Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Economic News Release
PRINT:Print
ILC ILC Program Links

Table 10. Unit labor costs in manufacturing, U.S. dollar basis, 14 countries or areas, 1950-2002

- 28 -

Table 10.  Unit labor costs in manufacturing, U.S. dollar basis, 14 countries or areas, 1950-2002
(Indexes:  1992=100)

         United                                                                          Former West       Nether-                    United
 Year    States  Canada*  Japan    Korea    Taiwan   Belgium  Denmark  France*  Germany**Germany**Italy    lands    Norway   Sweden*  Kingdom*

  1950     NA     23.1      NA       NA       NA       NA       8.5     20.3      NA       9.5     13.8     12.2      7.7     10.7     10.0

  1955     NA     29.7     12.8      NA       NA       NA      10.7     28.5      NA       9.4     14.1     13.9     10.0     15.5     13.2

  1960     NA     32.9     11.0      NA       NA      19.4     12.0     23.5      NA      10.4     15.0     15.3     11.0     16.9     15.6
  1961     NA     30.6     11.3      NA       NA      20.3     12.7     24.4      NA      11.6     15.3     17.2     11.6     17.6     16.6
  1962     NA     28.1     12.3      NA       NA      20.7     13.2     25.4      NA      12.3     16.3     17.9     12.7     18.3     17.1
  1963     NA     27.8     12.7      NA       NA      22.0     13.9     26.3      NA      12.6     18.8     18.9     12.9     18.9     17.0
  1964     NA     27.9     12.5      NA       NA      23.5     13.9     26.5      NA      12.6     19.8     20.0     13.0     19.1     16.9
  1965     NA     28.2     13.6      NA       NA      24.8     14.7     26.9      NA      13.0     19.0     21.1     13.6     19.6     18.0
  1966     NA     29.7     13.6      NA       NA      25.6     15.9     26.2      NA      13.6     18.6     22.0     14.3     20.6     18.8
  1967     NA     30.9     13.5      NA       NA      26.5     16.3     26.5      NA      13.5     19.6     22.8     15.4     21.0     18.3
  1968     NA     31.3     14.1      NA       NA      25.9     15.7     27.1      NA      13.4     19.4     22.5     16.0     20.9     15.9
  1969     NA     32.3     14.6      NA       NA      25.9     16.7     25.9      NA      13.9     20.4     23.2     16.1     21.1     16.9

  1970     NA     36.0     15.5      NA      14.9     27.0     18.0     25.8      NA      17.1     23.3     24.5     17.4     23.1     19.1
  1971     NA     37.3     17.4      NA      15.6     29.9     19.8     27.4      NA      19.3     26.9     27.3     19.6     25.3     21.2
  1972     NA     38.8     21.0      NA      15.7     35.0     21.6     31.6      NA      21.9     29.4     31.6     22.4     28.9     23.7
  1973     NA     39.3     26.3      NA      18.9     42.4     27.7     38.5      NA      28.0     32.0     39.2     27.2     33.1     24.7
  1974     NA     46.0     31.3      NA      28.8     49.5     32.5     41.3      NA      31.5     35.2     45.0     32.0     36.7     27.9
  1975     NA     53.1     34.8      NA      29.3     60.9     38.2     54.7      NA      35.1     45.7     55.2     40.9     47.4     35.9
  1976     NA     58.0     35.4      NA      30.1     60.9     38.8     53.0      NA      34.4     39.2     53.2     44.1     52.0     32.4
  1977    61.2    56.7     41.5      NA      31.3     67.6     42.0     55.2      NA      39.6     42.8     57.7     50.0     56.4     35.1
  1978    65.3    55.8     54.7      NA      32.2     77.8     49.3     65.1      NA      47.6     48.1     67.7     54.7     60.1     44.4
  1979    70.7    59.6     51.4      NA      37.5     84.2     55.7     75.2      NA      53.6     54.3     74.8     55.4     63.3     57.9

  1980    78.8    67.4     51.8      NA      43.4     88.3     55.9     84.2      NA      59.6     59.0     77.5     62.9     70.2     77.7
  1981    82.4    70.9     55.2      NA      49.2     70.6     48.4     71.8      NA      49.9     53.1     62.2     60.4     65.1     75.0
  1982    87.9    77.5     49.3      NA      49.4     57.2     44.9     65.5      NA      49.3     51.9     61.0     57.4     54.4     67.8
  1983    86.0    78.1     52.4      NA      47.2     51.0     41.9     59.3      NA      46.7     52.1     56.0     53.8     46.1     58.6
  1984    85.6    72.5     52.2      NA      49.6     46.8     39.3     54.4      NA      42.4     47.7     47.2     49.7     44.0     53.3
  1985    87.3    69.8     50.3     55.0     51.3     46.9     40.9     54.3      NA      41.7     46.6     46.4     50.0     46.1     54.7
  1986    91.2    72.4     75.3     53.0     55.6     63.4     57.7     71.0      NA      58.5     61.9     64.4     64.3     59.2     64.7
  1987    86.9    77.6     85.1     60.6     66.3     77.2     75.5     83.1      NA      74.9     73.9     81.3     76.4     69.6     76.4
  1988    86.7    85.0     93.3     77.8     75.5     77.0     78.9     82.3      NA      76.9     75.2     82.2     84.8     75.4     84.0
  1989    90.5    91.1     87.2     91.6     85.2     72.3     72.1     77.5      NA      73.0     76.1     74.6     81.7     76.8     79.4

  1990    93.7    98.0     83.9     93.0     89.7     89.5     91.2     94.2      NA      87.3     94.1     87.9     93.6     91.3     93.8
  1991    97.6   105.1     91.8    100.3     91.1     92.3     91.0     93.2     87.5     87.8     97.5     90.0     95.0     96.3    100.1
  1992   100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0
  1993   100.6    90.3    115.3    102.7     98.1     95.1     96.5     95.2     98.7     99.4     81.6     96.9     89.2     67.8     85.6
  1994    98.5    82.8    125.8    106.8     99.0     94.2     91.4     93.4     98.2     99.8     77.9     93.2     92.3     64.0     86.4
  1995    94.8    83.0    131.6    124.3     99.2    105.2    104.0    102.6    114.2    115.5     77.9    104.8    106.4     70.0     91.9
  1996    93.5    86.4    109.5    125.9     95.4     98.3    107.5    101.3    111.6    111.6     87.9    100.0    106.6     77.3     93.2
  1997    91.9    84.0     97.4    100.2     89.5     81.4     90.8     83.3     94.0     93.5     80.9     87.0    102.1     65.4    100.3
  1998    92.8    79.6     92.2     65.8     77.4     80.0     92.6     79.1     92.9     89.1     78.8     87.2    103.5     61.5    105.9
  1999    91.3    78.8    101.0     68.8     78.3     78.0     89.5     75.2     91.6      NA      76.7     84.3    102.2     56.4    104.7

  2000    92.3    78.2     98.4     70.4     78.1     66.5     76.5     62.8     79.8      NA      66.6     73.3     93.0     47.5     98.3
  2001    94.1    79.2     89.3     66.5     69.4     67.0     73.4     61.4     78.7      NA      65.8     75.0     94.0     43.1     95.1
  2002    92.8    80.5     81.1     72.4     63.7     70.9     77.9     65.1     83.0      NA      72.2     82.8    110.3     44.2    102.1

NA:  Not Available

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

* Compensation adjusted to include changes in employment taxes that are not compensation to employees,
   but are labor costs to employers.

** See note on Germany in box on page 4.

Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 2003.

Table of Contents

Last Modified Date: September 09, 2003