Wages of the following personnel would be classified as indirect labor except the
What Is the Cost of Labor?The cost of labor is the sum of all wages paid to employees, as well as the cost of employee benefits and payroll taxes paid by an employer. The cost of labor is broken into direct and indirect (overhead) costs. Direct costs include wages for the employees that produce a product, including workers on an assembly line, while indirect costs are associated with support labor, such as employees who maintain factory equipment. Show
Key Takeaways
Understanding Cost of LaborWhen a manufacturer sets the sales price of a product, the firm takes into account the costs of labor, material, and overhead. The sales price must include the total costs incurred; if any costs are left out of the sales price calculation, the amount of profit is lower than expected. If demand for a product declines, or if competition forces the business to cut prices, the company must reduce the cost of labor to remain profitable. To do so, a business can reduce the number of employees, cut back on production, require higher levels of productivity, or reduce other factors in production cost. ImportantIn some cases, the cost of labor can be shifted directly toward the consumer. For example, in the hospitality sector, tipping is often encouraged, allowing businesses to reduce their cost of labor. The Differences Between Direct and Indirect Costs of LaborAssume that XYZ Furniture is planning the sales price for dining room chairs. The direct labor costs are those expenses that can be directly traced to production. XYZ, for example, pays workers to run machinery that cuts wood into specific pieces for chair assembly, and those expenses are direct costs. On the other hand, XYZ has several employees who provide security for the factory and warehouse; those labor costs are indirect, because the cost cannot be traced to a specific act of production. Examples of Fixed and Variable Costs of LaborLabor costs are also classified as fixed costs or variable costs. For example, the cost of labor to run the machinery is a variable cost, which varies with the firm's level of production. A firm can easily increase or decrease variable labor cost by increasing or decreasing production. Fixed labor costs can include set fees for long term service contracts. A firm might have a contract with an outside vendor to perform repair and maintenance on the equipment, and that is a fixed cost. Factoring in Undercosting and OvercostingSince indirect labor costs can be difficult to allocate to the correct product or service, XYZ Furniture may underallocate labor costs to one product and overallocate labor costs to another. This situation is referred to as undercosting and overcosting, and it can lead to incorrect product pricing. Assume, for example, that XYZ manufactures both dining room chairs and wooden bed frames, and that both products incur labor costs to run machinery, which total $20,000 per month. If XYZ allocates too much of the $20,000 labor costs to wooden bed frames, too little is allocated to dining room chairs. The labor costs for both products are incorrect, and the sale prices of the two goods will not reflect their true cost. Cost of Labor vs. Cost of LivingWhile the cost of labor refers to the sum of all wages paid to employees, it should not be confused with the cost of living. The cost of living is the cost needed to maintain a certain standard of living by a consumer in a specific geographic location. This includes housing, food, transportation, entertainment, etc. These rates can sometimes be much higher than the cost of labor, especially in highly metropolitan areas. For example, the cost of living is higher in New York City than in a suburban city. Demand for housing and food is higher, which means higher prices for consumers. Costs incurred in manufacturing a product What are Product Costs?Product costs are costs that are incurred to create a product that is intended for sale to customers. Product costs include direct material (DM), direct labor (DL), and manufacturing overhead (MOH). Understanding the Costs in Product CostsProduct costs are the costs directly incurred from the manufacturing process. The three basic categories of product costs are detailed below: 1. Direct materialDirect material costs are the costs of raw materials or parts that go directly into producing products. For example, if Company A is a toy manufacturer, an example of a direct material cost would be the plastic used to make the toys. 2. Direct laborDirect labor costs are the wages, benefits, and insurance that are paid to employees who are directly involved in manufacturing and producing the goods – for example, workers on the assembly line or those who use the machinery to make the products. 3. Manufacturing overheadManufacturing overhead costs include direct factory-related costs that are incurred when producing a product, such as the cost of machinery and the cost to operate the machinery. Manufacturing overhead costs also include some indirect costs, such as the following:
Example of Product CostsCompany A is a manufacturer of tables. Its product costs may include:
Company A produced 1,000 tables. To produce 1,000 tables, the company incurred costs of:
Total product costs: $12,000 (direct material) + $2,000 (direct labor) + $100 (indirect material) + $500 (indirect labor) + $500 (other costs) = $15,100. As this is the cost to produce 1,000 tables, the company has a per unit cost of $15.10 ($15,100 / 1,000 = $15.10). Period CostsProduct costs are costs necessary to manufacture a product, while period costs are non-manufacturing costs that are expensed within an accounting period.
Consider the diagram below: Costs on Financial StatementsProduct costs are treated as inventory (an asset) on the balance sheet and do not appear on the income statement as costs of goods sold until the product is sold. For example, a company manufactures 50 units of widgets at a unit product cost of $5. On the balance sheet, there would be a $5 x 50 = $250 increase in inventory. If the company sells 20 units of widgets, $5 x 20 = $100 in inventory would be transferred to the cost of goods sold on the income statement while the remaining $150 would remain in inventory on the balance sheet. Download the Free TemplateEnter your name and email in the form below and download the free template now! Product Costs TemplateDownload the free Excel template now to advance your finance knowledge! More ResourcesThank you for reading CFI’s guide on Product Costs. To keep learning and advancing your career, the following resources will be helpful:
What is an example of indirect labor?Examples of indirect labor positions are the production supervisor, purchasing staff, materials handling staff, materials management staff, and quality control staff.
What are indirect wages?Indirect labor is labor that assists direct labor in the performance of their work. It is labor that is not directly involved in manufacturing the finished product. Examples of indirect labor are wages paid to workers for sweeping, cleaning, supervising, inspecting, and issuing raw materials.
What is an example of indirect labor quizlet?Indirect labor is labor costs that cannot be easily traced to a product. For example, janitorial staff, supervisor wages, materials handlers. These labor costs support production but the workers involved don't work directly on the product.
What is indirect Labour?Indirect labor refers to employees who work on tasks that contribute to the company's performance outside of producing products and services. They work in areas such as the administrative, accounting and engineering departments.
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