International Labor Comparisons

Latest News Releases

• International Comparisons of Manufacturing Productivity and Unit Labor Cost Trends, 2008 (HTML) (PDF)
• International Comparisons of Hourly Compensation Costs in Manufacturing, 2007 (HTML) (PDF)

Database

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Labor force statistics, productivity and unit labor costs, consumer prices (International Labor Comparisons - ILC)

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• Series Report—Already know the series identifier for the statistic you want? Use this shortcut to retrieve your data.
• Text files (FTP)—Download a flat file of the entire database or large subset of the database.

Labor Force, Employment, and Unemployment

NOTE: Foreign-country data are adjusted to U.S. concepts unless otherwise noted.

Monthly unemployment rates and employment indexes, 2008-2010 (updated monthly)

• Download entire report (HTML) (PDF) (XLS)

Annual labor force statistics, 1970-2009

• Download entire report (HTML) (PDF 3MB)
• Download Excel files with data tables
  • By indicator (XLS)
  • By country (XLS)
• Country notes
• Tables by indicator
• Unemployment
• Employment
• Labor force
• Working-age population
• Unadjusted labor force statistics

Hourly Compensation (Wages and Benefits)

NOTE: Industry data are on a NAICS basis unless otherwise noted.

Hourly compensation costs for workers in the manufacturing sector

• NEWS RELEASE Updated to 2007 (HTML) (PDF)
• Country notes and data sources (PDF)
• Supplementary tables (Data in U.S. dollars, national currency, and indexes and on the structure of compensation)
• All employees, 1996-2007
• Production workers, 1975-2007

Hourly compensation costs for workers in sub-manufacturing industries

• All employees, 1996-2007
• Production workers, 1992-2007

Discontinued series

• Hourly Compensation Costs for Production Workers in Sub-Manufacturing Industries (SIC), 1975-2002
• Mexico: Hourly Compensation Costs for Workers in Maquiladora Manufacturing Export Industries, 1975-2006

Productivity and Unit Labor Costs

Manufacturing productivity and unit labor cost trends

• NEWS RELEASE Updated to 2008 (HTML) (PDF)
• Supplementary tables, 1950-2008 (HTML) (XLS)

GDP per Capita and per Employed Person

GDP per capita and per employed person, 1960-2008

• Download entire report (TXT) (PDF)
• Download data tables (zipped XLS file)

Consumer Prices

Percent changes from same period of previous year (updated monthly)

• Consumer Price Indexes, 1995-2010 (TXT) (PDF)
• Harmonized Indexes of Consumer Prices, 2003-2010 (TXT) (PDF)

Annual indexes and average annual percent changes

• Consumer Price Indexes, 1950-2008 (TXT) (PDF)
• Harmonized Indexes of Consumer Prices, 1996-2008 (TXT) (PDF)

Charts

• Labor force statistics, 1970-2009 (HTML) (PDF)
• Charting International Labor Comparisons, 2010 Edition (HTML) (PDF 2.3MB)-
• Manufacturing productivity and unit labor costs, 1970-2008 (HTML) (PDF)
• Spotlight on Statistics: Around the World in Eight Charts (HTML) (PDF)

Manufacturing in China

Manufacturing in China (tables, charts, and data comparability) (HTML)

Publications

• "China’s manufacturing employment and compensation costs: 2002-06," (PDF) by Erin Lett and Judith Banister, Monthly Labor Review, April 2009, pp. 30-38.
• "Labor Costs of Manufacturing Employees in China: An Update to 2003-04," (PDF) by Erin Lett and Judith Banister, Monthly Labor Review, November 2006, pp. 40-45.
• Manufacturing Employment and Compensation in China. (PDF) (Revised November 2005) by Judith Banister under contract to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Please note: The opinions, analysis, and conclusions expressed in the report are solely those of the author.
• "Manufacturing Earnings and Compensation in China," (PDF) by Judith Banister, Monthly Labor Review, August 2005, pp. 22-40.
• "Manufacturing Employment in China," (PDF) by Judith Banister, Monthly Labor Review, July 2005, pp. 11-29.

Latest Publications

• NEW Compensation costs in manufacturing across industries and countries, 1975-2007 (PDF 1.4MB)
• NEW Labor Costs in India's Organized Manufacturing Sector (PDF 1.2MB)
• Charting International Labor Comparisons, 2010 Edition (HTML) (PDF 2.3MB)
• Communication on Workplace Injuries (PDF)
• A Portrait of the Youth Labor Market in 13 Countries, 1980-2007 (PDF)
• International Comparisons of Hours Worked: An Assessment of the Statistics (PDF)
• Comparative Civilian Labor Force Statistics, 10 countries: A Visual Essay (PDF)
• International Comparisons of Harmonized Indexes of Consumer Prices (PDF)

All ILC Publications »

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What international data does BLS produce?
2. BLS does not produce the international data I need.  Where could I look for data on other topics?
3. What are other major sources of international labor statistics?

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Contacts

General information:
  Tel: (202) 691-5654
  Email: Contact ILC

Contacts by topic:

Send written inquiries to:
  U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  International Labor Comparisons
  Suite 2150
  2 Massachusetts Ave., NE
  Washington, DC 20212

Other BLS Programs

• Import/Export Price Indexes—monthly data on changes in the prices of imported and exported nonmilitary goods traded between the U.S. and the rest of the world.
• International Technical Cooperation—conducts training in labor statistics for international participants and coordinates international requests for BLS services including technical experts and short-term visits to BLS.

Other sources of international data

• Foreign statistical agencies and international organizations