LABOR COSTS AND COST OF LABOR: CONCEPTS, TRENDS, INDICATORS

Abstract

Concepts of “labor costs” and “cost of labor” have been refined. Differences between the concepts of “labor costs” and “total cost of labor”, “price of labor” and “wages”, “compensation” and “wages”, “labor costs” and “staff costs” are shown. The concept of “labor costs not belonging to the wage fund” is specified. Significance of these costs as a workforce reproduction factor in the system of social and labor relations is considered. Trends in labor costs and their structural elements in Ukraine and abroad are revealed and their comparative analysis is carried out. The difference between the “production value of labor force” (that is, “real cost of labor for producer”) and the “real consumer value of labor force” (that is, “real cost of labor for employee” as a consumer of goods and services) is justified. Differences in cost of labor indicators in Ukraine and the EU countries are shown and proposals to use new indicators are suggested. Recommendations on development of the system of accounting for the cost of labor in terms of its flexibility, efficiency and reliability are elaborated, in particular, concerning the quarterly accounting of cost of labor indices, hourly wages and labor cost levels. Purposes of using the statistical information on employer’s expenses for maintaining the workforce are determined. Indicators of the costs of maintaining the workforce were estimated by users of this information. The need of enterprises for additional information is justified.