Appendix - Definitions, Sources, and Methods

This chartbook is based partially upon the output of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) program of international comparisons of labor force, compensation, and productivity.  In order to increase country and indicator coverage, BLS data are supplemented by data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and other organizations.

BLS adjusts foreign statistics to a common conceptual framework, thereby aiding users in making meaningful international comparisons.  Comparability issues arise due to, for example, differences in definitions, time periods, and population coverage.  Summary descriptions of the BLS comparative series are provided below.  More detailed information can be found in the source documents listed, which are available on the BLS foreign labor statistics Web site at http://www.bls.gov/fls/.  BLS publications and releases also are available free of charge by contacting the Division of Foreign Labor Statistics, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Room 2150, Washington, D.C. 20212-0001, phone (202) 691-5654, FAX (202) 691-5679.

To increase country coverage for some of the GDP per capita and labor market indicators charts (sections 1 and 2), BLS data are supplemented by data mainly from OECD, but also from the International Labor Organization’s International Labor Office (ILO), World Bank, and national sources.  The data from these alternative sources are judged reasonably comparable with the BLS series unless otherwise noted.  The charts on hourly compensation and productivity in manufacturing (charts 3.1-3.6) have not been supplemented by other sources; data are from the BLS series.  To provide other indicators of interest, 26 of the charts (charts 2.4, 2.5, 2.8, 2.9, 2.13-2.15, 3.7, and all charts in sections 4, 5, and 6) are based on statistics compiled by other organizations, mainly OECD, but also the United Nations, World Bank, and ILO.  Discussion of the data from the non-BLS sources is included below.  Although some adjustments may have been made by the source organizations to enhance comparability, these data generally are not considered fully comparable across countries.  Where applicable, some caveats concerning comparability are noted.

Country coverage varies by indicator.  Coverage in sections 1, 2, and 4 varies from 18 to 21 countries.  In addition, weighted aggregates for 15 European Union countries (EU-15) are shown on most charts.  These represent European Union member countries prior to the expansion of the European Union to 25 countries on May 1, 2004 and to 27 countries on January 1, 2007.  The 15 countries are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.  It should be noted that some countries for which data are available are not included on the charts for analytical or presentation purposes.  Fourteen countries appear on all charts in the first four sections: the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In addition, data for Mexico, New Zealand, Austria, Ireland, and Portugal appear on almost all charts in sections 1-4; data for Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, and Taiwan were only available for some charts.  For section 3, coverage ranges from 15 economies on the productivity charts to 22 economies on the hourly compensation charts.  Section 5 covers the United States, which is used as a reference point, and five large emerging economies: Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, and the Russian Federation.  Coverage in the final section varies from 13 to 15 countries. 

In most cases, 2006 is the latest year that data are available for the charts.  All data are either annual averages or mid-year estimates.  There are some breaks in the historical continuity of labor force and employment data for trends from 1996 onward.  The nature of the breaks is documented in the source publications.  The breaks generally do not substantially affect the trends depicted.

In the descriptions that follow, some charts are discussed as a group, while others warrant individual treatment.