Table 4. Annual percent change in hourly compensation costs in national currency for production workers in manufacturing, 30 countries or areas and selected economic groups, selected years, 1975-2002 Country or area 1975- 1975- 1980- 1985- 1990- 1995- 2000 2001 2002 2002(1) 1980 1985 1990 1995 2002 Americas United States............. 4.6 9.2 5.7 2.8 2.9 r 3.2 3.5 4.3 r 3.7 Brazil (2)................ - - - - - - r 4.2 r 7.5 r 8.0 Canada.................... 5.4 10.8 8.1 4.5 3.5 1.9 2.9 2.7 r 2.7 Mexico.................... r30.7 22.5 51.8 61.1 r16.1 r15.2 r16.7 r12.9 r 7.7 Asia and Oceania Australia................. r 7.2 11.6 9.6 r 7.7 4.4 r 4.4 .5 r 3.3 r10.4 Hong Kong SAR (3)......... 9.7 15.0 r12.5 13.3 8.6 r 2.7 2.0 r 6.2 -2.2 Israel.................... r48.0 68.3 200.9 29.2 13.0 r 8.8 r 6.2 r 9.9 r .5 Japan..................... 3.7 7.0 4.0 r 4.1 r 3.3 r 1.3 r 1.6 r -.4 r -.8 Korea..................... 17.2 30.1 13.0 19.5 16.5 r10.5 5.9 r 7.5 13.4 New Zealand............... r 7.6 15.6 10.4 9.3 r 2.1 r 3.2 r 2.7 r 3.5 r 3.7 Singapore................. 7.2 9.8 r11.3 r 4.6 8.7 3.3 r 6.5 r 3.2 -3.9 Sri Lanka................. r12.5 12.7 16.2 13.1 11.7 9.9 12.8 9.0 17.8 Taiwan.................... r10.3 r20.5 r10.3 r11.9 r 8.3 r 3.6 r 3.5 r 5.7 r-3.0 Europe Austria................... r 5.1 7.9 6.4 5.1 4.9 r 2.5 r 2.2 2.7 3.0 Belgium................... 5.4 10.2 6.8 3.8 4.9 2.6 4.2 .5 2.5 Denmark................... r 6.5 11.1 7.2 5.3 4.6 r 5.1 r 4.8 r 5.2 4.3 Finland................... 8.0 12.6 10.5 9.7 5.5 r 3.7 4.1 5.3 r 3.9 France.................... 7.0 14.3 12.3 4.6 2.7 r 3.1 r 4.9 4.5 3.7 Germany, Former West...... r 4.6 7.5 4.7 4.8 5.1 r 2.2 r 3.6 r 2.4 2.3 Germany, Unified.......... - - - - - r 2.2 r 3.5 2.5 2.2 Greece.................... r18.2 23.9 26.0 r16.1 r14.3 - - - - Ireland................... r 8.6 r16.3 13.9 r 4.8 3.8 r 6.0 r 6.8 r 9.6 7.6 Italy..................... r 9.0 18.0 15.9 7.5 r 4.6 r 2.4 r 2.8 r 1.4 2.6 Luxembourg................ r 4.7 8.0 5.7 3.8 5.2 r 2.1 r 3.0 r 1.4 r 3.0 Netherlands............... 4.2 7.6 3.9 2.5 3.3 3.9 4.5 4.8 4.2 Norway.................... r 6.9 10.1 9.3 8.5 2.8 r 4.9 3.6 5.2 r 4.0 Portugal.................. r13.1 20.7 20.6 r15.2 r 8.3 4.9 r 2.4 5.5 4.4 Spain..................... 10.4 23.8 13.4 7.9 6.6 4.1 r 3.2 4.1 r 4.9 Sweden.................... r 7.3 12.2 9.5 8.3 4.3 r 3.7 r 3.8 2.7 3.4 Switzerland............... 3.3 3.4 5.0 4.1 3.6 1.2 1.3 2.7 1.8 United Kingdom............ r 8.0 16.5 8.3 8.0 r 4.3 r 4.6 r 3.7 3.4 3.7 Trade-weighted measures (4,5) All 29 foreign economies.. - - - - - - r 5.3 r 4.5 r 3.3 less Brazil.............. 10.6 14.5 17.2 14.6 r 6.7 r 4.8 r 5.3 r 4.5 r 3.2 less Brazil, Mexico, Israel.................. 6.5 12.2 8.2 6.3 4.9 2.9 3.3 2.9 2.4 OECD (6).................. r10.2 13.5 15.0 r14.9 r 6.4 r 4.8 r 5.4 r 4.3 r 3.8 less Mexico, Korea (7)... 5.6 10.7 7.5 5.0 r 3.8 r 2.4 r 3.0 r 2.4 r 2.4 Europe.................... 6.6 12.4 8.7 5.8 4.4 r 3.4 r 3.9 3.4 3.4 European Union-15 (8)..... 6.8 12.9 8.9 5.9 4.4 3.4 4.0 3.4 3.4 Asian NIEs (9)............ r11.8 20.6 r11.7 13.1 r11.1 r 5.6 r 4.7 r 5.8 2.2 r=revised Rates of change based on compound rate method. Dash means data not available. (1) 1975-1998 for Greece. (2) Data for Brazil are not available before 1996. (3) Hong Kong special administrative region of China. (4) Because data for Germany are not available before 1993, data for the former West Germany only are included in the trade-weighted measures. (5) Trade-weighted percent changes computed as the trade-weighted average of the rates of change for the individual countries or areas. For description of trade-weighted measures and economic groups, see the Technical Notes preceding these tables. (6) Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. (7) Mexico joined the OECD in 1994, and Korea joined in 1996. (8) European Union-15 refers to European Union member countries prior to the expansion of the European Union to 25 countries on May 1, 2004. (9) The Asian NIEs are Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2004.