the labor force during 1985. 1987 Apr. 40-43.
EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX
1987 Oct.
FINLAND
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview.
Mar. 19-33.
1987
FOREIGN TRADE
exchange rate and foreign currency price indexes. 1987 Dec. 47-49.
Import price declines in 1986 reflected reduced oil prices. 1987 Apr.
3-17.
bls
FRANCE
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview.
Mar. 19-33.
Labor productivity in manufacturing at home and abroad, 1980-86.
Dec. 25-30.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1987
1987
GREECE
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview.
Mar. 19-33.
1987
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Linking employee fitness programs to lower medical costs and absen
teeism. 1987 Nov. 27-28.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Analyzing employers’ costs for wages, salaries, and benefits.
3-11.
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview.
Mar. 19-33.
Labor productivity in manufacturing at home and abroad, 1980-86.
Dec. 25-30.
1987
1987
HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS
Employer-sponsored health insurance for retirees: the need and the cost.
1987 May. 38.
Employer-sponsored long-term disability insurance. 1987 July. 16-22.
Health insurance loss: the case of the displaced worker. 1987 Apr. 30-33.
Mental health benefits financed by employers. 1987 July. 23-27.
HOSPITALS
Hospital occupational pay in 23 metropolitan areas.
1987 Oct. 43-45.
HOURS OF WORK
Work experience of the labor force during 1985.
1987 Apr. 40-43.
INCOME (See Earnings and wages.)
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS (See Labor-management relations.)
INFLATION
Inflation fueled by oil prices in first 9 months of 1987. 1987 Dec. 3-6.
Sharp drop in energy prices holds inflation in check during 1986. 1987
May. 3-9.
INJURIES (See Occupational injuries and illnesses.)
ITALY
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview.
Mar. 19-33.
Italian labor relations: a system in transition. 1987 Mar. 37-38.
Labor productivity in manufacturing at home and abroad, 1980-86.
Dec. 25-30.
1987
1987
JAPAN
How are Japanese unions responding to microelectronics-based automa
tion? 1987 Mar. 39-40.
Japanese unemployment: bls updates its analysis. 1987 June. 47-53.
Labor productivity in manufacturing at home and abroad, 1980-86. 1987
Dec. 25-30.
LABOR FORCE
Characteristics of workers in nonprofit organizations. 1987 July. 28-33.
Decline in youth population does not lead to lower jobless rates. 1987
June. 37-41.
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview. 1987
Mar. 19-33.
Employment situation during 1986: job gains continue, unemployment
dips. The. 1987 Feb. 3-10.
How do demographic changes affect labor force participation of
women? 1987 Nov. 23-25.
Labor force projections: 1986 to 2000. 1987 Sept. 19-29.
Labor force status of Vietnam-era veterans. 1987 Feb. 11-17.
Profile of husbands in today’s labor market, A. 1987 Oct. 12-17.
Revisions of State and local area labor force statistics. 1987 July. 38-41.
Strong employment growth highlights first half of 1987. 1987 Sept. 64-69.
Women’s work plans: contrasting expectations and actual work experi
ence. 1987 Nov. 7-13.
103
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Index to Volume 110
LABOR HISTORY
MULTIPLE JOBHOLDERS
A century of struggle: a labor history symposium.
Trade unions mirror society in conflict between collectivism and individ
ualism. 1987 Aug. 32-40.
The extension of solidarity conflicts with the spirit of individualism
The black labor movement and the fight for social advance
Forging a partnership between blacks and unions
Protecting workers in the marketplace: new union benefit privileges
Unions’ struggle to survive goes beyond modem technology. 1987
Aug. 41-47.
Unions need to confront the results of new technology
Technological change and unionization in the service sector
Globalization and the worldwide division of labor
Elements of paradox in U.S. labor history. 1987 Aug. 48-54.
How union members and nonmembers view the role of unions
American labor history: a conspiracy of silence?
Are the media shortchanging organized labor?
Moonlighting: a key to differences in measuring employment growth.
1987 Feb. 30-31.
LABOR LAW
State labor legislation enacted in 1986.
NETHERLANDS, THE
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview.
Mar. 19-33.
Labor productivity in manufacturing at home and abroad, 1980-86.
Dec. 25-30.
1987
1987
NONPROFIT SECTOR
Characteristics of workers in nonprofit organizations.
1987 July. 28-33.
NORWAY
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview. 1987
Mar. 19-33.
Labor productivity in manufacturing at home and abroad, 1980-86. 1987
Dec. 25-30.
1987 Jan. 49-66.
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES AND ILLNESSES
LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS
Deaths in industry, 1985:
Italian labor relations: a system in transition. 1987 Mar. 37-38.
Labor-management scene in 1986 reflects continuing difficulties. 1987
Jan. 37-48.
Major labor contracts in 1986 provided record low wage adjust
ments. 1987 May. 10-16.
bls
survey findings.
1987 Apr. 45-47.
OCCUPATIONS
A look at occupational employment trends to the year 2000.
46-63.
1987 Sept.
PART-TIME WORK
LABOR ORGANIZATIONS
Work experience of the labor force during 1985.
1987 Apr. 40-43.
A century of struggle: a labor history symposium
Trade unions mirror society in conflict between collectivism and individ
ualism. 1987 Aug. 32-40.
The extension of solidarity conflicts with the spirit of individualism
The black labor movement and the fight for social advance
Forging a partnership between blacks and unions
Protecting workers in the marketplace: new union benefit privileges
Unions’ struggle to survive goes beyond modem technology. 1987
Aug. 41-47.
Unions need to confront the results of new technology
Technological change and unionization in the service sector
Globalization and the worldwide division of labor
Elements of paradox in U.S. labor history. 1987 Aug. 48-54.
How union members and nonmembers view the role of unions
American labor history: a conspiracy of silence?
Are the media shortchanging organized labor?
How are Japanese unions responding to microelectronics-based automa
tion? 1987 Mar. 39-40.
New data on workers belonging to unions, 1986. 1987 May. 36.
OECD meeting calls for job growth, flexibility, and readjustment. 1987
June. 53-54.
POVERTY
LAYOFFS
Minimum wage: its relation to incomes and poverty, The.
24-30.
surveys mass layoffs and plant closings in 1986. 1986 Oct. 39-40.
Britain’s redundancy payments for displaced workers. 1987 June. 18-23.
How often do workers receive advance notice of layoffs? 1987 June.
13-17.
PENSIONS
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview.
Mar. 19-33.
Trends in retirement eligibility and pension benefits, 1974-83.
Apr. 18-25.
1987
1987
PLANT CLOSINGS
surveys mass layoffs and plant closings in 1986. 1987 Oct. 39-40.
How often do workers receive advance notice of layoffs? 1987 June.
13-17.
Pulse of economic change: displaced workers of 1981-85, The. 1987
June. 3-12.
bls
PORTUGAL
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview.
Mar. 19-33.
1987
1987 June.
bls
MEDICAL CARE
Comparing medical care expenditures of two diverse U.S. data sources.
1987 Mar. 15-18.
PRICES
exchange rate and foreign currency price indexes. 1987 Dec. 47-49.
Import price declines in 1986 reflected reduced oil prices. 1987 Apr.
3-17.
Inflation fueled by oil prices in first 9 months of 1987. 1987 Dec. 3-6.
Purchasing power parity between the U.S. and Canada. 1987 Dec. 7-24.
Sharp drop in energy prices holds inflation in check during 1986. 1987
May. 3-9.
bls
MIGRATION
The Great Migration of Afro-Americans, 1915-40.
1987 Mar. 34-36.
MINORITY WORKERS
The great Migration of Afro-Americans, 1915-40.
104
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1987 Mar. 34-36.
PRODUCTIVITY
Industry output and employment projections through the end of the century.
1987 Sept. 30-45.
Labor productivity in manufacturing at home and abroad, 1980-86. 1987
Dec. 25-30.
Mining machinery industry: labor productivity trends, 1972-84, The. 1987
June. 31-36.
Multifactor productivity in U.S. manufacturing, 1949-83. 1987 Oct.
18-28.
Performance of multifactor productivity in the steel and motor vehicles
industries. 1987 Aug. 22-31.
Productivity gains continued in many industries during 1985. 1987 Apr.
48-52.
Productivity trends in the furniture and home furnishings stores industry.
1987 May. 24-29.
Retail liquor stores experience flat trend in productivity. 1987 Feb. 2529.
Two decades of productivity growth in poultry dressing and processing.
1987 Apr. 34-39.
PRODUCER PRICE INDEX
New weight structure being used in Producer Price Index.
Revisions of State and local area labor force statistics. 1987 July. 38-41.
State and local government pay increases outpace five-year rise in private
industry. 1987 Feb. 18—20.
State labor legislation enacted in 1986. 1987 Jan. 49-66.
Workers’ compensation: 1986 State enactments. 1987 Jan. 67-71.
STATISTICS
Quality.
1987 Apr. 2.
SURVEY METHODS
BLS prepares to broaden scope of its white-collar pay survey. 1987 Mar.
3-7.
Comparison of the revised and the old cpi. 1987 Nov. 3-6.
Consumer Expenditure Survey: quality control by comparative analysis,
The. 1987 Mar. 8-14.
Revisions of State and local area labor force statistics. 1987 July. 38-41.
1987 Aug.
SWEDEN
12- 21 .
Sharp drop in energy prices holds inflation in check during 1986.
May. 3-9.
1987
PROJECTIONS
A look at occupational employment trends to the year 2000. 1987 Sept.
46-63.
Economic projections to the year 2000. 1987 Sept. 10-18.
Evaluation of State projections of industry, occupational employment,
An. 1987 Oct. 29-38.
Industry output and employment projections through the end of the century.
1987 Sept. 30-45.
Labor force projections: 1986 to 2000. 1987 Sept. 19-29.
Overview and implications of the projections to 2000. 1987 Sept. 3-9.
QUALITY-OF-WORKLIFE
Cooperative training in telecommunications: case studies.
32-36.
1987 May.
RECESSIONS
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview.
Mar. 19-33.
Labor productivity in manufacturing at home and abroad, 1980-86.
Dec. 25-30.
1987
1987
SWITZERLAND
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview.
Mar. 19-33.
Labor productivity in manufacturing at home and abroad, 1980-86.
Dec. 25-30.
1987
1987
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
How are Japanese unions responding to microelectronics-based automa
tion? 1987 Mar. 39-40
Successful worker training programs help ease impact of technology.
1987 Nov. 14-20.
Technological change. 1987 July. 2.
Technological change and employment: some results from bls research.
1987 Apr. 26-29.
Industrial structure has little impact on jobless rate of experienced workers.
1987 May. 30-32.
RETIREMENT
UNEMPLOYMENT
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview. 1987
Mar. 19-33.
Employer-sponsored health insurance for retirees: the need and the cost.
1987 May. 38.
Trends in retirement eligibility and pension benefits, 1974-83. 1987
Apr. 18-25.
Employment situation during 1986: job gains continue, unemployment
dips, The. 1987 Feb. 3-10.
Industrial structure has little impact on jobless rate of experienced workers
1987 May. 30-32.
Japanese unemployment: bls updates its analysis. 1987 June. 47-53.
Pulse of economic change: displaced workers of 1981-85, The. 1987
June. 3-12.
Profile of husbands in today’s labor market, A. 1987 Oct. 12- 17.
What is the effect of random variation in State unemployment rates9 1987
Dec. 41-46.
Strong employment growth highlights first half of 1987. 1987 Sept 6469.
Time spent unemployed: a new look at data from the cps. 1987 July
3-15.
SALARIES (See Earnings and wages.)
SELF-EMPLOYMENT
On their own: the self-employed and others in private business.
May. 17-23.
1987
SERVICE SECTOR
Characteristics of workers in nonprofit organizations.
Producer services: why are they growing so rapidly?
1987 July. 28-33.
1987 Dec. 31-40.
Changes in unemployment insurance legislation during 1986.
21-29.
SPAIN
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview.
Mar. 19-33.
1987
Evaluation of State projections of industry, occupational employment,
An. 1987 Oct. 29-38.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1987 Feb
UNIONS (See Labor organizations.)
UNITED KINGDOM
STATE GOVERNMENT
Changes in unemployment insurance legislation during 1986
21-29.
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
1987 Feb
Britain’s redundancy payments for displaced workers. 1987 June. 18-23.
Early retirement as a labor force policy: an international overview
1987
Mar. 19-33.
Labor productivity in manufacturing at home and abroad, 1980-86
1987
Dec. 25-30.
105
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Index to Volume 110
VETERANS
Labor force status of Vietnam-era veterans.
1987 Feb. 11-17.
WHITE-COLLAR WORKERS
prepares to broaden scope of its white-collar pay survey.
3-7.
White-collar salaries vary widely in the service industries.
21-23.
bls
1987 Mar.
1987 Nov.
WOMEN
How do demographic changes affect labor force participation of women?
1987 Nov. 23-25.
Women’s work plans: contrasting expectations and actual work experience.
1987 Nov. 7-13.
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
Workers’ compensation: 1986 State enactments.
1987 Jan. 67-71.
YOUTH
Decline in youth population does not lead to lower jobless rates.
June. 37-41.
Kuhn, Alfred, Ronald L. Seeber, and E. Edward Herman. Collective
Bargaining and Labor Relations. 2nd ed. 1987 July. 48.
Lipset, Seymour Martin, ed. Unions in Transition: Entering the Second
Century. 1987 July. 46-47.
Marshall, Ray, Unheard Voices: Labor and Economic Policy in a Com
petitive World. 1987 Oct. 50.
McKersie, Robert B., Harry C. Katz, and Thomas A. Kochan. The
Transformation o f American Industrial Relations. 1987 Feb. 42.
Poole, Michael. Industrial Relations: Origins and Patterns o f National
Diversity. 1987 July. 47.
Russell, Louise B. Is Prevention Better Than Cure? 1987 May. 45.
Sawhill, John C. and Richard Cotton, eds. Energy Conservation: Suc
cesses and Failures. 1987 Mar. 46.
Seeber, Ronald L., E. Edward Herman, and Alfred Kuhn. Collective
Bargaining and Labor Relations. 2nd ed. 1987 July. 48.
Schwarz, William B. and Henry J. Aaron. The Painful Prescription:
Rationing Hospital Care. 1987 May. 46.
Tysse, G. John. The 1986 Immigration Act: A Handbook on Employer
Sanctions and Nondiscrimination Requirements. 1987 Apr. 58.
Van Tine, Warren and Melvyn Dubofsky. Labor Leaders in America.
1987 Nov. 36.
1987
AUTHORS
DEPARTMENTS
Book Reviews. Each issue except January and December.
Current Labor Statistics. Each issue.
Developments in Industrial Relations. Each issue.
Foreign Labor Developments. March. June, and December issues.
Labor Month in Review. Each issue.
Major Agreements Expiring Next Month. Each issue.
Productivity Reports. April issue.
Research Summaries. February, April, May, June, July, October,
November issues.
Technical Notes. December.
BOOK REVIEWS AND NOTES (Listed by author of book.)
Aaron, Henry J. and William B. Schwarz. The Painful Prescription:
Rationing Hospital Care. 1987 May. 46.
Aho, C. Michael and Jonathan David Aronson. Trade Talks: America
Better Listen! 1987 Mar. 45-46.
Aronson, Jonathan David and C. Michael Aho. Trade Talks: America
Better Listen! 1987 Mar. 45-46.
Barnett, Donald F. and Robert W. Crandall. Up from the Ashes: The Rise
o f the Steel Minimill in the United States. 1987 June. 59.
Coleman, Barbara J. Primer on Employee Retirement Income Security
Act. 1987 July. 48.
Cotton, Richard and John C. Sawhill, eds. Energy Conservation: Suc
cesses and Failures. 1987 Mar. 46.
Crandall, Robert W. and Donald F. Barnett. Up from the Ashes: The Rise
o f the Steel Minimill in the United States. 1987 June. 59.
Dubofsky, Melvyn and Warren Van Tine. Labor Leaders in America.
1987 Nov. 36.
Ede, Andrew, Managing ed. Women in Management Review. 1987
July. 48.
Gifford, Courtney D. and William P. Hobgood. Directory ofU .S. Labor
Arbitrators: A Guide fo r Finding and Using Arbitrators. 1987 July.
47-48.
Herman, E. Edward, Alfred Kahn, and Ronald L. Seeber. Collective
Bargaining and Labor Relations. 2nd ed. 1987 July. 48.
Hobgood, William P. and Courtney D. Gifford. Directory ofU .S. Labor
Arbitrators: A Guide fo r Finding and Using Arbitrators. 1987 July.
47-48.
Kahne, Hilda. Reconceiving Part-Time Work: New Perspectives for
Older Workers and Women. 1987 Aug. 58
Kamerman, Shelia B. The Responsive Workplace: Employers and a
Changing Labor Force. 1987 Sept. 75.
Katz, Harry C., Robert B. McKersie, and Thomas A. Kochan. The
Transformation o f American Industrial Relations. 1987 Feb. 42.
Kochan, Thomas A., Harry C. Katz, and Robert B. McKersie. The
Transformation o f American Industrial Relations. 1987 Feb. 42.
106
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Ahmed, Ziaul Z. and Mark Sieling. Two decades of productivity growth
in poultry dressing and processing. 1987 Apr. 34-39.
Alterman, William, David S. Johnson, and John Goth, bls exchange rate
and foreign currency price indexes. 1987 Dec. 47-49.
Bahr, Richard C. Inflation fueled by oil prices in first 9 months of
1987. 1987 Dec. 3-6.
Bell, Donald and William Marclay. Trends in retirement eligibility and
pension benefits, 1974-83. 1987 Apr. 18-25.
Blostin, Allan P. Mental health benefits financed by employers. 1987
July. 23-27.
Borum, Joan, James Conley, and Edward Wasilewski. Collective bar
gaining in 1987: local, regional issues to set tone. 1987 Jan. 23-36.
--------- and John Lacombe. Major labor contracts in 1986 provided
record low wage adjustments. 1987 May. 10-16.
Branch, E. Raphael. Comparing medical care expenditures of two di
verse U.S. data sources. 1987 Mar. 15-18.
Brodsky, Melvin. OECD meeting calls for job growth, flexibility, and
readjustment. 1987 June. 53-54.
Brody, David. Elements of paradox in U.S. labor history. 1987 Aug.
48-50.
Brown, Sharon P. How often do workers receive advance notice of lay
offs? 1987 June. 13-17.
Bums, Roger, Andrew Clem, and Craig Howell. Sharp drop in energy
prices holds inflation in check during 1986. 1987 May. 3-9.
Butler, Clifford and Charles Mason. New basket of goods and services
being priced in revised cpi. 1987 Jan. 3-22.
Chamot, Dennis. Unions need to confront the results of new technology.
1987 Aug. 45.
Clem, Andrew and William D. Thomas. New weight structure being
used in Producer Price Index. 1987 Aug. 12-21.
--------- Craig Howell, and Roger Bums. Sharp drop in energy prices
holds inflation in check during 1986. 1987 May. 3-9.
Cohany, Harry P. Book review. 1987 July. 46-47.
Cohany, Sharon R. Labor force status of Vietnam-era veterans. 1987
Feb. 11-17.
Conley, James, Joan Borum, and Edward Wasilewski. Collective bar
gaining in 1987: local, regional issues to set tone. 1987 Jan. 23-36.
Cooper, C. Joseph, Jr. White-collar salaries vary widely in the service
industries. 1987 Nov. 21-23.
Costanzo, Janice A. and Daniel T. Lichter. How do demographic
changes affect labor force participation of women? 1987 Nov. 23-25.
Costello, Cynthia B. Technological change and unionization in the serv
ice sector. 1987 Aug. 45-46.
Cotter, Diane M. and Janet A. Macon. Deaths in industry, 1985: bls
survey findings. 1987 Apr. 45-47.
Crew, Spencer R. The Great Migration of Afro-Americans, 1915-40.
1987 Mar. 34-36.
Cruze, Alvin M. and Harvey A. Goldstein. An evaluation of State projec
tions of industry, occupational employment. 1987 Oct. 29-38.
Denison, Ray. Protecting workers in the marketplace: new union benefit
privileges. 1987 Aug. 39-40.
Deutsch, Steven. Book review. 1987 Oct. 50.
--------- Successful worker training programs help ease impact of technol
ogy. 1987 Nov. 14-20.
Devens, Richard M., Jr. Book review. 1987 Mar. 45-46.
--------- Book review. 1987 June. 59.
--------- Industrial structure has little impact on jobless rate of experienced
workers. 1987 May. 30-32.
Douty, H. M. Book review. 1987 Julv. 47
Dryden, John, Katrina Reut, and Barbara Slater. Purchasing power parity
between the U.S. and Canada. 1987 Dec. 7-24.
Dubofsky, Melvyn. The extension of solidarity conflicts with the spirit of
individualism. 1987 Aug. 36-37.
Fullerton. Howard N Jr. Labor force projections: 1986 to 2000. 1987
Sept. 19-29.
Gibbons, Elizabeth and Gerald F. Halpin. Import price declines in 1986
reflected reduced oil prices. 1987 Apr. 3-17.
Gieseman. Raymond. The Consumer Expenditure Survey: quality con
trol by comparative analysis. 1987 Mar. 8-14.
Goldstein, Harvey A. and Alvin M. Cruze. An evaluation of State projec
tions of industry, occupational employment. 1987 Oct. 29-38.
Goth, John, William Alterman, and David S. Johnson, bls exchange rate
and foreign currency price indexes. 1987 Dec. 47-49.
Grimes, John A. Are the media shortchanging organized labor? 1987
Aug. 53-54.
Gullickson, William and Michael J. Harper. Multifactor productivity in
U.S. manufacturing, 1949-83. 1987 Oct. 18-28.
Gupta, Nina, Timothy P. Schweizer, and Douglas G. Jenkins, Jr. Payfor-knowledge compensation plans: hypotheses and survey results.
1987 Oct. 40-43.
Guzda, Henry P. Book review. 1987 Nov. 36.
Haber, Sheldon E., Enrique J. Lamas, and Jules H. Lichtenstein. On
their own: the self-employed and others in private business. 1987 May.
17-23.
Halpin, Gerald F. and Elizabeth Gibbons. Import price declines in 1986
reflected reduced oil prices. 1987 Apr. 3-17.
Harris, Alice Kessler. Trade unions mirror society in conflict between
collectivism and individualism. 1987 Aug. 32-36.
Harris, William H. The black labor movement and the fight for social
advance. 1987 Aug. 37-38.
Harper, Michael J. and William Gullickson. Multifactor productivity in
U.S. manufacturing, 1949-83. 1987 Oct. 18-28.
Haugen, Steven E. and Susan E. Shank. Employment situation during
1986: job gains continue, unemployment dips, The. 1987 Feb. 3-10.
--------- and Howard Hayghe. A profile of husbands in today’s labor mar
ket. 1987 Oct. 12-17.
Hayghe, Howard. Book review. 1987 Sept. 75.
--------- and Steven Haugen. A profile of husbands in today’s labor mar
ket. 1987 Oct. 12-17.
Henneberger, J. Edwin and Arthur S. Herman. Productivity trends in the
furniture and home furnishings stores industry. 1987 May. 24-29.
Henry, David K. and Richard P. Oliver. Defense buildup, 1977-85:
effects on production and employment, The. 1987 Aug. 3—11.
Herman, Arthur S. Productivity gains continued in many industries dur
ing 1985. 1987 Apr. 48-52.
--------- and J. Edwin Henneberger. Productivity trends in the furniture
and home furnishings stores industry. 1987 May. 24-29.
Hill, Diane B. Employer-sponsored long-term disability insurance.
1987 July. 16-22.
Hill, Edward W. What is the effect of random variation in State unem
ployment rates? 1987 Dec. 41-46.
Hill, Norman. Forging a partnership between blacks and unions. 1987
Aug. 38-39.
Hilton, Margaret and Ronnie Straw. Cooperative training in telecommu
nications: case studies. 1987 May. 32-36.
Horrigan, Michael W. Time spent unemployed: a new look at data from
the CPS. 1987 July. 3-15.
Horvath, Francis W. Pulse of economic change: displaced workers of
1981-85. 1987 June. 3-12.
Howe, Wayne, J. Strong employment growth highlights first half of
1987. 1987 Sept. 64-69.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Howell, Craig, Roger Bums, and Andrew Clem. Sharp drop in energy
prices holds inflation in check during 1986. 1987 May. 3-9.
Jenkins, Douglas G., Jr., Timothy P. Schweizer, and Nina Gupta. Payfor-knowledge compensation plans: hypotheses and survey results.
1987 Oct. 40-43.
Johnson, David S., William Alterman, and John Goth, bls exchange rate
and foreign currency price indexes. 1987 Dec. 47-49.
Johnston, Denis and Gabriel Rudney. Characteristics of workers in non
profit organizations. 1987 July. 28-33.
Keegan, Carol. How union members and nonmembers view the role of
unions. 1987 Aug. 50-51.
Klay, William Earle. How are Japanese unions responding to microelec
tronics-based automation? 1987 Mar. 39-40.
Kokoski, Mary F. Employment and wage changes of families from CE
Survey data. 1987 Feb. 31-33.
Kutscher, Ronald E. Overview and implications of the projections to
2000. 1987 Sept. 3-9.
Lacombe, John and Joan Borum. Major labor contracts in 1986 provided
record low wage adjustments. 1987 May. 10-16.
Laedlein, Valyrie K. Revisions of State and local area labor force statis
tics. 1987 July. 38-41.
Lamas, Enrique J., Jules H. Lichtenstein, and Sheldon E. Haber. On
their own: the self-employed and others in private business. 1987 May.
17-23.
Lichter, Daniel T. and Janice A. Costanzo. How do demographic
changes affect labor force participation of women? 1987 Nov. 23-25.
Lichtenstein, Jules H., Sheldon E. Haber, and Enrique J. Lamas. On
their own: the self-employed and others in private business. 1987 May.
17-23.
Lukasiewicz, John M. and George T. Silvestri. A look at occupational
employment trends to the year 2000. 1987 Sept. 46-63.
Macon, Janet A. and Diane M. Cotter. Deaths in industry, 1985: bls
survey findings. 1987 Apr. 45-47.
Marclay, William and Donald Bell. Trends in retirement eligibility and
pension benefits, 1974-83. 1987 Apr. 18-25.
Mark, Jerome A. Technological change and employment: some results
from bls research. 1987 Apr. 26-29.
Mason, Charles and Clifford Butler. New basket of goods and services
being priced in revised cpi. 1987 Jan. 3-22.
McLennan, Kenneth. Book review. 1987 Feb. 42.
Mellor, Earl F. Weekly earnings in 1986: a look at more than 200 occu
pations. 1987 June. 41-46.
--------- Workers at the minimum wage or less: who they are and the jobs
they hold. 1987 July. 34-38.
Mirkin, Barry Alan. Early retirement as a labor force policy: an interna
tional overview. 1987 Mar. 19-33.
Morton, John D. bls prepares to broaden scope of its white-collar pay
survey. 1987 Mar. 3-7.
Nardone, Thomas. Book review. 1987 Aug. 58.
--------- Decline in youth population does not lead to lower jobless rates.
1987 June. 37-41.
Nathan, Felicia. Analyzing employers’ costs for wages, salaries, and
benefits. 1987 Oct. 3-11.
Neef, Authur. Labor productivity in manufacturing at home and abroad,
1980-86. 1987 Dec. 25-30.
Nelson, Daniel. Unions’ struggle to survive goes beyond modem tech
nology. 1987 Aug. 41-45.
Nelson, Richard. State labor legislation enacted in 1986. 1987 Jan.
49-66.
Oliver, Richard P. and David K. Henry. Defense buildup, 1977-85:
effects on production and employment. 1987 Aug. 3-11.
O ’Neil, Barbara A. The mining machinery industry: labor productivity
trends, 1972-84. 1987 June. 31-36.
Personick, Valerie A. Industry output and employment projections
through the end of the century. 1987 Sept. 30-45.
Podgursky, Michael and Paul Swaim. Health insurance loss: the case of
the displaced worker. 1987 Apr. 30-33.
Reut, Katrina, John Dryden, and Barbara Slater. Purchasing power parity
between the U.S. and Canada. 1987 Dec. 7-24.
Rohrlich, George F. Book review. 1987 May. 46.
Root, Lawrence S. Britain’s redundancy payments for displaced work
ers. 1987 June. 18-23.
107
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
December 1987 •
Index to Volume 110
Rosenzweig, Roy. American labor history: a conspiracy of si
lence? 1987 Aug. 51-53.
Rudney, Gabriel and Denis Johnston. Characteristics of workers in non
profit organizations. 1987 July. 28-33.
Runner, Diana. Changes in unemployment insurance legislation during
1986. 1987 Feb. 21-25.
Saunders, Norman C. Economic projections to the year 2000. 1987
Sept. 10-18.
Schmidt, Mary Lynn. Comparison of the revised and the old cpi. 1987
Nov. 3-6.
Schroeder, Edward A., IV. Book review, 1987 Mar. 46.
Schumann, Richard E. State and local government pay increases outpace
five-year rise in private industry. 1987 Feb. 18-20.
Schweizer, Timothy P., Douglas G. Jenkins, Jr., and Nina Gupta. Payfor-knowledge compensation plans: hypotheses and survey results.
1987 Oct. 40-43.
Sehgal, Ellen. Book review. 1987 Apr. 58.
Shaiken, Harley. Globilization and the worldwide division of labor.
1987 Aug. 47.
Sharpiro, David and Lois B. Shaw. Women’s work plans: contrasting
expectations and experience. 1987 Nov. 7-13.
Shank, Susan E. and Steven E. Haugen. Employment situation during
1986: job gains continue, unemployment dips, The. 1987 Feb. 3-10.
Shaw, Lois B. and David Sharpiro. Women’s work plans: Contrasting
expectations and experience. 1987 Nov. 7-13.
Sherwood, Mark K. Performance of multifactor productivity in the steel
and motor vehicles industries. 1987 Aug. 22-31.
Siegel, Lewis B. b l s surveys mass layoffs and plant closings in 1986.
1987 Oct. 39-40.
Sieling, Mark and Ziaul Z. Ahmed. Two decades of productivity growth
108
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in poultry dressing and processing. 1987 Apr. 34-39.
Silvestri, George T. and John M. Lukasiewicz. A look at occupational
trends to the year 2000. 1987 Sept. 46-63.
Slater, Barbara, John Dryden, and Katrina Reut. Purchasing power parity
between the U.S. and Canada. 1987 Dec. 7-24.
Smith, Ralph E. and Bruce Vavrichek. The minimum wage: its relation
to incomes and poverty. 1987 June. 24- 30.
Smith, Shirley J. Work experience of the labor force during 1985. 1987
Apr. 40-43.
Sorrentino, Constance. Japanese unemployment: bls updates its analy
sis. 1987 June 47-53.
Steinberg, Edward. Book review. 1987 May. 45.
Stinson, John F., Jr. Moonlighting: a key to differences in measuring
employment growth. 1987 Feb. 30-31.
Straw, Ronnie and Margaret Hilton. Cooperative training in telecommu
nications: case studies. 1987 May. 32-36.
Swain, Paul and Michael Podgursky. Health insurance loss: the case of
the displaced worker. 1987 Apr. 30-33.
Thomas, William D. and Andrew G. Clem. New weight structure being
used in Producer Price Index. 1987 Aug. 12-21.
Tinsley, LaVeme C. Workers’ compensation: 1986 State enactments.
1987 Jan. 67-71.
Treu, Tiziano. Italian labor relations: a system in transition. 1987 Mar.
37-38.
Tschetter, John. Producer services: why are they growing so
rapidly? 1987 Dec. 31-40.
Vavrichek, Bruce and Ralph E. Smith. The minimum wage: its relation
to incomes and poverty. 1987 June. 24-30.
York, James D. Retail stores experience flat trend in productivity. 1987
Feb. 25-29.
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