Manufacturing productivity and labor costs in 14 economies (ABSTRACT), Monthly Labor Review Online, Dec. 1991

Manufacturing productivity and labor costs in 14 economies

Arthur Neef
Chief, Division of Foreign Labor Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Christopher Kask
Economist, Division of Foreign Labor Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Over the 1960-90 period, the U.S. and Canada had smaller average annual increases in labor productivity than did Japan or the nine European countries studied, but long-term trends in unit labor costs have been favorable for U.S. trade competitiveness. This article examines comparative trends in manufacturing output per hour, unit labor costs, and related measures for the United States and 11 other industrial nations in 1990, and, subsequently, over the 1960-90 period, with discussions of selected subperiods.

Read excerpt Download full text in PDF (797K)

Related BLS programs
Foreign Labor Statistics

Related Monthly Labor Review articles
International comparisons of manufacturing compensation costs. October 1995.

Manufacturing multifactor productivity in three countries. July 1995.

Manufacturing prices, productivity, and labor costs in five economies. July 1995.

Measurement of productivity growth in U.S. manufacturing. July 1995.

International comparisons of manufacturing compensation costs. November 1994.

Manufacturing costs, productivity, and competitiveness: 1979-93. October 1994.

International comparisons of manufacturing unit labor costs. December 1993.

Within Monthly Labor Review Online:
Welcome | Current Issue | Index | Subscribe | Archives

Exit Monthly Labor Review Online:
BLS Home | Publications & Research Papers