Unit labor costs in the US nonfarm business sector rose by 1.3% in Q2 2026, matching the revised Q1 pace, but missing market forecasts of 2.1%, preliminary data showed. This reflected a 2.7% increase in hourly compensation, up from 2.1% in Q1, alongside a 1.4% rise in productivity, up from 0.8% in the prior quarter. In the manufacturing sector, unit labor costs were unchanged, as a 1.9% increase in hourly compensation was offset by a 1.9% increase in productivity. On an annual basis, nonfarm labor costs rose by 1.4%, while manufacturing unit labor costs advanced 3.5%. source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Unit Labour Costs QoQ in the United States remained unchanged at 1.30 percent in the second quarter of 2026 from 1.30 percent in the first quarter of 2026. 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 August of 2026.