1370.0 - Measures of Australia's Progress, 2010  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 15/09/2010   
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Competitiveness

Real unit labour costs(a)
Graph Image for Real unit labour costs(a)

Footnote(s): (a) Annual average, year ending 30 June. Base year is 2007-08.

Source(s): ABS Australian National Accounts: National Income, Expenditure and Product, Sep 2009 (cat. no. 5206.0)

COMPETITIVENESS

The competitiveness of a country's goods and services can be influenced by movements in Australian labour costs, labour productivity and the Australian dollar relative to other currencies.

Real unit labour costs measure the pace of real wage rises compared with the pace of productivity improvement. Australia's real unit labour costs decreased between 1986 and 2009. This decrease was due to productivity gains outstripping increases in real hourly labour costs and is likely to have had a positive effect on Australia's international competitiveness.

RELATED PAGES

  • Competitiveness and openness glossary
  • Competitiveness and openness references

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