Towards A System Of Multilateral Unit Labor Cost-Based Competitiveness Indicators For Advanced, Developing, And Transition Countries
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-1-1997
Published In
Staff Studies For The World Economic Outlook
Abstract
This paper attempts to extend the range of countries covered by the IMF’s multilateral real exchange rate indices based on relative unit labor costs (REER-ULCs) in manufacturing.. A data set was assembled that permits calculation of REER-ULCs for 23 newly industrialized, developing, and transition economies in addition to the 21 industrial countries covered by the current system. Although the results are mostly quite encouraging, they should be considered preliminary because of uncertainty about the reliability and comparability of the underlying data. Also, unit labor costs are not available on as timely a basis as consumer price indices (CPIs), especially for nonindustrial economies. Thus, the ULC-based indicators should supplement rather than replace the current CPI-based system. [JEL: F31, G15, N20, N60, O57]
Published By
International Monetary Fund
Recommended Citation
A. G. Turner and Stephen S. Golub.
(1997).
"Towards A System Of Multilateral Unit Labor Cost-Based Competitiveness Indicators For Advanced, Developing, And Transition Countries".
Staff Studies For The World Economic Outlook.
47-60.
DOI: 10.5089/9781451922882.001
https://works.swarthmore.edu/fac-economics/393