2005 International Comparisons of Manufacturing Productivity and Unit Labor Cost Trends — 2006-09-26

Manufacturing labor productivity increased in 14 of the 15 economies covered by the U.S. Department of Labor�s Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2005. Denmark, which experienced no change in productivity, was the lone exception. The U.S. increase of 5.1 percent continued a more than decade-long trend of relatively high productivity growth in manufacturing. Since 1995, only the Republic of Korea and Sweden had greater productivity growth. The data presented here differ from those appearing in the BLS Productivity and Costs news releases. (See technical notes.) Average annual growth rates for selected measures over various time periods are in tables A and B. PRINTED COPY CONTAINS CHART AT THIS POINT: Chart 1. Percent change in manufacturing output per hour, 2004-2005 Manufacturing unit labor costs, expressed in national currency units, declined in nine of the economies and increased in six.