The Foreign Labor Statistics (FLS) program provides international comparisons of hourly compensation costs; productivity and unit labor costs; labor force, employment and unemployment rates; and consumer prices. The comparisons relate primarily to the major industrial countries, but other countries are included in certain measures.
Because statistical concepts and methods vary from country to country, international comparisons of statistical data can be misleading. The Bureau of Labor Statistics attempts to derive meaningful comparisons by selecting a conceptual framework for comparative purposes; analyzing foreign statistical series and selecting those which most nearly match the desired concepts; and adjusting statistical series, where necessary and feasible, for greater inter-country comparability. (Consumer prices are not adjusted).
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| General Overview: |
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Data Availability | Technical Description
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| Economic News Releases and Special Data Tables: |
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Consumer Price Indexes--International Comparisons
GDP per Capita and per Employed Person--International Comparisons
- Comparative Real Gross Domestic Product per Capita and per Employed Person, Fourteen Countries, 1960-2003 (TXT) (PDF 103K)
Hourly Compensation--International Comparisons
Labor Force, Employment, and Unemployment--International Comparisons
Productivity and Unit Labor Costs--International Comparisons
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| Publications and Other Documentation: |
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- A Chartbook of International Labor Comparisons: United States, Europe, and Asia
- Families and Work in Transition in 12 Countries, 1980-2001,(PDF 331K) by Gary Martin and Vladimir Kats Monthly Labor Review, September 2003, pp.3 - 31.
- Providing Comparable International Labor Statistics,"(PDF 223K) by Patricia Capdevielle and Mark K. Sherwood, Monthly Labor Review, June 2002, pp. 3-14.
- U.S. Labor Market Performance in International Perspective," (PDF 148K) by Constance Sorrentino and Joyanna Moy, Monthly Labor Review, June 2002, pp. 15-35.
- A Perspective on U.S. and Foreign Compensation Costs in Manufacturing," (PDF 129K) by Chris Sparks, Theo Bikoi, and Lisa Moglia, Monthly Labor Review, June 2002, pp. 36-50.
- Comparing 50 Years of Labor Productivity in U.S. and Foreign Manufacturing," (PDF 130K) by Aaron E. Cobet and Gregory A. Wilson, Monthly Labor Review, June 2002, pp. 51-65.
- more Monthly Labor Review Articles
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| Get Detailed FLS Statistics: |
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- Most Requested Statistics--Select from lists of the most popular FLS statistics
- Create Customized Tables (one screen) --this application (previously called "Public Data Query") requires a Java-enabled browser. Choose the data you want from BLS databases on a simple, one-screen form.
- Create Customized Tables (multiple screens) --a form-based query application which allows you to obtain BLS time series data based on choices you make (previously called "Selective Access").
- Series Report--Already know the series identifier for the statistic you want? Use this shortcut to retrieve your data.
- Flat files (FTP)--For those who want it all. Download a flat file of the entire database or large subset of the database.
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Other BLS Programs
- Import/Export Price Indexes--monthly data on changes in the prices of imported and exported nonmilitary goods traded between the U.S. and the rest of the world.
- International Technical Cooperation--conducts training in labor statistics for international participants and coordinates international requests for BLS services including technical experts and short-term visits to BLS.
Other Sources of International Statistics:
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