What is United States's unit labour costs right now?

Unit Labour Costs in United States is 124 as of Jun 2026.

What are the historical extremes for United States's unit labour costs?

The all-time high is 124 (Jun 2026); the record low is 14.98 (Jun 1947), over a series starting in 1947.

How often is this series updated?

Unit Labour Costs for United States is a quarterly series; values refresh when new data is published or revised.

Where does this data come from?

See our methodology page for how we source and verify every series.

United States Unit Labour Costs

124▲ +0.36

Jun 2026 · Quarterly

Unit Labour Costs in the United States rose to 123.979 points in the second quarter of 2026, up from 123.62 points in the previous quarter. This is the highest level on record in a series that dates back to 1947. The index has increased steadily since the series low of 14.98 points in the second quarter of 1947.

United States Unit Labour Costs, 1990–2026

Actual	Previous	Highest	Lowest	Dates	Frequency
124	124	124Jun 2026	14.98Jun 1947	1947 – 2026	Quarterly

About this series

Unit Labour Costs in United States averaged 92.51 from 1947 until 2026, reaching an all-time high of 124 in Jun 2026 and a record low of 14.98 in Jun 1947. The series is reported quarterly with history from 1947.

Unit Labour Costs measure the average cost of labour per unit of output, reflecting the relationship between compensation and productivity. Reported as an index, this indicator is published quarterly for the United States. The series spans from the first quarter of 1947 to the present.

Source & methodology

We use primary economic sources for every country. See our methodology page for how we source and verify this data.

FAQ

United States Unit Labour Costs

About this series