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December 2007

Comparative civilian labor force statistics, 10 countries: a visual essay

Jennifer L. Raynor

For many years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has regularly prepared international comparisons of labor force statistics that are used to assess relative economic performance across countries. This essay presents 10 charts of key labor market indicators, using data from the semiannual publication Comparative Civilian Labor Force Statistics, Ten Countries, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/fls/. Charts cover the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and six European countries—France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom—the same countries covered in the full publication. The data have been adjusted to U.S. concepts insofar as possible and are based mainly on labor force surveys.

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