Global hourly manufacturing labor rate trend comparison

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, average hourly compensation costs in U.S. dollars for production workers in manufacturing among 33 foreign economies were 82 percent of the U.S. level in 2006, increasing from 79 percent in 2005.

In the United States, hourly compensation costs for production workers in manufacturing were virtually unchanged at $23.82 in 2006.

When measured in U.S. dollars, trade-weighted average costs increased 2.6 percent in the combined 33 foreign economies reviewed by the U.S. Department of Labor for 2006. The value of foreign currencies rose 2.0 percent against the U.S. dollar, resulting in a rise in hourly compensation costs in the foreign economies of 4.7 percent on a U.S. dollar basis.

Of noteworthy importance in below (Figure 1) is the relative flat growth of Mexico's hourly manufacturing labor rate when compared to hourly manufacturing labor cost trends in the United States, Japan, Europe, and Canada. Information on China and other countries is also available

Figure 1: Global hourly manufacturing labor rate trend comparison
(U.S. dollars for manufacturing workers 1975-2006)