Table 10. Unit labor costs in manufacturing, U.S. dollar basis, 19 countries, 1950-2011 (Indexes: 2002 = 100) Year United Australia Belgium Canada Czech Denmark Finland France Germany Italy Japan Korea, Netherlands Norway Singapore Spain Sweden Taiwan United States (1) (1) Republic (1) (1) Republic of (1) (1) Kingdom (1) (1) 1950 31.0 NA NA 32.1 NA 11.8 NA 15.0 11.2 21.4 13.6 NA 15.4 7.3 NA NA 23.5 NA 10.8 1951 33.0 NA NA 36.3 NA 13.0 NA 17.9 12.2 21.1 13.9 NA 16.4 8.0 NA NA 26.8 NA 11.7 1952 34.5 NA NA 41.7 NA 14.3 NA 22.2 11.8 21.8 15.3 NA 17.0 9.0 NA NA 31.5 NA 13.4 1953 35.7 NA NA 42.1 NA 14.5 NA 22.9 11.6 22.3 14.1 NA 16.2 9.1 NA NA 31.5 NA 13.5 1954 36.7 NA NA 43.1 NA 14.5 NA 23.0 11.6 22.1 14.5 NA 17.0 9.2 NA NA 32.3 NA 13.8 1955 36.4 NA NA 41.2 NA 14.8 NA 24.4 11.6 21.9 14.6 NA 17.5 9.5 NA NA 34.0 NA 14.3 1956 39.5 NA NA 41.8 NA 15.5 NA 26.1 12.1 22.4 13.8 NA 18.2 9.8 NA NA 34.5 NA 15.5 1957 40.7 NA NA 45.5 NA 15.8 NA 23.5 12.4 22.8 12.9 NA 19.5 10.1 NA NA 35.0 NA 16.1 1958 42.6 NA NA 45.7 NA 16.0 NA 26.4 12.6 23.6 14.0 NA 20.1 10.5 NA NA 36.0 NA 16.9 1959 42.1 NA NA 45.5 NA 16.0 NA 24.2 12.7 22.8 13.2 NA 19.1 10.7 NA NA 35.5 NA 16.8 1960 43.7 NA 25.8 45.7 NA 16.5 29.5 24.6 13.1 23.2 12.4 NA 19.4 10.5 NA NA 37.0 NA 16.9 1961 43.8 NA 27.0 42.6 NA 17.5 30.6 25.7 14.5 23.8 12.7 NA 21.8 11.0 NA NA 38.7 NA 18.0 1962 43.3 NA 27.6 38.6 NA 18.2 33.0 26.8 15.4 25.3 13.7 NA 22.6 12.1 NA NA 40.4 NA 18.5 1963 41.6 NA 29.4 38.4 NA 19.2 33.6 27.2 15.8 29.2 14.2 NA 23.9 12.3 NA NA 41.9 NA 18.4 1964 41.3 NA 31.3 38.4 NA 19.2 36.0 28.6 15.8 30.7 14.0 NA 25.3 12.4 NA NA 42.5 NA 18.3 1965 40.6 NA 33.1 39.1 NA 20.3 37.9 28.7 16.3 29.5 15.1 NA 26.7 12.9 NA NA 43.6 NA 19.5 1966 41.6 NA 34.1 41.2 NA 22.0 39.2 28.5 17.0 28.9 15.2 NA 27.9 13.6 NA NA 45.8 NA 20.4 1967 43.9 NA 35.3 43.2 NA 22.1 38.4 29.5 17.0 30.4 15.1 NA 28.9 14.6 NA NA 47.0 NA 19.8 1968 45.5 NA 34.6 43.6 NA 20.2 33.0 30.0 16.8 30.1 15.7 NA 28.5 15.2 NA NA 46.7 NA 17.1 1969 48.1 NA 34.5 44.9 NA 21.4 33.3 30.0 17.5 31.7 16.4 NA 29.4 15.3 NA NA 46.8 NA 18.3 1970 51.4 NA 35.9 49.7 NA 22.9 36.3 29.4 21.4 36.2 17.4 31.2 31.7 16.5 NA NA 50.2 23.3 20.7 1971 51.1 NA 39.9 51.9 NA 24.9 41.5 31.1 24.2 41.5 19.5 30.1 35.7 18.6 NA NA 55.1 24.3 22.9 1972 51.5 NA 46.6 54.1 NA 27.8 45.1 37.5 27.5 44.7 23.5 29.6 40.8 21.2 NA NA 62.9 24.3 25.6 1973 52.8 NA 56.4 55.4 NA 36.6 56.2 46.6 35.1 48.3 29.5 34.0 51.4 25.7 NA NA 72.0 29.6 26.7 1974 60.1 NA 65.9 63.9 NA 42.9 69.1 46.8 39.6 51.4 35.0 40.7 58.8 30.3 NA NA 79.9 45.0 30.1 1975 65.1 NA 81.1 72.6 NA 49.2 90.0 63.0 44.0 64.3 39.0 38.4 68.2 38.6 NA NA 103.3 45.1 38.9 1976 66.9 NA 81.2 79.5 NA 51.4 99.1 60.0 43.1 54.7 39.6 48.4 67.0 41.6 45.2 NA 113.3 46.5 35.1 1977 70.2 NA 90.0 77.4 NA 55.5 101.8 63.1 49.6 59.0 46.5 56.5 74.7 47.0 47.4 NA 123.0 47.7 38.0 1978 75.2 NA 103.7 74.9 NA 65.7 100.6 75.9 59.6 67.1 61.2 66.2 87.0 51.1 53.6 NA 131.3 49.1 48.0 1979 81.3 NA 112.2 79.3 NA 72.9 110.6 87.2 67.2 75.8 57.5 81.4 96.8 51.5 59.2 84.9 138.1 57.7 62.7 1980 91.6 NA 117.6 88.4 NA 71.0 126.8 99.3 74.8 81.6 58.0 83.1 101.0 58.7 65.7 88.4 153.2 66.4 83.8 1981 95.6 NA 94.1 94.2 NA 60.8 122.8 85.7 62.6 73.0 61.8 84.8 82.1 56.3 70.6 76.6 142.0 69.2 80.6 1982 103.5 NA 76.2 104.9 NA 55.6 117.4 79.7 61.8 71.4 55.5 83.5 80.5 53.3 81.3 70.8 118.5 69.4 72.5 1983 99.6 NA 67.9 106.0 NA 51.4 106.6 73.5 58.6 71.7 59.6 83.7 74.8 50.1 88.6 58.1 100.0 64.8 62.6 1984 100.2 NA 62.3 96.6 NA 48.7 103.9 68.4 53.2 66.1 60.2 82.3 64.5 45.9 89.1 55.2 95.5 68.7 56.7 1985 101.7 NA 62.4 94.3 NA 50.3 106.0 69.2 52.3 65.1 56.7 77.1 63.5 46.1 93.4 54.7 100.4 73.3 58.3 1986 104.7 NA 84.4 97.2 NA 70.2 133.3 93.1 73.3 87.2 83.5 74.8 86.2 59.2 81.0 73.3 129.1 79.9 69.1 1987 101.1 NA 102.8 103.6 NA 91.3 153.9 110.3 94.0 103.8 96.0 82.8 106.5 70.3 79.1 86.5 151.7 97.6 81.9 1988 100.8 NA 102.6 114.7 NA 95.4 166.8 110.9 96.5 106.4 106.0 108.3 106.9 77.6 85.0 94.6 165.0 113.7 90.1 1989 103.3 NA 96.4 123.0 NA 87.9 171.2 105.0 91.6 107.4 98.9 125.6 96.5 74.8 94.1 98.9 168.8 129.5 85.5 1990 107.0 118.5 119.2 130.1 NA 111.8 207.9 126.1 109.4 132.7 93.9 127.3 116.5 85.5 106.2 128.4 200.9 139.3 100.9 1991 110.3 122.0 122.9 140.4 NA 111.0 211.6 125.5 110.0 139.0 102.4 136.8 118.5 86.7 117.5 134.8 211.7 143.5 107.4 1992 111.2 117.6 133.2 133.4 NA 120.6 176.8 136.9 126.5 142.9 111.5 137.8 130.8 91.7 133.3 149.0 219.4 159.4 101.1 1993 110.8 108.9 126.7 121.0 NA 114.2 129.2 129.2 125.1 115.8 128.2 143.9 125.4 81.7 131.4 128.5 148.8 157.4 86.3 1994 109.0 117.5 125.4 111.3 NA 106.6 136.1 128.8 123.6 109.3 139.6 153.5 122.6 84.7 135.4 123.1 139.6 159.2 87.8 1995 107.1 125.3 140.1 112.1 108.1 123.1 170.0 142.0 144.4 108.5 147.2 176.7 136.4 100.1 143.4 133.3 149.9 160.4 93.4 1996 105.3 135.9 133.8 115.0 110.6 127.8 162.4 140.2 141.1 121.0 122.6 178.8 129.3 98.7 148.0 136.0 166.6 154.2 92.9 1997 103.6 129.3 113.0 110.4 100.3 107.0 139.1 121.2 117.7 112.9 110.0 146.1 113.7 93.1 142.0 119.2 140.9 145.2 99.6 1998 104.5 109.8 111.7 103.5 104.6 109.0 132.9 115.3 117.5 110.6 103.1 96.2 113.8 95.0 124.0 115.8 132.5 123.5 106.7 1999 102.8 113.2 109.3 101.3 91.4 105.4 122.8 109.5 112.8 107.2 115.6 101.1 108.5 93.4 101.4 108.6 120.3 123.4 105.5 2000 102.8 103.5 92.6 98.9 79.1 90.0 99.3 94.3 95.5 91.3 115.1 103.7 91.6 84.4 95.8 94.6 105.0 122.6 97.3 2001 104.5 92.6 93.4 99.8 85.4 91.4 99.1 92.7 93.0 91.4 105.7 95.7 92.3 85.8 105.9 92.8 99.9 114.7 93.2 2002 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 2003 99.5 121.3 120.5 116.2 117.3 123.4 115.9 118.8 117.3 126.8 100.4 103.6 121.6 107.8 99.7 123.1 116.2 96.5 108.7 2004 92.3 142.9 129.3 128.5 129.2 133.2 124.0 130.0 124.5 141.2 100.4 112.1 130.3 110.8 94.2 136.8 117.9 97.8 119.8 2005 91.1 155.6 129.8 139.7 123.1 137.3 123.7 128.8 120.2 141.7 91.1 130.6 126.3 118.9 93.0 141.1 112.1 99.5 119.9 2006 89.9 159.3 134.3 152.7 118.7 136.3 115.6 130.0 114.7 142.2 83.0 137.8 126.2 131.6 93.3 145.5 107.6 96.1 123.3 2007 88.1 181.8 147.9 165.3 131.4 154.3 118.6 140.9 121.7 157.2 77.1 140.8 134.7 149.5 101.5 165.5 121.3 88.6 133.5 2008 93.7 193.4 162.6 171.1 152.8 177.3 137.0 160.9 139.6 179.9 87.3 119.2 152.8 159.1 120.6 189.2 135.7 93.2 125.9 2009 93.7 183.3 170.9 164.2 134.4 172.9 159.0 159.1 160.6 187.7 103.1 107.0 157.7 147.0 117.0 180.1 135.6 81.1 111.2 2010 85.2 212.8 156.6 171.4 122.4 155.7 136.9 145.4 139.8 167.4 94.8 117.2 139.8 150.0 102.1 162.7 118.8 77.0 110.4 2011 85.7 246.4 162.9 179.1 122.2 163.6 147.6 153.2 143.7 180.3 109.7 114.9 144.1 164.8 107.8 164.8 131.3 84.1 112.0 NA = Not Available The data relate to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers), except for Belgium and Taiwan, where data relate to employees (wage and salary earners). 1. Compensation adjusted for employment taxes and government subsidies to estimate the actual cost to employers. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2012.