Labor
Manufacturing unit labor costs, quarterly change
As of Q1 2026, manufacturing unit labor costs, quarterly change stands at 2.20% % change (annualized) (BLS Productivity and Costs), rising over the recent window.
What this measures and why it matters
- Manufacturing unit labor costs, quarterly change reflects the cost and availability of the workforce that runs a plant. Loaded shop rates, quoting, and make-versus-buy decisions all trace back to labor economics, so this series is a direct input to how work gets priced and where it gets done.
- The figure comes from BLS Productivity and Costs and is reported in % change (annualized). MFG Calcs archives every published value, so the chart and table below show the full recorded history rather than a single snapshot, and they extend automatically as new data lands.
Current reading and trend
- Latest reading: 2.20% % change (annualized) for Q1 2026.
- Prior period: 8.80% (Q4 2025), a decline of 6.60.
- Across the archived window the high was 8.80% in Q4 2025 and the low was 0.00% in Q1 2025.
- The series has moved down for 1 consecutive periods.
- 13 observations have been archived so far, and this page deepens automatically each time BLS Productivity and Costs publishes a new figure.
Recent observations
- Q1 2026: 2.20% % change (annualized)
- Q4 2025: 8.80% % change (annualized)
- Q3 2025: 1.80% % change (annualized)
- Q2 2025: 1.10% % change (annualized)
- Q1 2025: 0.00% % change (annualized)
- Q4 2024: 2.50% % change (annualized)
- Q3 2024: 5.50% % change (annualized)
- Q2 2024: 4.10% % change (annualized)
- Q1 2024: 4.40% % change (annualized)
- Q4 2023: 4.30% % change (annualized)
- Q3 2023: 7.00% % change (annualized)
- Q2 2023: 4.40% % change (annualized)
- Q1 2023: 2.30% % change (annualized)
Last reviewed 2026-05-12.