Arbeitskosten Oesterreichs im internationalen Vergleich

On the basis of current Eurostat data, which facilitate a largely consistent international comparison of labour costs per hour worked, this study presents an in-depth analysis of the level and evolution of Austrian labour costs compared to those of other European countries. In relation to other EU-15 countries Austria shows a medium level of labour costs. Labour costs in industry are at a similar level as those in France, Finland and the UK. This result already takes into account the relatively low costs of Austrian intermediate products. A look at Austria’s unit labour cost – one decisive variable for international competitiveness – shows that except for Germany no other EU-15 country has improved its competitiveness as much as Austria since the middle of the 1990s.