TEXT
Table 1.  Output per hour in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1995
Table 2.  Output per employed person in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1995
Table 3.  Output in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1995
Table 4.  Total hours in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1995
Table 5.  Employment in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1995
Table 6.  Average annual hours in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1995
Table 7.  Hourly compensation in manufacturing, national currency basis, 12 countries, 1950-1995
Table 8.  Hourly compensation in manufacturing, U.S. dollar basis, 12 countries, 1950-1995
Table 9.  Unit labor costs in manufacturing, national currency basis, 12 countries, 1950-1995
Table 10.  Unit labor costs in manufacturing, U.S. dollar basis, 12 countries, 1950-1995
Table 11.  Exchange rates, 12 countries, 1950-1995 (Value of foreign currency relative to U.S. dollar)
Table 12.  Average annual compensation in manufacturing, national currency basis, 12 countries, 1950-1995
Table 13.  Real hourly compensation in manufacturing, CPI basis, 12 countries, 1950-1995
Table 14.  Real average annual compensation in manufacturing, CPI basis, 12 countries, 1950-1995
Table 15.  Korea:  Output and unit labor costs, all employees in manufacturing, 1970-1995
Table 16.  Taiwan:  Output and unit labor costs, all employees in manufacturing, 1970-1995

 
Technical information                           USDL: 96-284
    (202) 606-5654                              For Release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact                                   Wednesday, July 17, 1996
    (202) 606-5902
 
 
INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS OF MANUFACTURING PRODUCTIVITY
AND UNIT LABOR COST TRENDS, 1995
 
        The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor today
reported on 1995 developments in manufacturing labor productivity (output
per hour) and unit labor costs in the United States and other industrial
economies.
 
        U.S. manufacturing productivity increased 3.4 percent in 1995.  Among
the eight foreign economies for which data are available, only Italy and
Japan had higher rates of productivity growth than the United States,
although several countries matched or nearly matched the U.S. rate.  Only
one  of the economies - the United Kingdom - had no productivity increase in
1995.  (See table A and chart 1.)
 
        The growth of productivity in the United States was based upon an
output increase of 3.5 percent combined with virtually no growth in labor
input. Germany (former West Germany) and Japan were the only countries to
increase productivity by combining decreases in labor input with increases
in output.
 
***AT THIS POINT, PRINTED COPY CONTAINS CHART 1. PERCENT CHANGE IN
MANUFACTURING OUTPUT PER HOUR, 1995.
 
        Unit labor costs equal compensation in nominal terms divided by real
output.  The cost of labor input required to produce one unit of output is
reflected in this measure.  Unit labor costs in the United States declined
0.6 percent in 1995, the third consecutive year in which unit labor costs
have fallen.  Six of the 11 foreign economies for which unit labor cost data
are available also had decreases in unit labor costs in 1995, with the
largest drop in Taiwan, about 3 percent.
 
        Unit labor costs also can be derived by dividing compensation per hour
by output per hour.  An increase in productivity thus mitigates an increase
in compensation per hour.  This occurs because an increase in productivity
represents a decrease in the amount of labor input needed to produce a unit
of output.  For the United States, the productivity gain of 3.4 percent more
than offset an increase in hourly compensation of 2.8 percent.
 
        In order to make changes in unit labor costs more relevant for
discussing international competitiveness, foreign countries' costs can be
converted to U.S. dollars, as in chart 2.  Then, relative currency values
play a role in comparative unit labor costs.
 
 
                                                              - 2 -
 
        Several European currencies appreciated sharply against the U.S. dollar
in 1995, driving up those countries' rates of increase of unit labor costs
measured in U.S. dollars.  Currency values in Denmark, France, Germany, and
Norway all increased by more than 10 percent relative to the dollar.
Although each of these countries had either small increases or small
declines in unit labor costs measured on a national currency basis, the rise
in currency values pushed U.S. dollar-based unit labor cost increases in
these countries to 10 percent or higher.  The three economies with
currencies that did not appreciate against the U.S. dollar - Canada, Italy,
and Taiwan -  were also the only three foreign economies with declining unit
labor costs measured on a U.S. dollar basis.
 
***AT THIS POINT, PRINTED COPY CONTAINS CHART 2. PERCENT CHANGE IN
MANUFACTURING UNIT LABOR COSTS (U.S. DOLLAR BASIS), 1995.
 
        The 1995 measures of percent changes in manufacturing productivity,
unit labor costs, and related variables are summarized in table A below.
Output and unit labor cost measures are included for all 12 economies for
which 1995 data are available. Comparable productivity figures for Korea and
Taiwan are not available.  Productivity data for Denmark are not shown
because recent data on hours worked have not been produced by the Danish
national statistical agency. (See technical note.)
 
 
Table A. Manufacturing productivity and labor costs in 12 countries or areas
Percent change, 1994-95
 
           Output                              Hourly  Unit labor costs    Ex-
Country     per                Employ- Average compen- National    U.S.  change
or area     hour Output  Hours   ment   hours  sation  currency  dollars   rate
(1)
 
U.S.        3.4    3.5    0.1     0.8   -0.7     2.8     -0.6     -0.6      ---
 
Canada      1.6    4.5    2.9     2.5     .4     1.2     - .4     - .8     - .4
Japan       5.4    3.2   -2.1    -2.8     .7     3.2     -2.1      6.5      8.7
Korea(2)     NA   10.7     NA      NA     NA      NA     -1.2      3.0      4.2
Taiwan(2)    NA    6.8     NA      NA     NA      NA     -2.8     -2.9     - .1
Denmark(3)   NA    3.2     NA     3.4     NA      NA      3.6     17.6     13.5
France      3.0    3.2     .2      .1     .2     1.6     -1.3      9.8     11.2
 
Germany(4)  3.2     .5   -2.7    -2.2    -.5     5.1      1.8     15.3     13.2
Italy       4.0    5.8    1.7    -1.4    3.1     3.1     - .9     -2.0     -1.1
Norway       .9    2.9    2.0     2.5    -.5     4.3      3.4     15.1     11.4
Sweden      3.4    9.4    5.8     4.1    1.7     5.4      2.0     10.2      8.1
U.K.         .0    1.9    1.9     1.2     .7     3.3      3.3      6.4      3.0
 
(1)  Value of foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar.
(2)  Productivity not available because adequate labor input measures have
not been developed.
(3)  Labor input data have not been produced for 1994 and 1995 by the Danish
national statistical agency.
(4)  Data relate to the former West Germany.
NA=Not Available.
                                                              - 3 -
 
        Although the productivity measure relates output to the hours of
persons employed in manufacturing, it does not measure the specific
contributions of labor as a single factor of production.  Rather, it
reflects the joint effects of many influences, including new technology,
capital investment, capacity utilization, energy use, and managerial skills,
as well as the skills and efforts of the work force.
 
        Table B shows average annual percent changes for selected periods from
1979 for 14 economies - the 12 economies in table A plus Belgium and the
Netherlands.  Indexes of the measures for the United States, Canada, Japan,
and the European countries are in tables 1-14; output and unit labor cost
indexes for Korea and Taiwan are in tables 15 and 16.
 
        Prior to this release, the output series for the United States in this
comparative data set was the same series BLS published, along with data for
the business sector, in its news releases on quarterly measures of U.S.
productivity and costs.  The concept underlying the quarterly series of U.S.
manufacturing output was changed in February 1996.  The U.S. output series
used in this release of international comparisons now differs from the new
output series published with the quarterly U.S. measures.  In addition, the
U.S. indexes in this release for measures based on output are not currently
available prior to 1977.  For a further discussion of these issues, see the
technical notes on pages 11-14.
 
 
 
Productivity, output, and labor input
 
        The year 1995 marked the first time in 10 years that manufacturing
output increased in all 12 of the economies included in table A.  Increases
ranged from just 1/2 of 1 percent in Germany to 9-1/2 percent in Sweden and
10-1/2 percent in Korea.  An increase of 3.5 percent placed the United
States in about the middle of the group.
 
        Labor input (as measured by total hours worked) was nearly flat in U.S.
manufacturing in 1995.  Several other economies, however, recorded larger
increases in labor input.  The biggest rise occurred in Sweden, where hours
worked increased nearly 6 percent following a 5 percent increase the
previous year.  Hours worked declined in only two countries - Japan and
Germany.
 
        Unchanging labor input coupled with rising output resulted in a U.S.
productivity increase of 3.4 percent in 1995, a growth rate exceeded only by
Italy and Japan.  While output grew more slowly in Germany than in the
United States, Germany nearly matched U.S. productivity growth because of
reduced labor input in Germany.  Growth in output per hour in Sweden equaled
the U.S. rate:  Sweden combined the highest rate of output growth with the
highest rate of labor input growth for all the countries for which
productivity was measured.  For the first time since 1980, manufacturing
productivity did not increase in the United Kingdom.
 
 
 
 
                                                              - 4 -
 
Hourly compensation and unit labor costs
 
        Hourly compensation costs in manufacturing - which include wages and
salaries, supplements, and employer payments for social security and other
employer-financed benefit plans - rose 2.8 percent  in the United States in
1995.  Except for Canada and France, hourly compensation increased in the
other economies at higher rates than in the United States.
 
        With hourly compensation costs rising at a slower rate than
productivity, unit labor costs in the United States declined slightly in
1995, down 0.6 percent from their 1994 level.  Unit labor costs also
declined in Canada, France, Italy, Japan, and Korea, while the biggest drop,
3 percent, occurred in Taiwan (footnote 1).   Denmark, Norway, and the United
Kingdom had the largest unit labor cost increases, at about 3-1/2 percent each.
 
 
Unit labor costs in U.S. dollars
 
        The currencies of all the European economies studied, except the
Italian lira, appreciated against the U.S. dollar in 1995, several of them
rather sharply.  Except for the lira and the British pound, the European
currencies were up by 8 percent or more.  The Korean won and the Japanese
yen also appreciated, while currencies in Canada and Taiwan depreciated
slightly against the dollar.
 
        Changes in currency values relative to the U.S. dollar have an
important effect on changes in competitiveness as measured by U.S. dollar-
based unit labor costs.  Among all the foreign economies, only the three
with currencies that declined in value relative to the U.S. dollar - Canada,
Italy, and
Taiwan - had decreases in dollar-based unit labor costs. Unit labor costs on
a U.S. dollar basis rose in the remaining economies, with increases of more
than 15 percent in Denmark, Germany, and Norway.
 
 
Trade-weighted unit labor costs
 
        Because the economies covered by the BLS comparative data differ
greatly in their relative importance to U.S. trade in manufactured goods,
BLS constructs indexes of U.S. unit labor cost trends relative to a trade-
weighted average of unit labor cost trends in the other economies. (See
chart 3.)
 
----------------
footnote 1:  As noted above, unit labor cost measures for 1995 are compiled
for Denmark, Korea, and Taiwan in addition to the nine countries for which
productivity and hourly compensation measures are computed.
 
                                                              - 5 -
 
        The construction of the indexes shown in chart 3 is a three-step
process.  First, the indexes of unit labor costs for all economies are
rebased to a common year (in this case 1979=100).  Second, for each year, a
"competitors" index is calculated as the weighted geometric mean of the
indexes for all competitor economies.  Finally, the U.S. index number for
each year is divided by the competitors index number (and multiplied by 100)
to obtain a relative ratio of the United States to the competitors.  This
process is used to calculate the relative trade-weighted unit labor cost
indexes on both a national currency and a U.S. dollar basis.
 
        Chart 3 allows the growth rate of U.S. unit labor costs to be related
to the growth rate of foreign competitors' costs.  For example, the solid
line indicates that U.S. unit labor costs rose faster than competitors'
costs between 1979 and 1985 on a U.S. dollar basis.  Each year after 1985,
U.S. costs either rose at a slower rate than the competitors' costs or fell
at a faster rate - the only exception being in 1989.
 
***AT THIS POINT, PRINTED COPY CONTAINS CHART 3. U.S. MANUFACTURING UNIT
LABOR COSTS RELATIVE TO 11 COMPETITORS, 1979-95.
 
        U.S. relative unit labor costs on a national currency basis tended to
fall fairly consistently at an average rate of slightly less than 1 percent
per year between 1979 and 1995.  Rising unit labor costs relative to Japan
offset, to some extent, declining unit labor costs relative to Europe and
Canada through 1991.  Since that year, unit labor costs relative to both
Japan and Europe generally have fallen, but relative to Canada have risen
slightly.
 
        A very different pattern emerges when U.S. relative unit labor costs
are adjusted for currency exchange rates. Between 1979 and 1985, the U.S.
dollar appreciated 35 percent on a trade-weighted basis, and U.S. relative
unit labor costs rose about the same amount.  Thus, given virtually no
change in relative unit labor costs up to 1985 on a national currency basis
(the dashed line), the relative change on a U.S. dollar basis is due
entirely to appreciation of the dollar.
 
        Since the 1985 peak, the  U.S. dollar has fallen 37 percent.  Combined
with the decline in relative unit labor costs on a national currency basis,
U.S. relative unit labor costs on a U.S. dollar basis dropped 44 percent
between 1985 and 1995, improving U.S. competitiveness.  The most dramatic
movement during this period occurred between 1985 and 1988, when the U.S.
dollar depreciated 32 percent and U.S. relative unit labor costs on a U.S.
dollar basis fell 36 percent.  Between 1988 and 1995, the trade-weighted
value of the dollar generally declined, as did U.S. relative unit labor
costs, but at a much slower rate than during the 1985-88 period.
 
        Because 1995 data are not available for Belgium and the Netherlands,
they have been excluded from this analysis; however, these two countries
account for only about 4 percent of the total trade in manufactured goods
between the 13 foreign economies and the United States.  The trade weights
used in chart 3 are included in the section "Trade-Weighted Measures" in the
technical notes on pages 11-14.
 
TECHNICAL NOTES ARE PRESENTED ON PAGES 11-14
                                                              - 6 -
 
Table B.  Output per hour, hourly compensation, unit labor costs, and related
           measures: Manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1979-95
 
                 Average annual rates of change (1)
 
Country  1979-95  1979-85  1985-90  1990-95   1992     1993     1994     1995
or area
 
 
                                Output per hour
 
U.S.        2.6      2.0      2.7      3.2      2.1      3.6      4.4      3.4
 
Canada      1.7      2.4       .4      2.3      3.9      1.8      3.7      1.6
Japan       3.4      3.5      4.3      2.2       .6       .5       .7      5.4
Korea       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA
Taiwan      NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA
Belgium     NA       5.1      2.2      NA       1.3      4.2      5.7      NA
Denmark     NA       2.1       .1      NA       2.2      6.4      NA       NA
France      3.1      3.0      3.4      2.8      1.3      1.8      8.5      3.0
 
Germany(2)  2.2      2.1      2.1      2.7     -1.7      1.2      7.1      3.2
Italy       3.8      4.9      2.6      3.7      4.9      4.5      2.3      4.0
Nethlds.    NA       4.4      1.9      NA        .4      1.9      7.3      NA
Norway      1.9      2.9      1.4      1.3      3.9       .4      1.8       .9
Sweden      3.2      3.0      1.7      4.7      5.3      6.7      8.4      3.4
U.K.        4.3      4.4      4.6      4.0      5.9      5.4      3.8       .0
 
                                                      Continued on next page
 
 
                                                              - 7 -
 
Table B.  Output per hour, hourly compensation, unit labor costs, and related
            measures: Manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1979-95--continued
 
                   Average annual rates of change (1)
 
Country  1979-95  1979-85  1985-90  1990-95   1992     1993     1994     1995
or area
 
 
                                      Output
 
U.S.        2.1       .7      2.8      3.0      1.5      5.0      6.9      3.5
 
Canada      1.7      1.5      1.5      2.0      1.3      4.8      7.0      4.5
Japan       3.3      4.7      4.8       .3     -1.4     -4.0     -1.3      3.2
Korea       9.9      8.8     13.2      8.0      5.1      5.0     10.4     10.7
Taiwan      6.8      8.1      7.0      5.0      3.2      2.5      5.7      6.8
Belgium     NA       1.6      2.5      NA      - .0     -2.9      4.5      NA
Denmark     1.3      2.9     - .5      1.3       .9       .7      2.1      3.2
France       .7     - .4      2.6       .2     -1.7     -3.8      5.3      3.2
 
Germany(2)   .5       .2      2.3     - .9     -2.7     -8.0      2.3       .5
Italy       2.3      1.7      4.0      1.3       .3     -3.4      5.0      5.8
Nethlds.    NA       1.8      3.1      NA      - .6     -2.2      3.8      NA
Norway       .4      1.0     -1.8      2.1      3.1      2.4      5.4      2.9
Sweden      2.0      2.2      1.2      2.7     -3.4      1.3     13.8      9.4
U.K.         .7     -1.2      3.4       .2     - .6      1.2      4.3      1.9
 
 
                                       Total hours
 
U.S.       - .5     -1.2       .0     - .2     - .6      1.4      2.4       .1
 
Canada     - .1     - .9      1.1     - .3     -2.5      2.9      3.1      2.9
Japan        .0      1.1       .5     -1.9     -2.0     -4.4     -2.0     -2.1
Korea       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA
Taiwan      NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA
Belgium     NA      -3.3       .2      NA      -1.3     -6.8     -1.1      NA
Denmark     NA        .8     - .6      NA      -1.3     -5.3      NA       NA
France     -2.3     -3.3     - .8     -2.5     -2.9     -5.5     -2.9       .2
 
Germany(2) -1.7     -1.8       .3     -3.5     -1.1     -9.1     -4.5     -2.7
Italy      -1.5     -3.1      1.3     -2.3     -4.4     -7.6      2.6      1.7
Nethlds.    NA      -2.5      1.2      NA      -1.0     -4.1     -3.3      NA
Norway     -1.5     -1.9     -3.1       .8     - .8      2.1      3.6      2.0
Sweden     -1.1     - .8     - .5     -2.0     -8.3     -5.0      4.9      5.8
U.K.       -3.5     -5.3     -1.2     -3.6     -6.2     -4.0       .4      1.9
 
                                                      Continued on next page
 
 
 
                                                              - 8 -
Table B.  Output per hour, hourly compensation, unit labor costs, and related
            measures: Manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1979-95--continued
 
                   Average annual rates of change (1)
 
Country  1979-95  1979-85  1985-90  1990-95   1992     1993     1994     1995
or area
 
 
                                        Employment
 
U.S.       -0.8     -1.4     -0.1     -0.6     -1.7      0.1      1.3      0.8
 
Canada     - .3     - .8      1.1     -1.0     -3.5      1.4      2.1      2.5
Japan        .5      1.2       .8     - .5      1.1     -2.1     -2.0     -2.8
Korea       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA
Taiwan      NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA
Belgium     NA      -2.7     - .4      NA      -1.3     -5.4     -3.7      NA
Denmark      .1      1.0     - .1     - .9     -1.6     -4.6       .6      3.4
France     -1.9     -2.3     - .9     -2.5     -3.3     -4.7     -2.8       .1
 
Germany(2) - .9     -1.1      1.1     -2.7     -1.7     -6.0     -5.1     -2.2
Italy      -1.9     -2.9       .3     -2.8     -4.3     -5.7     - .2     -1.4
Nethlds.    NA      -2.3      1.4      NA      - .8     -4.1     -3.3      NA
Norway     -1.5     -1.8     -2.9       .4     -1.9      1.8      3.2      2.5
Sweden     -1.8     -1.2     - .8     -3.5     -9.0     -7.4      1.9      4.1
U.K.       -3.3     -4.9     -1.2     -3.5     -6.3     -3.6     - .3      1.2
 
 
                                        Average hours
 
U.S.        0.3      0.2      0.1      0.4      1.2      1.3      1.1     -0.7
 
Canada       .2     - .1       .0       .7      1.1      1.6      1.0       .4
Japan      - .5       .0     - .3     -1.4     -3.1     -2.3       .0       .7
Korea       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA
Taiwan      NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA
Belgium     NA      - .6       .7      NA      - .0     -1.5      2.7      NA
Denmark     NA      - .3     - .5      NA        .3     - .8      NA       NA
France     - .4     -1.0       .1       .0       .4     - .8     - .2       .2
 
Germany(2) - .8     - .7     - .9     - .8       .7     -3.4       .6     - .5
Italy        .4     - .1      1.0       .5     - .1     -2.0      2.8      3.1
Nethlds.    NA      - .3     - .2      NA      - .2       .0       .0      NA
Norway       .0     - .1     - .3       .3      1.1       .3       .3     - .5
Sweden       .7       .4       .3      1.6       .8      2.6      2.9      1.7
U.K.       - .2     - .5       .0     - .1       .1     - .4       .7       .7
 
                                                      Continued on next page
 
 
                                                              - 9 -
 
Table B.  Output per hour, hourly compensation, unit labor costs, and related
            measures: Manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1979-95--continued
 
                   Average annual rates of change (1)
 
Country  1979-95  1979-85  1985-90  1990-95   1992     1993     1994     1995
or area
 
 
                Hourly compensation(3):  National currency basis
 
U.S.        5.0      7.1      3.9      3.5      4.5      2.4      2.7      2.8
 
Canada      5.3      8.7      4.1      2.6      3.0       .1      2.3      1.2
Japan       4.4      4.7      4.6      4.0      4.3      4.6      2.2      3.2
Korea       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA
Taiwan      NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA       NA
Belgium     NA       7.8      3.9      NA       5.0      5.0      3.3      NA
Denmark     NA       8.1      5.4      NA       3.9      2.4      NA       NA
France      7.1     12.7      4.5      3.3      3.8      3.6      2.5      1.6
 
Germany(2)  5.5      5.9      4.9      5.5      5.3      6.0      4.2      5.1
Italy      10.0     16.7      6.9      5.5      7.4      7.1     - .6      3.1
Nethlds.    NA       4.9      2.1      NA       5.2      4.6      1.4      NA
Norway      7.3     10.0      8.1      3.4      2.6      1.5      3.3      4.3
Sweden      7.5      9.6      8.4      4.1      4.5     -2.2      4.1      5.4
U.K.        8.9     11.8      8.4      5.8      7.0      5.3      2.0      3.3
 
 
                     Unit labor costs:  National currency basis
 
U.S.        2.3      5.1      1.1      0.3      2.4     -1.2     -1.7     -0.6
 
Canada      3.5      6.1      3.7       .3     - .9     -1.7     -1.3     - .4
Japan       1.0      1.2       .3      1.7      3.6      4.1      1.5     -2.1
Korea       5.8      9.2      6.0      1.7      1.0     -1.8      5.9     -1.2
Taiwan      4.1      7.3      3.5      1.0      4.5       .9      1.1     -2.8
Belgium     NA       2.5      1.6      NA       3.6       .7     -2.3      NA
Denmark     4.1      5.9      5.2      1.0      1.7     -3.7      1.5      3.6
France      3.9      9.5      1.0       .5      2.5      1.8     -5.5     -1.3
 
Germany(2)  3.1      3.8      2.8      2.7      7.1      4.7     -2.8      1.8
Italy       6.0     11.2      4.2      1.7      2.4      2.5     -2.9     - .9
Nethlds.    NA        .5       .2      NA       4.8      2.6     -5.5      NA
Norway      5.3      6.9      6.6      2.1     -1.3      1.1      1.5      3.4
Sweden      4.2      6.4      6.6     - .6     - .7     -8.3     -4.0      2.0
U.K.        4.3      7.1      3.6      1.8      1.1     - .1     -1.8      3.3
 
                                                      Continued on next page
 
                                                             - 10 -
 
Table B.  Output per hour, hourly compensation, unit labor costs, and related
            measures: Manufacturing, 14 countries or areas, 1979-95--continued
 
                   Average annual rates of change (1)
 
Country  1979-95  1979-85  1985-90  1990-95   1992     1993     1994     1995
or area
 
 
                        Unit labor costs:  U.S. dollar basis
 
U.S.        2.3      5.1      1.1      0.3      2.4     -1.2     -1.7     -0.6
 
Canada      2.5      3.4      7.1     -2.9     -6.0     -7.9     -6.8     - .8
Japan       6.5     - .3     10.8     10.9     10.0     18.8     10.3      6.5
Korea       2.8     - .9     10.5       .0     -5.1     -4.5      5.8      3.0
Taiwan      6.1      5.5     12.0      1.3     11.2     -3.9       .9     -2.9
Belgium     NA      -8.8     13.9      NA      10.2     -6.4      1.1      NA
Denmark     3.7     -5.8     17.2      3.0      7.9    -10.4      3.6     17.6
France      2.9     -3.4     11.6      2.3      9.4     -4.9     -3.5      9.8
 
Germany(2)  4.8     -4.1     15.9      5.2     13.9     -1.1     - .8     15.3
Italy       1.6     -3.2     14.3     -4.3      3.1    -19.7     -5.2     -2.0
Nethlds.    NA      -7.6     12.9      NA      11.6     -2.9     -3.4      NA
Norway      3.8     -2.1     13.6      1.9      3.1    -11.5      2.2     15.1
Sweden       .9     -5.3     14.8     -4.3      3.1    -31.5     -3.0     10.2
U.K.        2.4     -1.3     10.5     - .7      1.0    -15.0       .2      6.4
 
 
                                   Exchange rates (4)
 
U.S.        0.0      0.0      0.0      0.0      0.0      0.0      0.0      0.0
 
Canada     -1.0     -2.5      3.2     -3.2     -5.2     -6.3     -5.6     - .4
Japan       5.4     -1.5     10.5      9.1      6.2     14.1      8.7      8.7
Korea      -2.9     -9.3      4.2     -1.7     -6.1     -2.7     - .1      4.2
Taiwan      1.9     -1.7      8.2       .3      6.4     -4.8     - .2     - .1
Belgium      .0    -11.1     12.2      2.5      6.4     -7.0      3.5     13.4
Denmark    - .4    -11.0     11.4      2.0      6.1     -6.9      2.0     13.5
France     -1.0    -11.7     10.5      1.8      6.7     -6.6      2.2     11.2
 
Germany(2)  1.6     -7.6     12.7      2.5      6.4     -5.6      2.0     13.2
Italy      -4.1    -12.9      9.8     -6.0       .7    -21.7     -2.4     -1.1
Nethlds.    1.4     -8.0     12.7      2.6      6.4     -5.4      2.2     13.4
Norway     -1.4     -8.4      6.6     - .3      4.5    -12.5       .6     11.4
Sweden     -3.1    -11.0      7.8     -3.7      3.9    -25.3      1.0      8.1
U.K.       -1.8     -7.9      6.6     -2.4     - .1    -15.0      2.0      3.0
 
(1)  Rates of change based on     (3)  Adjusted to include employment taxes
     the compound rate method.         that are not compensation to employees
                                       but are labor costs to employers.
(2)  Data relate to the former
     West Germany.                 (4) Value of foreign currency relative to
NA = Not available.                    the U.S. dollar.
                                                             - 11 -
 
TECHNICAL NOTES
 
The Bureau of Labor Statistics constructs trend indexes of manufacturing
labor productivity (output per hour), hourly compensation costs, and unit
labor costs from three basic aggregate measures - output, total labor hours,
and total compensation.  The hours and compensation measures refer to all
employed persons, including self-employed persons and unpaid family workers,
in the United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Norway, and Sweden and
to all employees (wage and salary earners) in the other economies.  Hours
refer to hours worked in all countries.
 
In general, the measures relate to total manufacturing as defined by the
International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC).  However, the
measures for France and Italy (beginning 1970) refer to mining and
manufacturing less energy-related products; the measures for Denmark include
mining and exclude manufacturing handicrafts from 1960 to 1966; and the
measures for the Netherlands exclude petroleum refining and include coal
mining from 1969 to 1976.
 
Output:  In general, the output measures are value added in manufacturing in
constant prices from the national accounts of each country.  However, output
for Japan prior to 1970 and for the Netherlands from 1969 to 1977 are
indexes of industrial production.  The national accounts measures for the
United Kingdom are essentially identical to their indexes of industrial
production.
 
While methods of deriving national accounts measures differ from country to
country, BLS has reviewed these methods and determined that the series are
sufficiently comparable for measuring comparative trends in productivity and
unit labor costs.
 
The 1977-93 manufacturing output data for the United States in this release
are the gross product originating measures prepared by the Bureau of
Economic Analysis of the U.S. Department of Commerce.  Comparable
manufacturing output data currently are not available prior to 1977.  The
1993-94 and 1994-95 percent changes in manufacturing output are based on the
trend shown by the industrial production index published by the U.S. Federal
Reserve Board for the manufacturing sector.
 
U.S. gross product originating represents value added in manufacturing.  The
output series used for the foreign economies are also value added measures.
 
In addition, U.S. gross product originating is based upon a fixed-price-
weight scheme in which the price weights have not changed over the entire
1977-1995 time period.  The Japanese value added series is based upon one
set of fixed price weights for the years 1970 through 1995.  Output series
for the other foreign economies also employ fixed price weights, but the
weights are updated periodically (for example, every 5 or 10 years).  The
only exception is the output series for Norway for 1987-1994, in which a
given year's output is weighted with the preceding year's prices. (The 1995
measures are currently based on 1993 prices.)
 
 
                                                             - 12 -
 
The U.S. manufacturing output series in this release differs from the
quarterly measure of U.S. manufacturing output currently published by BLS.
The manufacturing output series that BLS publishes in its news releases on
quarterly measures of U.S. productivity and costs was changed in February
1996.  The U.S. output series used in this release of international
comparisons differs from the output series currently published with the
quarterly U.S. measures in two key ways.  First, the quarterly U.S.
manufacturing series now is on a "sectoral" output basis rather than a value
added basis.  Sectoral output is gross output less intra-sector
transactions.  Second, the series published with the quarterly U.S. data now
is based on changing price weights rather than fixed weights.
 
To preserve the comparability of the U.S. measures with those for other
economies, BLS continues to use gross product originating in manufacturing
for the United States in this comparative data set.  A review of the
preferred output concept for international comparative measures, as well as
of the availability of data for producing alternative output series, is
underway.
 
Labor Input:  The total hours measures are developed from statistics of
manufacturing employment and average hours.  The series used for France
(from 1970 forward), Norway, and Sweden are official series published with
the national accounts.  Where official total hours series are not available,
the measures are developed by BLS using employment figures published with
the national accounts, or other comprehensive employment series, and
estimates of annual hours worked.  For Germany, BLS uses estimates of
average hours worked developed by a research institute connected with the
Ministry of Labor for use with the national accounts employment figures.
For the other countries, BLS constructs its own estimates of average hours.
 
Denmark has not published estimates of average hours for 1994 and 1995 and,
therefore, the BLS measure of labor input for Denmark ends in 1993.  For the
Republic of Korea and for Taiwan, BLS publishes only measures of unit labor
costs and the data on output and total compensation that underlie the
computations of unit labor costs.  Total hours, and consequently
productivity, are not computed for Korea and Taiwan because BLS has not yet
developed adequate labor input series.
 
Compensation (labor cost):  The compensation measures are from the national
accounts except those for Belgium, which are developed by BLS using
statistics on employment, average hours, and hourly compensation.
Compensation includes employer expenditures for legally required insurance
programs and contractual and private benefit plans, in addition to all
payments made in cash or in-kind directly to employees.  For France and
Sweden, compensation is increased to account for other significant taxes on
payroll or employment.  For the United Kingdom, compensation is reduced to
account for subsidies between 1967 and 1991.  Self-employed workers are
included in the all-employed-persons measures by assuming that their hourly
compensation is equal to the average for wage and salary employees.
 
Current Indicators:  The measures for recent years may be based on current
indicators of output (such as industrial production indexes), employment,
average hours, and hourly compensation until national accounts and other
statistics used for the long-term measures become available.
                                                             - 13 -
 
Trade-Weighted Measures:  The economies covered by the BLS measures differ
greatly in their relative importance to U.S. trade in manufactured products.
Therefore, BLS constructs trade-weighted measures that take account of these
differences.  The weights used in this release for Canada, Japan, and the
European countries were obtained by rescaling a series of weights developed
by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) based on average trade flows over
the 1989-1991 period.  The IMF weights are based on aggregate trade data for
total manufacturing and take account of both bilateral trade and the
relative importance of "third country" markets.  The IMF weights for 1989-
1991 do not include Korea and Taiwan.  The weights for Korea and Taiwan are
developed by BLS using data from an earlier IMF study and other sources.
 
For the 11 foreign economies for which the 1995 unit labor cost measures are
available, the following weights were used for the entire time period for
which trade-weighted unit labor cost measures are produced:
 
 
 
Country         Weight          Country         Weight
 
Canada          24.97           Norway           0.47
Japan           30.16           Sweden           1.87
Denmark          0.47           United Kingdom   8.87
France           5.82           Korea            5.66
Germany         11.45           Taiwan           5.72
Italy            4.54
 
Level Comparisons:  The BLS measures are limited to trend comparisons.  BLS
does not prepare level comparisons of manufacturing productivity and unit
labor costs because of data limitations and technical problems in comparing
the levels of manufacturing output among countries.  Each country measures
manufacturing output in its own currency units.  To compare outputs among
countries, a common unit of measure is needed.  Market exchange rates are
not suitable as a basis for comparing output levels.  What are needed are
purchasing power parities (PPPs), which are the number of foreign currency
units required to buy goods and services equivalent to what can be bought
with one unit of U.S. currency.
 
PPPs are available for total gross domestic product (GDP) for the United
Nations' International Comparisons Project (UNICP).  However, these PPPs are
derived for expenditures by consumers, business, and government for goods
and services and not for value added by industry.  Therefore, they do not
provide PPPs by industry.  The PPPs for total GDP are not suitable for each
component industry, such as manufacturing.
 
 
                                                             - 14 -
 
Some analysts have constructed "proxy PPPs" for manufacturing using selected
expenditure items from the UNICP.  However, since the prices used are based
on consumer, business, and government final expenditures, they have a number
of shortcomings:  They are based on final sales values rather than industry
value added or gross output; they include indirect taxes, distribution
margins, and transportation costs; they include the prices of imports and
exclude the prices of exports; and there are few prices for products, such
as steel, paper, and cement, which are outputs of the manufacturing sector,
but only intermediate inputs with respect to final expenditures.
 
A different approach has been used by researchers at the International
Comparisons of Output and Productivity project at the University of
Groningen in the Netherlands.  They develop unit value ratios (UVRs) based
on ratios of producers' sales values per unit of output for matched products
from country censuses of manufactures.  This procedure also has
shortcomings, primarily because only a portion of manufactured products can
be matched and the matched products may not be adequately representative.
For many products, values are reported but not quantities; for some
products, there is no counterpoint in the other country; and other products
can not be matched because they represent a different mix of product
varieties or because of large differences in qualities.  For an article
based on this approach, see Bart van Ark, "Manufacturing prices,
productivity, and labor costs in five economies," Monthly Labor Review, July
1995, pp. 56-72.
Table 1.  Output per hour in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1995
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
      United                                                                 Nether-                    United
Year  States  Canada   Japan    Belgium  Denmark  France   Germany  Italy    lands    Norway   Sweden   Kingdom
 
1950    NA     27.9      NA       NA      22.3     13.9     13.1     11.2     12.5     24.1     19.7     24.9
1955    NA     34.2      8.7      NA      24.3     17.6     19.6     15.6     15.6     28.1     21.6     26.9
1960    NA     40.5     14.0     18.7     29.5     23.0     29.0     19.6     19.9     36.2     27.6     30.5
1961    NA     42.7     15.8     18.9     31.2     24.5     30.5     21.2     20.9     37.5     29.0     30.5
1962    NA     45.7     16.6     19.9     32.8     26.1     32.6     23.4     21.6     37.4     31.2     31.2
1963    NA     47.4     18.0     20.7     33.9     27.5     34.0     24.1     22.3     39.4     33.1     32.9
1964    NA     49.6     20.4     22.0     36.6     29.7     36.9     24.3     24.3     41.6     35.9     35.0
1965    NA     52.0     21.2     23.1     38.4     31.8     39.2     27.1     25.8     44.1     38.6     36.1
1966    NA     53.1     23.3     24.7     40.4     34.4     40.8     29.4     27.5     46.0     40.3     37.3
1967    NA     54.2     26.3     26.1     43.3     36.5     43.3     30.9     29.4     47.6     43.7     39.0
1968    NA     58.1     29.5     28.4     47.3     40.3     46.9     33.3     32.9     50.5     47.7     41.8
1969    NA     61.2     33.8     31.0     49.2     42.9     50.2     34.5     36.0     55.3     51.5     42.8
1970    NA     60.4     38.0     34.2     52.1     45.5     51.9     36.8     39.6     57.0     52.8     43.7
1971    NA     64.7     40.2     36.3     55.6     48.2     53.9     37.4     41.7     59.2     55.1     45.8
1972    NA     67.8     44.1     40.4     60.1     50.4     57.2     40.5     45.4     62.7     57.8     48.4
1973    NA     72.2     48.1     44.7     66.1     53.9     60.9     43.9     50.4     66.6     62.1     51.9
1974    NA     73.3     49.3     47.1     68.3     55.1     63.1     46.7     54.6     69.6     64.7     52.8
1975    NA     70.8     50.7     49.0     75.2     57.0     65.7     45.2     53.4     68.8     65.7     51.6
1976    NA     75.8     53.8     54.0     78.0     60.5     70.5     51.4     59.4     70.9     66.8     53.9
1977   75.5    79.9     55.9     56.7     79.4     64.1     72.7     52.4     61.9     70.5     65.7     54.4
1978   75.5    80.8     58.1     60.1     80.6     67.0     75.1     55.8     66.1     71.7     67.5     55.1
1979   74.4    81.6     62.9     63.4     84.6     70.1     78.5     61.2     69.3     76.1     72.8     55.5
1980   72.8    78.5     63.9     62.1     89.2     70.5     77.1     64.0     70.0     75.2     74.0     54.9
1981   75.4    82.3     66.0     67.2     90.7     72.6     78.6     65.5     71.5     75.4     73.5     57.7
1982   78.4    78.6     68.7     71.5     91.0     77.7     78.2     66.6     72.8     78.0     76.6     60.9
1983   80.1    84.3     69.6     79.8     95.5     79.4     82.4     70.2     78.5     81.8     81.8     65.7
1984   81.1    91.4     71.9     84.0     95.0     80.7     85.2     77.1     86.3     87.6     85.6     69.2
1985   83.7    94.1     77.3     85.5     95.6     83.8     88.7     81.5     89.8     90.4     87.2     71.9
1986   85.9    92.6     76.9     86.7     90.0     85.2     89.3     82.6     91.2     89.5     88.6     74.7
1987   91.4    93.5     81.2     88.4     89.6     86.7     88.1     85.0     91.9     94.0     90.1     78.8
1988   93.5    93.9     84.8     91.4     92.9     92.7     91.2     86.6     93.9     93.2     90.8     83.1
1989   94.0    94.3     89.5     96.2     96.1     97.4     94.3     89.4     97.3     93.8     93.8     87.1
1990   95.7    95.8     95.4     95.6     96.0     99.1     98.2     92.8     98.6     96.8     95.0     90.1
1991   97.9    96.3     99.4     98.7     97.9     98.7    101.7     95.3     99.6     96.2     95.0     94.4
1992  100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0
1993  103.6   101.8    100.5    104.2    106.4    101.8    101.2    104.5    101.9    100.4    106.7    105.4
1994  108.1   105.6    101.2    110.1      NA     110.4    108.5    106.9    109.4    102.2    115.7    109.4
1995  111.9   107.2    106.6      NA       NA     113.7    112.0    111.2      NA     103.1    119.6    109.4
 
NA:  Not Available
 
Note:  The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands,
and the United Kingdom, and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other
countries.
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.
 
 
 
Table 2.  Output per employed person in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1995
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
      United                                                                 Nether-                    United
 Year States  Canada   Japan    Belgium  Denmark  France   Germany  Italy    lands    Norway   Sweden   Kingdom
 
1950    NA     30.1      NA       NA      31.4     17.0     19.2     12.3     16.3     31.7     25.6     29.3
1955    NA     35.7     10.4      NA      33.6     21.2     28.8     17.7     20.4     36.9     27.8     32.0
1960    NA     41.9     17.3     23.5     38.7     27.7     38.4     22.4     26.2     45.7     33.7     35.6
1961    NA     44.0     19.3     23.8     39.7     29.6     39.6     23.9     26.5     46.6     35.1     35.2
1962    NA     47.6     19.8     25.1     42.1     31.4     41.3     25.7     27.1     46.4     37.5     35.6
1963    NA     49.5     21.2     26.0     42.8     33.1     42.4     26.5     27.9     48.7     39.3     37.4
1964    NA     52.1     24.0     27.6     46.6     35.5     46.1     26.8     30.1     51.7     42.2     40.2
1965    NA     54.5     24.5     28.5     48.9     37.6     48.7     28.8     31.9     53.5     45.0     40.8
1966    NA     55.4     27.0     30.2     50.4     40.9     50.0     31.6     33.8     55.9     46.9     41.4
1967    NA     56.2     30.6     31.5     53.4     43.0     51.7     33.7     36.0     57.4     50.0     43.0
1968    NA     60.4     34.2     34.3     57.0     46.2     56.6     36.4     39.5     59.5     53.5     46.5
1969    NA     63.3     38.6     37.1     58.6     50.3     60.7     37.4     42.6     63.5     56.8     47.6
1970    NA     62.1     43.0     39.8     60.0     52.7     62.4     39.1     46.1     65.0     58.0     47.9
1971    NA     66.1     44.8     41.6     63.9     55.3     63.4     38.6     48.1     66.9     60.4     49.0
1972    NA     69.3     48.9     45.3     67.6     57.2     66.6     41.6     51.6     69.8     61.7     51.3
1973    NA     73.4     52.8     48.8     70.4     60.3     70.4     45.6     56.1     73.8     65.1     55.7
1974    NA     74.1     52.0     50.2     74.1     60.9     71.4     46.8     58.9     76.1     67.2     54.8
1975    NA     70.8     52.2     49.4     79.0     61.1     72.5     44.5     56.6     74.8     66.9     53.5
1976    NA     75.6     57.0     55.4     82.3     65.1     79.9     50.6     62.8     75.1     67.1     56.3
1977   74.1    80.0     59.4     57.9     83.1     68.3     81.1     51.4     65.2     73.5     65.6     57.2
1978   74.1    81.1     62.0     61.3     83.3     70.8     82.8     54.6     68.9     73.1     65.7     57.7
1979   72.6    81.2     67.5     64.7     87.4     73.9     86.1     59.4     71.4     76.2     69.7     57.9
1980   70.2    77.8     68.6     62.4     92.8     74.3     83.5     62.2     72.5     75.7     70.1     55.4
1981   72.7    80.7     70.3     65.9     93.1     75.5     84.1     63.7     74.5     76.0     70.0     57.4
1982   74.2    76.1     73.0     71.6     94.9     77.5     83.7     64.7     76.7     78.0     73.3     61.1
1983   77.9    82.7     74.0     77.9    100.9     79.0     87.9     68.2     82.8     82.0     79.2     66.1
1984   80.1    90.7     77.3     81.5    100.0     80.3     90.9     74.8     89.7     87.7     84.4     70.2
1985   82.6    93.3     82.8     84.2     97.3     82.9     93.1     78.4     91.0     90.2     85.3     72.9
1986   84.7    91.8     81.9     85.5     93.7     84.4     93.0     81.4     92.0     89.2     86.3     75.6
1987   90.7    93.4     86.7     87.9     91.1     86.5     91.3     85.3     92.2     91.4     89.0     80.3
1988   93.7    94.0     91.7     92.4     94.6     92.8     94.4     90.0     94.9     91.4     89.5     85.2
1989   94.2    93.8     95.6     96.7     96.7     97.3     96.2     92.8     97.8     92.5     92.1     89.1
1990   95.2    95.2    100.5     97.2     95.5     98.5     98.8     94.0     99.0     95.3     94.4     91.6
1991   96.8    95.2    102.5     98.7     97.6     98.3    101.0     95.4     99.8     95.2     94.2     94.3
1992  100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0
1993  104.9   103.4     98.1    102.6    105.5    100.9     97.8    102.5    101.9    100.6    109.4    104.9
1994  110.8   108.3     98.9    111.4    107.1    109.3    105.5    107.7    109.4    102.8    122.1    109.8
1995  113.8   110.4    104.9      NA     106.9    112.8    108.3    115.5      NA     103.2    128.4    110.5
 
NA:  Not Available
 
Note:  The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands,
and the United Kingdom, and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other
 countries.
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.
 
Table 3.  Output in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1995
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
      United                                                                 Nether-                    United
Year  States  Canada   Japan    Belgium  Denmark  France   Germany  Italy    lands    Norway   Sweden   Kingdom
 
1950    NA     22.6      2.2      NA      26.3     19.2     14.5      9.4     17.4     38.2     31.2     50.3
1955    NA     29.3      4.9      NA      28.9     24.0     27.5     14.6     23.8     46.8     36.1     59.2
1960    NA     34.2     10.7     32.2     40.1     32.4     41.5     21.5     32.8     56.6     46.4     68.4
1961    NA     35.6     12.8     33.6     42.3     34.8     44.0     23.7     34.0     58.9     49.6     68.5
1962    NA     39.7     13.9     36.2     45.9     37.3     46.2     26.2     35.7     59.4     53.4     68.7
1963    NA     42.3     15.5     37.9     46.5     40.2     47.1     27.9     37.2     62.9     56.0     71.1
1964    NA     46.5     18.0     41.4     52.0     43.9     51.2     28.3     40.7     67.4     61.0     77.6
1965    NA     51.2     18.7     42.7     55.4     46.0     55.0     29.7     43.5     70.9     65.2     79.8
1966    NA     54.5     21.2     45.2     56.5     50.3     55.9     32.4     45.9     75.2     67.1     81.2
1967    NA     55.8     25.4     45.8     57.1     52.7     54.7     35.7     47.7     77.6     69.2     81.8
1968    NA     59.5     29.3     49.0     61.5     55.6     60.3     39.0     52.2     79.5     72.8     87.5
1969    NA     63.7     34.1     54.7     64.9     62.3     67.4     41.5     57.2     85.3     78.5     90.9
1970    NA     61.0     38.8     60.3     66.8     66.9     70.9     44.8     61.8     89.2     81.6     91.2
1971    NA     64.8     40.7     63.0     68.2     71.1     71.6     45.5     63.3     92.4     82.1     90.2
1972    NA     70.1     44.4     67.8     74.0     74.5     73.8     48.0     65.6     96.8     82.6     92.1
1973    NA     77.6     50.0     74.0     78.1     80.1     78.5     54.1     70.2    102.3     88.5    100.6
1974    NA     79.9     48.7     76.9     79.3     81.7     77.7     57.6     73.3    107.4     93.2     99.4
1975    NA     74.6     46.2     71.1     77.4     80.0     74.1     54.3     67.9    105.1     93.6     92.6
1976    NA     80.0     50.2     76.5     81.1     84.7     79.8     62.4     72.5    105.3     93.6     94.3
1977   80.1    83.0     51.8     76.8     81.5     88.6     81.3     64.6     73.3    103.1     88.2     96.1
1978   83.5    86.7     53.3     77.8     81.2     90.7     82.8     67.8     75.5    100.7     85.8     96.6
1979   84.0    90.0     57.9     79.9     85.9     93.3     87.1     74.8     77.5    103.6     91.4     96.4
1980   78.4    85.9     59.9     75.4     89.7     92.7     85.3     78.7     77.6    102.6     91.7     88.1
1981   80.7    89.1     62.1     75.3     86.9     91.2     84.4     77.1     77.7    101.6     88.9     82.7
1982   76.9    77.6     64.1     78.8     88.3     92.1     81.5     75.9     76.7    100.9     89.7     82.6
1983   79.3    82.6     66.1     83.7     94.2     92.0     82.7     76.6     79.2    100.2     94.9     84.3
1984   85.5    93.3     70.4     86.6     98.6     90.9     85.2     80.0     83.7    105.9    101.8     87.4
1985   87.6    98.5     76.1     88.1    101.7     91.2     88.3     82.6     86.0    109.8    104.0     89.9
1986   88.5    99.3     74.9     88.1    101.7     91.2     89.7     84.8     88.1    109.8    105.3     91.1
1987   94.9   104.1     78.4     88.4     97.6     91.1     88.0     88.5     89.3    111.9    107.7     95.3
1988   99.9   109.4     84.6     92.8     99.1     96.3     90.9     94.8     92.7    106.5    110.2    102.0
1989  100.8   110.3     90.2     98.4    100.3    101.6     94.0     98.6     96.9    100.5    111.7    106.6
1990  100.4   106.2     96.3     99.6     99.3    103.5     99.1    100.4    100.1    100.4    110.6    106.4
1991   98.5    98.7    101.4    100.0     99.2    101.7    102.8     99.7    100.6     97.0    103.5    100.6
1992  100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0
1993  105.0   104.8     96.0     97.1    100.7     96.2     92.0     96.6     97.8    102.4    101.3    101.2
1994  112.3   112.1     94.8    101.5    102.8    101.3     94.1    101.4    101.4    108.0    115.3    105.5
1995  116.2   117.2     97.8      NA     106.1    104.6     94.6    107.3      NA     111.1    126.1    107.6
 
NA:  Not Available
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.
 
Table 4.  Total hours in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1995
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
      United                                                                 Nether-                    United
Year  States  Canada   Japan    Belgium  Denmark  France   Germany  Italy    lands    Norway   Sweden   Kingdom
 
1950   85.6    81.0      NA       NA     118.1    138.6    110.3     84.2    138.9    158.4    158.5    202.0
1955   94.6    85.5     55.9      NA     119.2    136.4    140.2     93.3    152.0    166.6    167.3    220.0
1960   92.2    84.5     76.3    172.1    135.8    140.6    143.0    109.6    165.3    156.3    168.3    224.4
1961   89.8    83.3     80.8    177.4    135.5    142.0    144.5    111.8    162.3    157.2    171.0    224.5
1962   93.5    86.9     83.4    181.8    140.0    143.0    141.5    111.7    165.3    158.6    170.8    220.1
1963   94.5    89.3     86.1    183.4    137.3    146.1    138.5    115.9    166.5    159.7    169.1    216.4
1964   96.5    93.8     88.2    188.1    141.9    147.7    138.7    116.2    167.5    162.0    169.6    221.5
1965  102.1    98.6     88.0    184.8    144.1    145.0    140.5    109.7    168.4    160.8    168.8    221.3
1966  108.7   102.7     91.0    183.1    140.0    146.3    137.2    110.3    167.0    163.5    166.5    218.0
1967  108.1   103.0     96.3    175.1    132.0    144.2    126.3    115.4    162.1    162.9    158.4    209.6
1968  109.7   102.3     99.4    172.4    130.2    137.8    128.7    117.0    158.8    157.3    152.6    209.4
1969  111.0   104.0    100.9    176.4    131.9    145.1    134.3    120.2    159.2    154.3    152.5    212.3
1970  104.5   100.9    102.3    176.3    128.3    147.0    136.6    121.8    156.2    156.6    154.7    208.6
1971  100.6   100.2    101.1    173.8    122.6    147.6    132.8    121.6    151.9    156.0    149.1    196.8
1972  105.2   103.3    100.6    167.7    123.1    147.9    129.0    118.5    144.6    154.4    142.9    190.3
1973  110.5   107.5    104.0    165.7    118.1    148.7    128.9    123.4    139.4    153.5    142.5    194.0
1974  108.0   109.0     98.7    163.1    116.1    148.2    123.2    123.4    134.2    154.3    144.0    188.3
1975   97.3   105.3     91.1    145.0    103.0    140.3    112.8    120.3    127.2    152.8    142.3    179.2
1976  102.0   105.7     93.3    141.7    104.0    140.0    113.2    121.5    122.1    148.5    140.2    175.0
1977  106.2   103.8     92.5    135.4    102.6    138.2    111.9    123.2    118.3    146.3    134.2    176.7
1978  110.7   107.3     91.6    129.4    100.8    135.4    110.2    121.4    114.4    140.4    127.1    175.3
1979  112.8   110.3     92.0    126.0    101.5    133.0    111.0    122.4    111.8    136.2    125.5    173.6
1980  107.6   109.5     93.8    121.4    100.6    131.5    110.7    123.0    111.0    136.5    124.0    160.3
1981  107.1   108.3     94.1    112.1     95.8    125.7    107.4    117.8    108.7    134.7    120.9    143.1
1982   98.0    98.8     93.3    110.2     97.0    118.6    104.2    113.9    105.4    129.3    117.1    135.5
1983   99.0    98.1     95.0    104.9     98.6    115.8    100.4    109.1    100.8    122.5    116.1    128.3
1984  105.4   102.1     97.9    103.1    103.8    112.7    100.0    103.8     97.0    121.0    118.9    126.3
1985  104.7   104.8     98.4    103.0    106.5    108.9     99.6    101.4     95.8    121.5    119.3    125.1
1986  103.1   107.2     97.3    101.6    113.1    107.2    100.4    102.7     96.6    122.7    118.8    121.9
1987  103.9   111.4     96.6    100.0    109.0    105.1     99.9    104.1     97.2    119.0    119.5    120.9
1988  106.9   116.5     99.8    101.5    106.6    104.0     99.6    109.5     98.7    114.3    121.4    122.7
1989  107.3   117.0    100.8    102.3    104.3    104.4     99.7    110.2     99.6    107.1    119.0    122.3
1990  104.9   110.8    100.9    104.3    103.3    104.5    101.0    108.2    101.6    103.7    116.4    118.0
1991  100.6   102.5    102.0    101.3    101.3    103.0    101.1    104.6    101.0    100.8    109.0    106.6
1992  100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0
1993  101.4   102.9     95.6     93.2     94.7     94.5     90.9     92.4     95.9    102.1     95.0     96.0
1994  103.8   106.2     93.7     92.2      NA      91.8     86.8     94.8     92.7    105.7     99.6     96.4
1995  103.9   109.3     91.7      NA       NA      91.9     84.5     96.4      NA     107.8    105.4     98.3
 
NA:  Not Available
 
Note:  The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands,
and the United Kingdom, and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other
countries.
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.
 
Table 5.  Employment in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1995
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
      United                                                                 Nether-                    United
Year  States  Canada   Japan    Belgium  Denmark  France   Germany  Italy    lands    Norway   Sweden   Kingdom
 
1950   84.4    74.9      NA       NA      83.9    113.5     75.2     76.4    106.6    120.8    122.0    171.7
1955   93.1    82.0     47.1      NA      86.2    113.1     95.5     82.5    116.4    126.7    129.8    184.7
1960   92.6    81.6     61.7    136.8    103.5    116.6    108.1     95.9    125.3    123.7    137.9    192.2
1961   90.0    80.9     66.4    141.3    106.4    117.5    111.3     98.9    128.4    126.3    141.3    194.9
1962   92.9    83.4     70.0    144.5    109.1    118.7    111.8    102.0    131.7    127.8    142.2    193.1
1963   93.5    85.5     72.8    145.9    108.7    121.2    111.0    105.3    133.0    129.3    142.4    190.0
1964   94.9    89.4     75.0    150.1    111.4    123.5    111.0    105.6    135.1    130.4    144.4    193.0
1965   99.3    94.0     76.1    150.0    113.3    122.3    113.0    103.1    136.3    132.5    144.8    195.5
1966  105.4    98.5     78.3    149.8    112.2    122.9    111.8    102.5    135.9    134.4    143.0    196.0
1967  106.7    99.3     82.8    145.2    106.9    122.4    105.8    105.9    132.4    135.2    138.4    190.0
1968  108.5    98.5     85.7    142.8    108.0    120.3    106.6    107.3    132.1    133.7    136.0    188.2
1969  110.6   100.5     88.2    147.6    110.8    123.8    111.0    110.9    134.3    134.2    138.4    190.7
1970  106.3    98.2     90.3    151.5    111.3    127.0    113.6    114.6    134.2    137.3    140.6    190.4
1971  102.2    98.1     90.7    151.6    106.7    128.6    112.9    117.6    131.8    138.1    135.9    183.9
1972  105.0   101.1     90.8    149.7    109.5    130.1    110.8    115.4    127.2    138.6    133.8    179.6
1973  110.5   105.7     94.6    151.6    111.0    132.9    111.5    118.7    125.1    138.6    135.8    180.6
1974  110.1   107.9     93.7    153.3    107.0    134.3    108.9    123.1    124.3    141.2    138.7    181.3
1975  100.7   105.4     88.5    144.0     98.0    130.9    102.2    122.1    120.1    140.5    139.9    173.1
1976  104.3   105.9     88.0    138.1     98.5    130.2     99.9    123.3    115.4    140.1    139.4    167.5
1977  108.2   103.7     87.1    132.6     98.0    129.7    100.3    125.7    112.3    140.3    134.5    168.1
1978  112.7   107.0     85.9    127.0     97.5    128.2    100.0    124.1    109.7    137.8    130.7    167.4
1979  115.6   110.8     85.7    123.6     98.3    126.2    101.2    126.1    108.5    136.0    131.0    166.4
1980  111.6   110.5     87.4    120.9     96.7    124.7    102.2    126.4    107.0    135.6    130.9    159.0
1981  111.0   110.5     88.3    114.3     93.3    120.7    100.3    121.1    104.3    133.6    127.0    144.0
1982  103.5   101.9     87.9    110.0     93.1    118.8     97.4    117.3    100.1    129.4    122.4    135.1
1983  101.8    99.9     89.3    107.4     93.4    116.5     94.1    112.4     95.6    122.1    119.9    127.5
1984  106.8   102.9     91.1    106.2     98.6    113.1     93.7    106.9     93.3    120.8    120.5    124.6
1985  106.0   105.6     91.9    104.6    104.6    110.0     94.9    105.4     94.5    121.8    122.0    123.3
1986  104.5   108.1     91.4    103.1    108.5    108.1     96.4    104.1     95.8    123.0    122.0    120.4
1987  104.7   111.4     90.4    100.6    107.1    105.4     96.4    103.7     96.9    122.4    121.1    118.7
1988  106.6   116.3     92.4    100.4    104.7    103.9     96.3    105.3     97.7    116.6    123.2    119.8
1989  107.0   117.7     94.3    101.7    103.7    104.4     97.6    106.3     99.1    108.7    121.2    119.6
1990  105.5   111.6     95.8    102.5    104.0    105.1    100.3    106.8    101.1    105.4    117.2    116.2
1991  101.8   103.7     98.9    101.3    101.6    103.4    101.8    104.5    100.8    101.9    109.9    106.7
1992  100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0
1993  100.1   101.4     97.9     94.6     95.4     95.3     94.0     94.3     95.9    101.8     92.6     96.4
1994  101.3   103.5     95.9     91.1     96.0     92.7     89.2     94.1     92.7    105.0     94.4     96.2
1995  102.2   106.1     93.2      NA      99.3     92.7     87.3     92.9      NA     107.7     98.2     97.3
 
NA:  Not Available
 
Note:  The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands,
and the United Kingdom, and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other
countries.
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.
 
Table 6.  Average annual hours in manufacturing, 12 countries, 1950-1995
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
      United                                                                 Nether-                    United
Year  States  Canada   Japan    Belgium  Denmark  France   Germany  Italy    lands    Norway   Sweden   Kingdom
 
1950  101.4   108.2      NA       NA     140.7    122.1    146.6    110.2    130.3    131.1    129.9    117.7
1955  101.6   104.2    118.7      NA     138.2    120.7    146.8    113.0    130.6    131.5    128.9    119.1
1960   99.6   103.5    123.5    125.8    131.2    120.5    132.2    114.3    131.9    126.3    122.1    116.7
1961   99.7   103.0    121.6    125.5    127.3    120.9    129.8    113.1    126.5    124.4    121.0    115.2
1962  100.7   104.1    119.2    125.8    128.3    120.5    126.6    109.5    125.6    124.0    120.1    114.0
1963  101.0   104.5    118.2    125.7    126.3    120.5    124.7    110.0    125.2    123.4    118.8    113.9
1964  101.7   105.0    117.6    125.3    127.4    119.7    124.9    110.0    124.0    124.2    117.4    114.8
1965  102.8   104.9    115.6    123.2    127.2    118.6    124.3    106.4    123.6    121.4    116.6    113.2
1966  103.1   104.2    116.2    122.2    124.8    119.1    122.7    107.6    122.9    121.7    116.4    111.2
1967  101.3   103.7    116.3    120.7    123.4    117.8    119.4    109.1    122.4    120.5    114.5    110.4
1968  101.1   103.9    116.0    120.7    120.6    114.6    120.8    109.1    120.2    117.7    112.2    111.3
1969  100.3   103.5    114.4    119.5    119.1    117.2    120.9    108.3    118.5    114.9    110.2    111.3
1970   98.3   102.7    113.3    116.3    115.3    115.7    120.2    106.4    116.4    114.1    110.0    109.6
1971   98.5   102.2    111.4    114.6    114.9    114.8    117.6    103.4    115.3    112.9    109.7    107.0
1972  100.1   102.2    110.8    112.0    112.4    113.6    116.4    102.7    113.6    111.4    106.8    106.0
1973  100.0   101.7    109.9    109.3    106.4    111.9    115.6    103.9    111.4    110.7    104.9    107.4
1974   98.1   101.0    105.3    106.4    108.5    110.4    113.2    100.3    108.0    109.2    103.8    103.9
1975   96.7    99.9    103.0    100.7    105.1    107.1    110.4     98.5    106.0    108.8    101.7    103.6
1976   97.8    99.8    106.0    102.6    105.6    107.5    113.4     98.5    105.8    106.0    100.6    104.5
1977   98.2   100.1    106.2    102.1    104.6    106.5    111.5     98.0    105.3    104.3     99.8    105.2
1978   98.2   100.3    106.7    101.9    103.4    105.6    110.2     97.8    104.3    101.9     97.2    104.7
1979   97.6    99.5    107.3    101.9    103.3    105.4    109.7     97.1    103.1    100.1     95.8    104.3
1980   96.4    99.2    107.3    100.4    104.0    105.4    108.4     97.3    103.7    100.7     94.7    100.8
1981   96.4    98.0    106.5     98.1    102.7    104.1    107.1     97.3    104.2    100.8     95.2     99.4
1982   94.7    96.9    106.2    100.2    104.2     99.8    107.0     97.1    105.3    100.0     95.7    100.3
1983   97.3    98.2    106.4     97.7    105.6     99.4    106.6     97.1    105.4    100.3     96.8    100.6
1984   98.7    99.2    107.4     97.1    105.3     99.6    106.7     97.1    104.0    100.2     98.6    101.4
1985   98.8    99.2    107.1     98.5    101.8     99.0    105.0     96.2    101.3     99.8     97.8    101.4
1986   98.7    99.1    106.5     98.6    104.2     99.2    104.2     98.6    100.8     99.7     97.4    101.2
1987   99.2    99.9    106.8     99.4    101.8     99.8    103.6    100.4    100.3     97.2     98.7    101.9
1988  100.3   100.2    108.0    101.1    101.8    100.1    103.5    104.0    101.1     98.0     98.5    102.4
1989  100.2    99.5    106.8    100.6    100.6     99.9    102.1    103.7    100.5     98.6     98.2    102.3
1990   99.5    99.3    105.3    101.8     99.4     99.4    100.6    101.2    100.5     98.4     99.3    101.6
1991   98.8    98.9    103.2    100.0     99.7     99.6     99.3    100.1    100.2     98.9     99.2     99.9
1992  100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0
1993  101.3   101.6     97.7     98.5     99.2     99.2     96.6     98.0    100.0    100.3    102.6     99.6
1994  102.4   102.6     97.7    101.2      NA      99.0     97.2    100.7    100.0    100.6    105.6    100.3
1995  101.7   103.0     98.4      NA       NA      99.2     96.8    103.8      NA     100.1    107.3    101.0
 
NA:  Not Available
 
Note:  The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands,
and the United Kingdom, and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other
countries.
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.
 
Table 7.  Hourly compensation in manufacturing, national currency basis, 12 countries, 1950-1995
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
      United                                                                 Nether-                    United
Year  States  Canada   Japan    Belgium  Denmark  France*  Germany  Italy    lands    Norway   Sweden*  Kingdom*
 
1950    8.7     5.7      NA       NA       2.5      1.6      3.4       .8      3.2      2.2      1.9      1.6
1955   11.7     8.1      3.1      NA       3.4      2.9      5.0      1.2      4.6      3.3      3.0      2.3
1960   14.9    10.5      4.3      5.5      4.6      4.3      8.1      1.6      6.5      4.7      4.1      3.1
1961   15.3    10.8      5.0      5.9      5.1      4.8      9.1      1.7      7.5      5.1      4.5      3.3
1962   15.9    11.1      5.7      6.3      5.6      5.3     10.3      2.0      8.0      5.6      5.1      3.5
1963   16.4    11.6      6.4      7.0      6.1      5.8     11.0      2.4      8.8      6.0      5.6      3.7
1964   17.1    12.0      7.2      7.9      6.6      6.3     11.9      2.6     10.2      6.4      6.1      3.9
1965   17.5    12.7      8.1      8.7      7.3      6.8     13.1      2.8     11.4      7.1      6.7      4.3
1966   18.2    13.7      9.0      9.7      8.3      7.2     14.2      2.9     12.8      7.7      7.4      4.6
1967   19.2    14.6     10.0     10.5      9.3      7.7     15.0      3.2     14.1      8.6      8.2      4.8
1968   20.7    15.7     11.7     11.3     10.3      8.8     16.1      3.5     15.7      9.5      8.9      5.1
1969   22.2    17.0     13.8     12.4     11.6      9.3     17.6      3.8     17.8     10.5      9.7      5.6
1970   23.8    18.3     16.5     14.1     13.2     10.5     20.7      4.6     20.5     11.7     10.8      6.5
1971   25.3    19.7     19.0     16.1     15.2     11.8     23.2      5.3     23.4     13.3     12.2      7.5
1972   26.6    21.2     21.9     18.6     16.8     13.0     25.7      6.0     26.8     14.8     13.6      8.6
1973   28.6    22.9     26.8     21.6     20.4     14.9     29.0      7.0     31.9     16.7     15.2      9.8
1974   31.8    26.4     35.1     26.3     24.7     17.7     33.0      9.2     38.0     19.6     17.9     11.8
1975   35.7    30.2     40.9     31.8     29.4     21.6     36.4     11.6     43.5     23.5     22.0     15.7
1976   38.6    34.5     44.0     36.1     32.9     24.8     39.2     14.4     48.7     27.1     25.7     18.2
1977   42.0    38.2     48.6     40.3     36.3     28.2     42.9     17.1     52.9     30.5     28.1     20.6
1978   45.4    41.1     51.8     43.5     40.0     31.7     46.1     19.7     57.2     33.6     31.3     24.0
1979   49.8    45.3     55.1     47.3     44.7     35.9     49.5     23.8     61.5     35.4     33.8     28.5
1980   55.8    50.2     58.6     52.5     49.4     41.4     53.7     27.9     64.8     38.5     37.6     34.4
1981   61.3    57.7     62.7     58.2     54.4     47.9     57.1     33.8     67.4     42.8     41.5     39.9
1982   67.2    63.8     65.8     60.8     59.2     56.9     60.2     39.8     71.8     47.4     44.5     44.0
1983   69.0    67.7     67.6     64.4     63.3     62.8     63.2     46.6     75.0     52.3     49.0     47.2
1984   71.4    70.9     69.7     69.8     66.9     68.1     66.2     53.5     77.9     57.3     53.2     50.9
1985   75.3    74.6     72.5     74.1     71.4     73.8     70.0     60.1     82.0     62.7     58.6     55.8
1986   78.6    77.5     76.1     77.2     72.9     76.9     73.0     62.6     85.2     68.7     63.4     60.6
1987   80.8    79.8     77.9     79.0     79.7     79.7     76.4     66.1     87.9     78.5     67.6     67.3
1988   84.0    83.3     79.2     80.6     82.5     82.8     79.3     68.7     87.6     83.3     72.0     71.7
1989   86.7    86.4     84.2     84.8     87.2     87.2     83.1     75.5     88.4     87.2     79.6     75.4
1990   90.9    91.3     90.7     89.6     92.6     91.8     89.0     84.0     90.8     92.3     87.8     83.7
1991   95.7    97.1     95.9     95.3     96.2     96.3     95.0     93.1     95.0     97.5     95.7     93.4
1992  100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0
1993  102.4   100.1    104.6    105.0    102.4    103.6    106.0    107.1    104.6    101.5     97.8    105.3
1994  105.1   102.4    106.8    108.4      NA     106.2    110.5    106.4    106.1    104.8    101.8    107.4
1995  108.0   103.7    110.3      NA       NA     107.9    116.1    109.7      NA     109.4    107.3    110.9
 
NA:  Not Available
 
Note:  The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands,
and the United Kingdom, and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other
countries.
 
* Compensation adjusted to include changes in employment taxes that are not compensation to employees, but are labor
   costs to employers.
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.
 
Table 8.  Hourly compensation in manufacturing, U.S. dollar basis, 12 countries, 1950-1995
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
      United                                                                 Nether-                    United
Year  States  Canada   Japan    Belgium  Denmark  France*  Germany  Italy    lands    Norway   Sweden*  Kingdom*
 
1950    8.7     6.3      NA       NA       2.2      2.5      1.3      1.6      1.5      1.9      2.1      2.6
1955   11.7    10.0      1.1      NA       2.9      4.3      1.9      2.3      2.1      2.9      3.4      3.7
1960   14.9    13.1      1.5      3.6      4.0      4.7      3.0      3.1      3.0      4.1      4.7      5.0
1961   15.3    12.9      1.8      3.8      4.5      5.2      3.5      3.4      3.6      4.4      5.1      5.3
1962   15.9    12.6      2.0      4.1      4.9      5.7      4.0      4.1      3.9      4.9      5.7      5.6
1963   16.4    12.9      2.3      4.5      5.3      6.2      4.3      4.8      4.3      5.2      6.3      5.8
1964   17.1    13.5      2.5      5.1      5.8      6.8      4.7      5.1      5.0      5.6      6.9      6.2
1965   17.5    14.2      2.8      5.7      6.4      7.3      5.1      5.5      5.6      6.1      7.6      6.8
1966   18.2    15.4      3.1      6.2      7.3      7.8      5.6      5.8      6.2      6.7      8.3      7.3
1967   19.2    16.3      3.5      6.8      8.1      8.3      5.9      6.4      6.9      7.5      9.2      7.4
1968   20.7    17.6      4.1      7.3      8.3      9.4      6.3      6.8      7.6      8.3     10.0      6.9
1969   22.2    19.0      4.9      7.9      9.3      9.6      7.0      7.5      8.7      9.1     10.9      7.6
1970   23.8    21.2      5.8      9.1     10.6     10.1      8.9      9.1     10.0     10.1     12.2      8.8
1971   25.3    23.6      6.9     10.7     12.4     11.3     10.4     10.6     11.8     11.8     13.9     10.3
1972   26.6    25.8      9.2     13.6     14.6     13.7     12.6     12.6     14.7     14.0     16.7     12.2
1973   28.6    27.7     12.5     17.9     20.4     17.8     17.1     14.9     20.2     18.1     20.4     13.6
1974   31.8    32.6     15.3     21.7     24.5     19.4     20.0     17.4     24.9     22.1     23.6     15.7
1975   35.7    35.8     17.5     27.9     31.0     26.7     23.1     21.9     30.3     28.0     30.9     19.8
1976   38.6    42.3     18.8     30.1     32.8     27.5     24.3     21.4     32.4     30.9     34.4     18.6
1977   42.0    43.5     23.0     36.2     36.5     30.3     28.8     23.8     37.9     35.6     36.6     20.3
1978   45.4    43.6     31.5     44.4     43.9     37.3     35.9     28.5     46.6     39.9     40.4     26.1
1979   49.8    46.8     32.0     51.9     51.3     44.7     42.2     35.3     53.9     43.5     45.9     34.3
1980   55.8    51.8     32.9     57.8     53.0     51.9     46.2     40.3     57.4     48.5     51.8     45.3
1981   61.3    58.2     36.1     50.6     46.0     46.6     39.5     36.6     47.7     46.4     47.7     45.8
1982   67.2    62.5     33.5     42.7     42.8     45.8     38.7     36.2     47.3     45.6     41.2     43.5
1983   69.0    66.4     36.1     40.5     41.8     43.6     38.7     37.8     46.2     44.5     37.2     40.5
1984   71.4    66.1     37.2     38.8     39.0     41.3     36.3     37.5     42.7     43.7     37.5     38.6
1985   75.3    66.0     38.5     40.2     40.7     43.5     37.2     38.8     43.4     45.3     39.7     41.0
1986   78.6    67.4     57.3     55.6     54.3     58.8     52.5     51.7     61.2     57.7     51.8     50.3
1987   80.8    72.7     68.3     68.0     70.3     70.2     66.3     62.8     76.3     72.4     62.0     62.5
1988   84.0    81.8     78.4     70.4     73.9     73.5     70.5     65.0     77.9     79.3     68.3     72.3
1989   86.7    88.2     77.3     69.2     71.9     72.4     69.0     67.8     73.3     78.4     71.9     69.9
1990   90.9    94.5     79.3     86.2     90.4     89.3     86.0     86.3     87.6     91.7     86.4     84.5
1991   95.7   102.4     90.3     89.6     90.7     90.3     89.3     92.5     89.3     93.3     92.1     93.5
1992  100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0
1993  102.4    93.7    119.3     97.6     95.3     96.8    100.1     83.9     98.9     88.8     73.1     89.5
1994  105.1    90.6    132.6    104.3      NA     101.4    106.4     81.4    102.6     92.3     76.8     93.1
1995  108.0    91.3    148.8      NA       NA     114.6    126.6     83.0      NA     107.3     87.5     99.1
 
NA:  Not Available
 
Note:  The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands,
and the United Kingdom, and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other
countries.
 
* Compensation adjusted to include changes in employment taxes that are not compensation to employees, but are labor
   costs to employers.
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.
 
Table 9.  Unit labor costs in manufacturing, national currency basis, 12 countries, 1950-1995
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
      United                                                                 Nether-                    United
Year  States  Canada   Japan    Belgium  Denmark  France   Germany  Italy    lands    Norway   Sweden   Kingdom
 
1950    NA     20.5      NA       NA      11.1     11.8     25.6      7.4     25.4      9.0      9.5      6.6
1955    NA     23.8     36.1      NA      13.9     16.4     25.6      7.6     29.6     11.8     13.8      8.7
1960    NA     25.9     30.9     29.7     15.5     18.8     28.0      8.0     32.9     12.9     15.0     10.3
1961    NA     25.2     31.8     31.0     16.4     19.5     29.9      8.2     35.6     13.6     15.6     11.0
1962    NA     24.3     34.6     31.7     17.1     20.3     31.6      8.7     36.9     15.0     16.2     11.3
1963    NA     24.4     35.7     33.7     18.0     21.0     32.3     10.1     39.3     15.2     16.9     11.2
1964    NA     24.3     35.4     35.8     18.0     21.1     32.3     10.6     41.8     15.4     17.0     11.2
1965    NA     24.4     38.3     37.8     19.1     21.4     33.4     10.2     44.1     16.0     17.4     11.9
1966    NA     25.9     38.5     39.1     20.6     20.9     34.8     10.0     46.4     16.8     18.3     12.5
1967    NA     26.9     38.1     40.4     21.6     21.2     34.6     10.5     48.1     18.1     18.7     12.3
1968    NA     27.0     39.6     39.7     21.8     21.8     34.4     10.4     47.9     18.8     18.6     12.3
1969    NA     27.7     41.0     39.8     23.5     21.8     35.1     11.0     49.6     19.0     18.8     13.1
1970    NA     30.3     43.3     41.1     25.3     23.1     40.0     12.6     51.8     20.5     20.6     14.8
1971    NA     30.5     47.3     44.4     27.3     24.5     43.1     14.3     56.2     22.5     22.1     16.3
1972    NA     31.2     49.6     46.0     28.0     25.8     44.9     14.8     59.0     23.7     23.5     17.8
1973    NA     31.8     55.7     48.3     30.8     27.7     47.7     16.0     63.4     25.1     24.5     19.0
1974    NA     36.0     71.1     55.7     36.1     32.1     52.4     19.7     69.7     28.2     27.7     22.4
1975    NA     42.6     80.6     64.9     39.1     37.9     55.3     25.7     81.4     34.2     33.4     30.4
1976    NA     45.6     81.9     66.8     42.1     40.9     55.6     28.1     81.9     38.3     38.5     33.8
1977   55.7    47.8     86.8     71.1     45.7     43.9     59.0     32.6     85.4     43.2     42.8     37.9
1978   60.1    50.9     89.1     72.3     49.7     47.4     61.4     35.2     86.6     46.9     46.4     43.5
1979   66.9    55.5     87.5     74.6     52.9     51.2     63.1     39.0     88.7     46.5     46.4     51.4
1980   76.6    63.9     91.7     84.5     55.3     58.7     69.7     43.7     92.6     51.2     50.8     62.6
1981   81.3    70.1     95.1     86.7     60.0     66.1     72.7     51.6     94.3     56.8     56.4     69.2
1982   85.7    81.2     95.8     85.0     65.0     73.3     76.9     59.8     98.7     60.8     58.1     72.2
1983   86.2    80.3     97.2     80.7     66.3     79.1     76.7     66.4     95.5     63.9     59.9     71.9
1984   88.0    77.6     96.8     83.1     70.4     84.5     77.7     69.4     90.2     65.5     62.2     73.6
1985   89.9    79.3     93.8     86.7     74.7     88.1     79.0     73.8     91.3     69.4     67.3     77.6
1986   91.6    83.6     99.0     89.0     81.0     90.3     81.7     75.8     93.4     76.8     71.5     81.1
1987   88.5    85.3     96.0     89.3     89.0     92.0     86.7     77.8     95.7     83.5     74.9     85.4
1988   89.8    88.7     93.4     88.2     88.8     89.3     86.9     79.4     93.3     89.3     79.2     86.2
1989   92.2    91.7     94.0     88.2     90.7     89.6     88.2     84.4     90.8     93.0     84.9     86.5
1990   95.0    95.2     95.0     93.7     96.5     92.7     90.6     90.5     92.1     95.4     92.5     92.8
1991   97.7   100.9     96.5     96.5     98.3     97.5     93.3     97.7     95.4    101.3    100.7     98.9
1992  100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0
1993   98.8    98.3    104.1    100.7     96.3    101.8    104.7    102.5    102.6    101.1     91.7     99.9
1994   97.2    97.0    105.6     98.5     97.8     96.2    101.8     99.5     97.0    102.6     88.0     98.1
1995   96.6    96.7    103.4      NA     101.3     94.9    103.7     98.6      NA     106.1     89.7    101.3
 
NA:  Not Available
 
Note:  The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands,
and the United Kingdom, and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other
countries.
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.
 
Table 10.  Unit labor costs in manufacturing, U.S. dollar basis, 12 countries, 1950-1995
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
      United                                                                 Nether-                    United
Year  States  Canada   Japan    Belgium  Denmark  France   Germany  Italy    lands    Norway   Sweden   Kingdom
 
1950    NA     22.7      NA       NA       9.7     17.8      9.5     14.6     11.7      7.9     10.8     10.4
1955    NA     29.1     12.7      NA      12.1     24.7      9.5     15.0     13.7     10.3     15.6     13.8
1960    NA     32.3     10.9     19.1     13.5     20.3     10.5     15.9     15.3     11.3     16.9     16.3
1961    NA     30.1     11.2     20.0     14.4     21.1     11.6     16.2     17.3     11.9     17.6     17.4
1962    NA     27.5     12.1     20.5     15.0     21.9     12.4     17.3     18.0     13.0     18.3     17.9
1963    NA     27.3     12.5     21.7     15.8     22.6     12.7     19.9     19.2     13.2     19.0     17.7
1964    NA     27.2     12.4     23.1     15.7     22.8     12.7     20.9     20.4     13.3     19.2     17.7
1965    NA     27.4     13.4     24.5     16.6     23.1     13.1     20.1     21.5     13.9     19.7     18.8
1966    NA     29.0     13.5     25.2     18.0     22.6     13.6     19.7     22.6     14.6     20.6     19.7
1967    NA     30.2     13.3     26.1     18.7     22.8     13.6     20.7     23.5     15.7     21.1     19.1
1968    NA     30.3     13.9     25.6     17.5     23.3     13.5     20.5     23.3     16.4     21.0     16.6
1969    NA     31.1     14.5     25.5     18.9     22.2     14.0     21.6     24.1     16.5     21.1     17.7
1970    NA     35.1     15.3     26.6     20.4     22.1     17.1     24.7     25.2     17.8     23.1     20.0
1971    NA     36.5     17.3     29.4     22.3     23.5     19.3     28.5     28.3     19.9     25.2     22.5
1972    NA     38.1     20.8     33.6     24.3     27.1     22.0     31.2     32.3     22.3     28.8     25.2
1973    NA     38.4     26.1     40.0     30.9     33.0     28.1     34.0     40.1     27.2     32.8     26.3
1974    NA     44.5     30.9     46.0     35.8     35.2     31.7     37.3     45.7     31.8     36.4     29.7
1975    NA     50.6     34.5     56.9     41.2     46.8     35.2     48.6     56.8     40.7     47.0     38.3
1976    NA     55.8     35.0     55.7     42.1     45.4     34.5     41.7     54.5     43.6     51.5     34.6
1977   55.7    54.4     41.1     63.8     46.0     47.3     39.7     45.5     61.2     50.4     55.8     37.4
1978   60.1    54.0     54.2     73.9     54.5     55.7     47.8     51.1     70.5     55.6     59.8     47.3
1979   66.9    57.3     50.9     81.8     60.7     63.7     53.8     57.8     77.8     57.1     63.1     61.7
1980   76.6    66.1     51.5     93.0     59.4     73.7     60.0     62.9     82.0     64.5     70.0     82.5
1981   81.3    70.7     54.6     75.3     50.7     64.3     50.3     55.9     66.7     61.4     64.9     79.3
1982   85.7    79.5     48.8     59.7     47.0     59.0     49.5     54.4     64.9     58.5     53.8     71.5
1983   86.2    78.8     51.8     50.7     43.7     54.9     46.9     53.8     58.9     54.4     45.5     61.7
1984   88.0    72.4     51.7     46.2     41.1     51.2     42.7     48.7     49.5     49.9     43.8     55.7
1985   89.9    70.1     49.9     47.0     42.6     51.9     41.9     47.6     48.4     50.2     45.6     57.0
1986   91.6    72.7     74.5     64.1     60.4     69.0     58.8     62.6     67.1     64.5     58.4     67.4
1987   88.5    77.8     84.2     76.9     78.4     81.0     75.3     73.9     83.0     77.0     68.8     79.2
1988   89.8    87.1     92.4     77.1     79.5     79.4     77.3     75.1     83.0     85.1     75.2     86.9
1989   92.2    93.6     86.3     72.0     74.8     74.3     73.2     75.8     75.3     83.6     76.6     80.2
1990   95.0    98.6     83.1     90.2     94.1     90.1     87.6     93.0     88.9     94.8     90.9     93.8
1991   97.7   106.4     90.9     90.7     92.7     91.4     87.8     97.0     89.6     97.0     97.0     99.0
1992  100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0
1993   98.8    92.1    118.8     93.6     89.6     95.1     98.9     80.3     97.1     88.5     68.5     85.0
1994   97.2    85.8    131.0     94.7     92.9     91.8     98.1     76.1     93.8     90.4     66.4     85.1
1995   96.6    85.1    139.5      NA     109.2    100.8    113.1     74.6      NA     104.0     73.2     90.6
 
NA:  Not Available
 
Note:  The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands,
and the United Kingdom, and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other
countries.
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.
 
Table 11.  Exchange rates, 12 countries, 1950-1995 (Value of foreign currency relative to U.S. dollar)
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
      United                                                                 Nether-                    United
Year  States  Canada   Japan    Belgium  Denmark  France   Germany  Italy    lands    Norway   Sweden   Kingdom
 
1950  100.0   110.5     35.2      NA      87.5    151.3     37.2    197.3     46.2     87.1    112.6    158.6
1955  100.0   122.5     35.2      NA      87.4    151.2     37.1    197.1     46.1     87.0    112.6    158.0
1960  100.0   124.6     35.2     64.5     87.6    107.9     37.4    198.4     46.6     87.1    112.7    159.0
1961  100.0   119.4     35.1     64.5     87.4    107.9     38.9    198.4     48.5     87.0    112.7    158.6
1962  100.0   113.1     35.1     64.6     87.5    108.0     39.1    198.5     48.8     87.1    113.0    159.0
1963  100.0   112.0     35.1     64.5     87.4    108.0     39.2    198.2     48.8     86.9    112.3    158.5
1964  100.0   112.0     35.0     64.6     87.3    108.0     39.3    197.3     48.8     86.8    113.1    158.1
1965  100.0   112.1     35.1     64.8     87.3    108.0     39.1    197.2     48.8     86.9    112.9    158.3
1966  100.0   112.2     35.0     64.5     87.4    107.7     39.1    197.3     48.6     86.9    112.8    158.1
1967  100.0   112.0     35.0     64.7     86.5    107.6     39.2    197.4     48.8     86.9    112.9    155.7
1968  100.0   112.2     35.2     64.4     80.7    106.9     39.1    197.7     48.6     87.0    112.7    135.5
1969  100.0   112.2     35.4     64.1     80.3    102.2     39.8    196.4     48.5     87.0    112.7    135.3
1970  100.0   115.8     35.4     64.7     80.5     95.7     42.8    196.5     48.6     86.9    112.3    135.6
1971  100.0   119.7     36.5     66.2     81.6     96.1     44.9    199.3     50.4     88.3    114.1    138.4
1972  100.0   122.0     41.8     73.0     86.8    104.9     49.0    211.1     54.8     94.3    122.5    141.6
1973  100.0   120.8     46.8     82.8    100.2    119.3     59.0    211.8     63.3    108.2    133.8    138.8
1974  100.0   123.6     43.5     82.7     99.3    109.6     60.5    189.4     65.5    112.6    131.4    132.5
1975  100.0   118.8     42.7     87.6    105.3    123.6     63.6    188.9     69.7    119.2    140.6    125.8
1976  100.0   122.6     42.8     83.3     99.9    110.9     62.1    148.4     66.6    113.9    133.7    102.2
1977  100.0   113.7     47.3     89.7    100.6    107.7     67.3    139.6     71.7    116.8    130.4     98.8
1978  100.0   106.0     60.8    102.3    109.6    117.6     77.9    145.2     81.4    118.6    129.0    108.6
1979  100.0   103.2     58.1    109.6    114.8    124.4     85.2    148.3     87.7    122.7    135.9    120.2
1980  100.0   103.4     56.2    110.1    107.3    125.4     86.0    144.1     88.6    125.9    137.8    131.7
1981  100.0   100.8     57.5     86.8     84.6     97.3     69.3    108.2     70.7    108.2    115.0    114.6
1982  100.0    97.9     50.9     70.2     72.3     80.5     64.3     91.0     65.8     96.2     92.7     99.0
1983  100.0    98.1     53.4     62.9     66.0     69.5     61.2     81.1     61.6     85.1     75.9     85.8
1984  100.0    93.3     53.4     55.7     58.3     60.6     54.9     70.2     54.8     76.2     70.4     75.7
1985  100.0    88.5     53.2     54.2     57.0     58.9     53.1     64.6     53.0     72.3     67.7     73.5
1986  100.0    87.0     75.3     72.0     74.6     76.4     72.0     82.6     71.8     84.0     81.7     83.1
1987  100.0    91.1     87.7     86.1     88.2     88.0     86.9     95.0     86.8     92.2     91.8     92.8
1988  100.0    98.2     98.9     87.4     89.6     88.8     88.9     94.6     88.9     95.2     94.9    100.8
1989  100.0   102.1     91.8     81.6     82.5     83.0     83.0     89.8     82.9     89.9     90.2     92.7
1990  100.0   103.6     87.4     96.2     97.5     97.2     96.6    102.8     96.6     99.4     98.4    101.0
1991  100.0   105.5     94.2     94.0     94.3     93.7     94.0     99.3     93.9     95.7     96.3    100.1
1992  100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0
1993  100.0    93.7    114.1     93.0     93.1     93.4     94.4     78.3     94.6     87.5     74.7     85.0
1994  100.0    88.4    124.1     96.2     95.0     95.4     96.3     76.5     96.7     88.1     75.5     86.7
1995  100.0    88.1    134.9    109.1    107.8    106.2    109.1     75.6    109.6     98.1     81.6     89.4
 
NA:  Not Available
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.
 
Table 12.  Average annual compensation in manufacturing, national currency basis, 12 countries, 1950-1995
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
      United                                                                 Nether-                    United
Year  States  Canada   Japan    Belgium  Denmark  France*  Germany  Italy    lands    Norway   Sweden*  Kingdom*
 
1950    8.8     6.2      NA       NA       3.5      2.0      4.9       .9      4.1      2.9      2.4      1.9
1955   11.9     8.5      3.7      NA       4.7      3.5      7.4      1.3      6.0      4.4      3.8      2.8
1960   14.8    10.9      5.3      7.0      6.0      5.2     10.7      1.8      8.6      5.9      5.1      3.7
1961   15.3    11.1      6.1      7.4      6.5      5.8     11.8      2.0      9.4      6.4      5.5      3.9
1962   16.0    11.6      6.8      7.9      7.2      6.4     13.1      2.2     10.0      7.0      6.1      4.0
1963   16.6    12.1      7.6      8.8      7.7      6.9     13.7      2.7     11.0      7.4      6.6      4.2
1964   17.4    12.6      8.5      9.9      8.4      7.5     14.9      2.8     12.6      7.9      7.2      4.5
1965   17.9    13.3      9.4     10.8      9.3      8.1     16.3      2.9     14.1      8.6      7.8      4.9
1966   18.8    14.3     10.4     11.8     10.4      8.6     17.4      3.2     15.7      9.4      8.6      5.2
1967   19.5    15.1     11.7     12.7     11.5      9.1     17.9      3.5     17.3     10.4      9.4      5.3
1968   20.9    16.3     13.5     13.6     12.4     10.1     19.5      3.8     18.9     11.2     10.0      5.7
1969   22.3    17.5     15.8     14.8     13.8     11.0     21.3      4.1     21.2     12.1     10.6      6.2
1970   23.4    18.8     18.6     16.4     15.2     12.2     24.9      4.9     23.9     13.3     11.9      7.1
1971   24.9    20.1     21.2     18.5     17.4     13.5     27.3      5.5     27.0     15.1     13.4      8.0
1972   26.6    21.6     24.3     20.8     18.9     14.8     29.9      6.1     30.4     16.5     14.5      9.1
1973   28.6    23.3     29.4     23.6     21.7     16.7     33.6      7.3     35.6     18.5     16.0     10.6
1974   31.2    26.7     37.0     27.9     26.8     19.6     37.4      9.2     41.1     21.5     18.6     12.3
1975   34.5    30.1     42.1     32.1     30.9     23.1     40.1     11.4     46.1     25.6     22.4     16.3
1976   37.8    34.4     46.7     37.0     34.7     26.6     44.5     14.2     51.5     28.8     25.9     19.0
1977   41.2    38.2     51.6     41.2     38.0     30.0     47.8     16.7     55.7     31.8     28.0     21.6
1978   44.6    41.3     55.2     44.3     41.4     33.5     50.8     19.2     59.7     34.3     30.5     25.1
1979   48.6    45.1     59.1     48.2     46.2     37.9     54.3     23.1     63.4     35.5     32.4     29.7
1980   53.8    49.7     62.9     52.7     51.4     43.7     58.2     27.2     67.1     38.7     35.6     34.7
1981   59.1    56.6     66.8     57.1     55.8     49.9     61.1     32.9     70.3     43.2     39.5     39.7
1982   63.6    61.9     69.9     60.9     61.7     56.8     64.4     38.7     75.6     47.4     42.6     44.1
1983   67.2    66.5     71.9     62.9     66.8     62.5     67.4     45.3     79.1     52.5     47.4     47.5
1984   70.5    70.3     74.8     67.7     70.4     67.8     70.7     51.9     80.9     57.4     52.5     51.7
1985   74.3    74.0     77.6     73.0     72.7     73.1     73.5     57.8     83.1     62.6     57.4     56.6
1986   77.6    76.8     81.1     76.1     75.9     76.3     76.0     61.7     85.9     68.5     61.7     61.3
1987   80.2    79.7     83.3     78.5     81.1     79.6     79.1     66.4     88.2     76.3     66.7     68.6
1988   84.2    83.4     85.6     81.5     84.0     82.9     82.1     71.4     88.6     81.7     70.9     73.4
1989   86.9    86.0     89.9     85.3     87.7     87.2     84.9     78.3     88.8     86.0     78.2     77.1
1990   90.4    90.7     95.5     91.2     92.1     91.3     89.6     85.0     91.2     90.9     87.2     85.0
1991   94.6    96.0     98.9     95.3     95.9     95.9     94.3     93.2     95.2     96.4     94.9     93.3
1992  100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0
1993  103.7   101.7    102.1    103.4    101.6    102.8    102.5    105.0    104.6    101.7    100.3    104.9
1994  107.7   105.1    104.4    109.7    104.7    105.2    107.4    107.2    106.1    105.5    107.4    107.7
1995  109.9   106.7    108.5      NA     108.3    107.0    112.3    113.9      NA     109.5    115.1    112.0
 
NA:  Not Available
 
Note:  The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands,
and the United Kingdom, and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other
countries.
 
* Compensation adjusted to include changes in employment taxes that are not compensation to employees, but are labor
   costs to employers.
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.
 
Table 13.  Real hourly compensation in manufacturing, CPI basis, 12 countries, 1950-1995
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
      United                                                                 Nether-                    United
Year  States  Canada   Japan    Belgium  Denmark  France   Germany  Italy    lands    Norway   Sweden   Kingdom
 
1950   50.6    38.5      NA       NA      28.4     20.2     11.7     18.2     17.5     26.0     25.4     27.2
1955   61.2    48.3     18.2      NA      31.7     27.2     15.9     21.2     21.7     29.0     30.6     29.7
1960   70.7    56.8     23.2     25.1     38.5     30.7     23.5     24.3     27.0     35.9     35.5     34.8
1961   72.0    57.7     25.6     26.3     41.5     32.8     25.7     26.2     30.5     38.2     38.0     36.0
1962   74.0    58.8     27.4     27.9     42.3     34.7     28.3     29.3     31.8     39.8     40.5     36.3
1963   75.2    60.1     28.4     30.2     43.6     36.0     29.3     32.4     33.9     41.4     43.5     37.2
1964   77.4    61.5     30.8     32.7     45.5     37.9     31.0     32.6     37.1     41.9     45.9     38.4
1965   77.8    63.4     32.2     34.8     47.5     40.1     33.0     33.4     39.9     44.4     48.2     40.1
1966   79.0    66.1     33.8     37.0     50.6     41.3     34.6     34.9     42.3     47.0     49.7     41.7
1967   80.8    67.7     36.4     39.2     52.7     43.3     36.0     37.7     45.3     50.3     52.8     42.8
1968   83.5    70.1     40.2     40.9     53.7     47.2     38.2     39.7     48.6     53.5     56.2     43.9
1969   85.0    72.4     45.3     43.1     58.4     48.4     40.9     42.4     51.4     57.3     59.1     45.2
1970   86.1    75.6     50.0     47.3     62.6     52.0     46.6     49.1     56.5     57.5     62.0     48.9
1971   87.5    79.2     54.4     51.9     68.0     55.1     49.7     53.9     60.0     62.0     64.3     51.6
1972   89.2    81.2     59.7     56.8     70.6     57.3     52.2     57.2     63.6     64.4     67.7     55.5
1973   90.5    81.7     65.4     61.6     78.4     61.0     55.2     60.9     70.3     67.6     70.0     57.9
1974   90.5    84.8     69.5     66.5     82.3     63.8     58.8     66.7     76.3     72.4     75.0     60.0
1975   93.0    87.5     72.5     71.5     89.6     69.5     61.0     71.8     79.1     77.6     83.9     64.3
1976   95.3    93.1     71.4     74.3     91.8     72.6     63.1     76.5     81.4     82.1     88.7     64.1
1977   97.2    95.5     72.8     77.4     91.3     75.4     66.6     75.9     82.9     84.4     86.5     62.3
1978   97.6    94.3     74.5     79.9     91.4     77.8     69.9     77.8     86.2     86.2     89.3     66.8
1979   96.3    95.2     76.4     83.3     93.2     79.6     72.3     81.4     88.9     86.7     90.2     69.9
1980   95.0    95.7     75.4     86.6     91.6     80.8     74.5     78.8     87.9     84.9     88.0     71.6
1981   94.6    97.9     77.0     89.3     90.3     82.5     74.5     80.3     85.8     83.2     86.6     74.6
1982   97.7    97.7     78.6     85.7     89.2     87.6     74.5     81.3     86.2     82.7     85.4     75.1
1983   97.3    98.0     79.2     84.4     89.2     88.2     75.9     82.8     87.6     84.1     84.8     77.1
1984   96.4    98.3     79.8     86.0     88.7     89.0     77.6     85.9     88.1     86.8     85.5     79.2
1985   98.1    99.4     81.4     87.1     90.5     91.0     80.4     88.9     90.7     89.8     87.6     81.7
1986  100.6    99.2     85.0     89.5     89.1     92.3     84.0     87.2     94.0     91.9     90.7     85.8
1987   99.8    97.9     86.9     90.2     93.7     92.8     87.8     88.1     97.6     96.3     92.7     91.5
1988   99.6    98.2     87.8     91.0     92.8     93.9     90.2     87.2     96.5     96.0     94.4     92.9
1989   98.1    97.1     91.1     92.9     93.5     95.5     91.9     89.9     96.2     96.1     98.5     90.6
1990   97.6    97.8     95.3     94.8     96.9     97.4     95.9     94.3     96.5     97.7     97.7     91.9
1991   98.6    98.6     97.6     97.6     98.3     98.8     98.7     98.2     98.0     99.8     97.5     96.9
1992  100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0
1993   99.4    98.3    103.2    102.2    101.1    101.6    102.2    102.8    102.0     99.2     95.2    103.7
1994   99.5   100.4    104.7    103.1      NA     102.4    103.3     98.2    100.7    101.1     97.0    103.2
1995   99.5    99.5    108.2      NA       NA     102.3    106.5     96.1      NA     103.0     98.7    103.1
 
NA:  Not Available
 
Note:  The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands,
and the United Kingdom, and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other
countries.
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.
 
Table 14.  Real average annual compensation in manufacturing, CPI basis, 12 countries, 1950-1995
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
      United                                                                 Nether-                    United
Year  States  Canada   Japan    Belgium  Denmark  France   Germany  Italy    lands    Norway   Sweden   Kingdom
 
1950   51.4    41.6      NA       NA      40.0     24.6     17.2     20.1     22.8     34.1     33.0     32.0
1955   62.2    50.4     21.6      NA      43.8     32.8     23.3     24.0     28.3     38.2     39.5     35.4
1960   70.3    58.7     28.6     31.6     50.5     37.0     31.1     27.8     35.6     45.3     43.3     40.6
1961   71.8    59.4     31.1     33.0     52.8     39.7     33.4     29.6     38.5     47.5     46.1     41.5
1962   74.5    61.3     32.6     35.1     54.2     41.8     35.9     32.1     39.9     49.4     48.7     41.3
1963   76.0    62.9     33.6     37.9     55.1     43.4     36.6     35.6     42.4     51.2     51.7     42.3
1964   78.6    64.6     36.2     40.9     58.0     45.3     38.8     35.8     45.9     52.0     53.9     44.1
1965   79.9    66.5     37.2     42.9     60.3     47.5     41.0     35.6     49.4     53.9     56.2     45.4
1966   81.5    68.9     39.2     45.2     63.1     49.2     42.4     37.5     52.0     57.2     57.8     46.4
1967   81.8    70.2     42.3     47.3     65.1     51.0     42.9     41.1     55.5     60.6     60.5     47.2
1968   84.4    72.8     46.6     49.4     64.8     54.1     46.1     43.3     58.5     63.0     63.1     48.8
1969   85.3    74.9     51.8     51.5     69.6     56.7     49.5     45.9     60.9     65.8     65.1     50.3
1970   84.6    77.7     56.6     55.0     72.2     60.2     56.1     52.2     65.7     65.6     68.2     53.6
1971   86.2    80.9     60.6     59.4     78.1     63.3     58.4     55.7     69.2     70.0     70.5     55.2
1972   89.4    82.9     66.1     63.6     79.4     65.1     60.7     58.7     72.3     71.7     72.3     58.8
1973   90.5    83.1     71.9     67.3     83.5     68.3     63.8     63.3     78.3     74.8     73.5     62.1
1974   88.8    85.7     73.2     70.8     89.4     70.4     66.6     66.9     82.4     79.1     77.9     62.3
1975   89.9    87.4     74.7     72.0     94.1     74.5     67.4     70.8     83.9     84.4     85.4     66.6
1976   93.2    92.9     75.7     76.2     96.9     78.1     71.5     75.4     86.1     87.0     89.3     66.9
1977   95.5    95.5     77.3     79.1     95.6     80.4     74.3     74.4     87.3     88.1     86.3     65.5
1978   95.9    94.6     79.4     81.5     94.5     82.2     77.0     76.1     89.9     87.8     86.8     70.0
1979   93.9    94.8     82.0     84.9     96.3     83.9     79.3     79.0     91.6     86.8     86.4     72.9
1980   91.6    94.9     80.9     87.0     95.3     85.2     80.7     76.7     91.1     85.5     83.3     72.2
1981   91.2    95.9     82.0     87.6     92.7     85.9     79.8     78.1     89.4     83.9     82.5     74.2
1982   92.5    94.7     83.5     85.9     93.0     87.4     79.7     79.0     90.8     82.7     81.7     75.4
1983   94.6    96.2     84.3     82.4     94.3     87.7     80.9     80.4     92.4     84.4     82.1     77.6
1984   95.2    97.5     85.7     83.5     93.4     88.7     82.8     83.4     91.6     87.0     84.3     80.3
1985   96.9    98.7     87.2     85.8     92.1     90.0     84.5     85.5     91.9     89.6     85.7     82.9
1986   99.3    98.4     90.5     88.3     92.8     91.6     87.5     86.1     94.8     91.6     88.4     86.8
1987   99.1    97.8     92.8     89.7     95.3     92.6     91.0     88.5     97.9     93.6     91.5     93.2
1988   99.9    98.4     94.8     92.0     94.5     94.0     93.4     90.6     97.6     94.1     93.0     95.2
1989   98.3    96.5     97.4     93.5     94.1     95.4     93.9     93.2     96.7     94.7     96.7     92.7
1990   97.1    97.2    100.3     96.5     96.3     96.8     96.4     95.4     97.0     96.2     97.0     93.4
1991   97.4    97.5    100.6     97.6     97.9     98.4     98.1     98.3     98.2     98.7     96.7     96.8
1992  100.0   100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0    100.0
1993  100.7    99.8    100.8    100.6    100.3    100.7     98.7    100.7    102.0     99.5     97.6    103.3
1994  101.9   103.0    102.4    104.3    101.3    101.4    100.5     99.0    100.7    101.7    102.5    103.5
1995  101.2   102.4    106.5      NA     102.6    101.4    103.1     99.8      NA     103.0    106.0    104.0
 
NA:  Not Available
 
Note:  The data relate to employees (wage and salary earners) in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands,
and the United Kingdom, and to all employed persons (employees and self-employed workers) in the other
countries.
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.
 
Table 15.  Korea:  Output and unit labor costs, all employees in manufacturing, 1970-1995
 
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
                                             Unit Labor Costs
                                             National         U.S.
                                             currency        dollar        Exchange
  Year          Output        Compensation    basis          basis          rate*
 
  1970            6.4             .6            9.9           25.0          251.4
  1971            7.6             .8           10.5           23.7          224.9
  1972            8.6            1.0           11.7           23.2          198.7
  1973           11.2            1.5           13.8           27.1          196.0
  1974           13.1            2.2           16.9           32.6          193.0
  1975           14.4            2.9           19.8           32.0          161.3
  1976           18.2            4.5           24.7           39.8          161.3
  1977           21.0            6.0           28.7           46.3          161.3
  1978           25.7            8.8           34.1           55.0          161.3
  1979           28.3           11.7           41.5           67.0          161.3
  1980           27.8           14.7           52.7           67.7          128.5
  1981           30.7           18.6           60.7           69.5          114.6
  1982           32.8           21.0           64.0           68.3          106.8
  1983           37.8           25.7           68.0           68.4          100.6
  1984           42.5           31.2           73.2           70.9           96.9
  1985           46.9           33.1           70.5           63.3           89.7
  1986           56.1           39.2           69.9           61.9           88.6
  1987           67.1           49.9           74.4           70.6           94.9
  1988           76.3           63.6           83.3           88.9          106.7
  1989           79.5           70.7           88.9          103.3          116.3
  1990           87.3           82.5           94.5          104.2          110.3
  1991           95.2           94.2           99.0          105.4          106.4
  1992          100.0          100.0          100.0          100.0          100.0
  1993          105.0          103.1           98.2           95.5           97.3
  1994          116.0          120.7          104.1          101.1           97.2
  1995          128.5          132.1          102.9          104.1          101.2
 
*Value of foreign currency relative to U.S. dollar.
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.
 
Table 16.  Taiwan:  Output and unit labor costs, all employees in manufacturing, 1970-1995
 
(Indexes:  1992=100)
 
                                             Unit Labor Costs
                                             National         U.S.
                                             currency        dollar        Exchange
  Year          Output        Compensation    basis          basis          rate*
 
  1970           13.2            3.0           22.3           14.0           62.9
  1971           16.2            3.8           23.4           14.7           62.9
  1972           19.5            4.6           23.7           14.9           62.9
  1973           22.9            6.3           27.5           18.1           65.8
  1974           21.7            9.0           41.5           27.5           66.2
  1975           22.6            9.5           42.1           27.9           66.2
  1976           27.7           12.1           43.6           28.9           66.2
  1977           31.2           14.2           45.4           30.1           66.2
  1978           37.7           17.3           45.8           31.1           67.9
  1979           40.7           21.2           52.0           36.3           69.8
  1980           44.7           26.9           60.1           42.0           69.8
  1981           48.1           33.6           69.8           47.6           68.3
  1982           49.1           36.6           74.5           47.9           64.3
  1983           54.8           40.0           73.0           45.9           62.8
  1984           62.7           47.8           76.2           48.4           63.5
  1985           64.8           51.4           79.3           50.1           63.1
  1986           74.6           61.4           82.3           54.7           66.5
  1987           84.4           69.2           82.1           65.1           79.3
  1988           87.9           74.0           84.2           74.1           88.0
  1989           91.2           80.2           87.9           83.8           95.3
  1990           90.8           85.6           94.3           88.2           93.5
  1991           96.9           92.6           95.6           89.9           94.0
  1992          100.0          100.0          100.0          100.0          100.0
  1993          102.5          103.4          100.9           96.1           95.2
  1994          108.4          110.6          102.0           97.0           95.1
  1995          115.8          114.8           99.2           94.2           95.0
 
*Value of foreign currency relative to U.S. dollar.
 
Source:  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 1996.