The article specifically claims labour costs aren't that much more than in other locations, Japan in particular. Certainly not enough to explain the huge differences in project budgets.
I read that in the article too. But, I still wonder: could it be that the annual salary of a worker is not the end of the story? In other words, if the process is so slow in the US, and an American project takes 2 years instead of 1 year (for a comparable Japanese or French project), then costs are effectively double.
Also, I don't think the article mentions the benefits costs: healthcare and pension costs for government and union workers in the US are higher than in other countries.
