European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 6, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes wednesday. April 6,1988 Norway Mexico Mark labor Cost extremes Washington api for a . Employer who measures his labor Cost i dollars. Mexico was the cheap Cal ctn try Lasi Jear and nor by inc Nuil . According id a labor department report. The report released on monday takes into account the decrease in the value of the Doltar. And of changes in local pay rain. Thu com of social insurance and other benefits arc also figured in. But no the relative efficiency of workers in Dif Ferent countries. In Dollar terms costs in Mexico dropped to $1.37 an hour from si.49 in 1986. Though a vacs More than doubled in Mcmican pesos he Price of the peso dropped so Insl on foreign Exchange markets thai he cot of labor in dollars declined. Wages and other benefits for workers also Rose in terms of brazilian Cruzeiro but in Dollar icons there was a decline to .49 from St. 60 an hour because of he Low value of the Cruzeiro Brazil and Mcnico arc the two biggest debtors among developing nations a situation thai tends to drive Down the Price of their currencies. They were the Only two where the costs were reported to have dropped in the year. Norway s average Compon Silion of 11k.52 Kroner jt7.58 an hour was nearly j limes thai of Mexico Mea red in dollars. The . Average of. Almost 10 limes Mexico s. Low wage costs in other countries have Long been used by american politicians As the reason for protecting .industry from imports. In recent years labor unions have argued that Low Labo Rosis in Alba coun Loriet encourage . Employers to set up production flier a wages in the industrializing countries of Asia and latin America remained less than a fifth As costly As in the United states. Costs in hone King. South Korea Singapore and Taiwan Rose by Only 1 to 4 percentage Points relative la Hose in the United states. Of 22 countries seven had costs higher than the 3.46 an hour in i he United states. They were in addition to nor Way Switzerland. 25,6 Swiss franc boil 117.06 West Germany 30.2marks $16.81 Sweden. 96.07 Kronor jli.14