2002 International Comparisons of Manufacturing Productivity and Unit Labor Cost Trends — 2003-09-09

In 2002, the increase in manufacturing productivity in the United States, at 6.4 percent, was the fourth largest among 13 economies compared by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. (See chart 1.) Korea and Sweden recorded the highest productivity gains, while the Netherlands and the United Kingdom recorded the smallest gains. Of the 13 economies, Italy posted the only productivity decline in manufacturing. The United States posted its highest annual growth rate in output per hour in 15 years. In 6 of the 13 economies, productivity increases in 2002 were close to or somewhat higher than the average growth rates of the second half of the 1990's, after slowing down in 2001. (Average annual growth rates for selected measures are found in tables A and B. The complete historical index series are shown in tables 1 through 15.) PRINTED COPY CONTAINS CHART AT THIS POINT Chart 1.