2002 revised International Comparisons of Manufacturing Productivity and Unit Labor Cost Trends — 2004-03-26

In 2002, the increase in U.S. manufacturing productivity, at 9.2 percent, was the largest among 14 economies compared, according to revised data released by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Except for Italy, productivity also increased in all the other economies, with gains of more than 6 percent in Sweden, Korea, Belgium, and Taiwan. (See chart 1.) The U.S. productivity growth in 2002 was substantially above its 3.5 percent average annual growth rate since 1979. Six of the other 11 economies for which historical comparisons are available also surpassed their 1979-2002 average annual rates of increase in 2002. (Average annual growth rates for selected measures over various time periods are found in tables A and B.) PRINTED COPY CONTAINS CHART AT THIS POINT Chart 1.