Unit labor costs in the US nonfarm business sector rose by 1.8% in Q1 2026, slowing from a downwardly revised 2.1% increase in Q4 2025 and falling short of the preliminary estimate of 2.3%. The deceleration reflected a 2.1% rise in hourly compensation, down from 3.7% in the previous quarter, while productivity grew by just 0.3%, compared to a 1.6% increase in Q4. In the manufacturing sector, unit labor costs increased by 2.2%, driven by a 5.5% surge in hourly compensation and a 3.2% rise in productivity. On an annual basis, labor costs edged up by 0.5%. source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Unit Labour Costs QoQ in the United States decreased to 1.80 percent in the first quarter of 2026 from 2.10 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025. Unit Labour Costs QoQ in the United States averaged 2.82 percent from 1947 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 27.30 percent in the third quarter of 1947 and a record low of -14.30 percent in the first quarter of 2009. This page includes a chart with historical data for the United States Unit Labor Costs QoQ. United States Nonfarm Unit Labor Costs QoQ - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on June of 2026.