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Measuring Industry Contributions to Labour Productivity Change: A New Formula in a Chained Fisher Index Framework

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  • Marshall Reinsdorf

Abstract

Canada and the United States use Fisher indexes in their input-output accounts. Existing methods for decomposing aggregate labour productivity growth into industry contributions in a Fisher index framework either leave some productivity growth unaccounted for or are poorly suited for answering relevant questions about the industry sources of productivity growth. This article derives formulas for analyzing industry contributions to productivity change that add up exactly to the aggregate change in productivity and that have useful economic interpretations. These formulas show that the manufacturing sector made a positive contribution to productivity growth in the Canada in 2000-2010 and in the United States in 1998-2012, whereas the widely used GEAD formula implies that manufacturing made a negative contribution. Methods that can be used to decompose chained Laspeyres measures of productivity growth are also developed. These methods would be applicable in countries other than Canada and the United States.

Suggested Citation

  • Marshall Reinsdorf, 2015. "Measuring Industry Contributions to Labour Productivity Change: A New Formula in a Chained Fisher Index Framework," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 28, pages 3-26, Spring.
    • Handle: RePEc:sls:ipmsls:v:28:y:2015:1
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    Cited by:

    1. Jeff Mollins & Pierre St-Amant, 2018. "The Productivity Slowdown in Canada: an ICT Phenomenon?," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 35, pages 95-112, Fall.
    2. Diane Coyle & Jen‐Chung Mei, 2023. "Diagnosing the UK productivity slowdown: which sectors matter and why?," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 90(359), pages 813-850, July.
    3. repec:zbw:bofitp:2017_018 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Ilya B. Voskoboynikov, 2020. "Structural Change, Expanding Informality and Labor Productivity Growth in Russia," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 66(2), pages 394-417, June.
    5. Bart van Ark & Klaas de Vries & Abdul Erumban, 2021. "Productivity and the Pandemic - Short-Term Disruptions and Long-Term Implications. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on productivity dynamics by industry," Working Papers 007, The Productivity Institute.
    6. John R. Baldwin & Michael Willox, 2016. "The Industry Origins of Canada's Weaker Labour Productivity Performance and the Role of Structural Adjustment in the Post-2000 Period," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 31, pages 19-36, Fall.
    7. Alexander Murray, 2017. "What Explains the Post-2004 U.S.Productivity Slowdown?," CSLS Research Reports 2017-05, Centre for the Study of Living Standards.
    8. Evan Capeluck, 2016. "A Comparison of Australian and Canadian Productivity Performance: Lessons for Canada," CSLS Research Reports 2016-07, Centre for the Study of Living Standards.
    9. Voskoboynikov, Ilya B., 2017. "Sources of long run economic growth in Russia before and after the global financial crisis," Russian Journal of Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 348-365.
    10. Klaas Vries & Abdul Erumban & Bart Ark, 2021. "Productivity and the pandemic: short-term disruptions and long-term implications," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 541-570, July.
    11. Wulong Gu & Michael Willox, 2018. "Productivity Growth in Canada and the United States: Recent Industry Trends and Potential Explanations," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 35, pages 73-94, Fall.
    12. Matthew Calver and Alexander Murray, 2016. "Decomposing Multifactor Productivity Growth in Canada by Industry and Province, 1997-2014," CSLS Research Reports 2016-19, Centre for the Study of Living Standards.
    13. Roberta Montebello & Jude Darmanin, 2021. "Saving behaviour in Malta: Insights from the Household Budgetary Survey," CBM Working Papers WP/04/2021, Central Bank of Malta.
    14. Carlos Rosell & Kaleigh Dowsett & Nelson Paterson, 2023. "A Critical Juncture: Assessing Canada's Productivity Performance and Future Prospects," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 45, pages 61-92, Fall.
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    16. Ilya B. Voskoboynikov, 2020. "Structural Change, Expanding Informality and Labor Productivity Growth in Russia," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 66(2), pages 394-417, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Canada; United States; Fisher Indexes; Fisher; Laspeyres; Paasche; Industries; Industry Contributions; Productivity Change; Additivity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
    • L70 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Primary Products and Construction - - - General
    • L80 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - General
    • L90 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - General
    • N32 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-
    • N34 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: 1913-
    • O51 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - U.S.; Canada
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe

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