For most major OECD economies, except Canada and the United Kingdom, unit labour cost growth in industry remained negative in the fourth quarter of 2007.

Germany has now had negative industry unit labour cost growth since the second quarter of 2003 while Japan last saw positive unit labour cost growth for industry in the fourth quarter of 2001. France and the United States both recorded negative unit labour cost growth in industry of 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007, an unchanged result for France since quarter three and only a slight fall for the United States which recorded negative 0.2 percent in the third quarter of 2007.

While unit labour cost growth in market services for the OECD area and Major Seven area shows increases between the third and fourth quarters of 2007, this increase is mainly the result of increases for Japan (-0.1 to 0.1 percent) and the United States (-0.1 to 0.5 percent). France and Germany both recorded unit labour cost growth in market services of 0.5 percent for the fourth quarter of 2007, no change for France from the third quarter while a slight increase for Germany over the 0.4 percent recorded in the third quarter. As in industry, both Canada and the United Kingdom did not follow this general trend in unit labour cost increases for market services between the third and fourth quarters of 2007. In the fourth quarter of 2007, Canada recorded 0.6 percent (from 0.7 percent) and the United Kingdom recorded negative 0.1 percent (from 0.1 percent).