IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pab/wpaper/09.09.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Technological sources of productivity growth in Japan, the U.S. and Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Jesús Rodríguez López

    (Department of Economics, Universidad Pablo de Olavide)

  • José Luis Torres Chacón

    (Departamento de Teoría e Historia Económica de la Universidad de Málaga)

Abstract

In this paper, we use a dynamic general equilibrium growth model to quantify the contribution of different technological sources to productivity growth in the three leading economies: Germany, Japan, and the U.S. The sources of technology are classified as representing either neutral progress or investment-specific progress. The latter can be split into two different types of equipment: information and communication technologies (ICT) and non-ICT equipment. We find that in the long run, neutral technological change is the main source of productivity growth in Germany. For Japan and the U.S., the main source of productivity growth is investment-specific technological change, mainly associated with ICT. We also find that a non negligible part of productivity growth has been due to technology specific to non-ICT equipment; this is mainly true after 1995.

Suggested Citation

  • Jesús Rodríguez López & José Luis Torres Chacón, 2009. "Technological sources of productivity growth in Japan, the U.S. and Germany," Working Papers 09.09, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Economics, revised Mar 2010.
    • Handle: RePEc:pab:wpaper:09.09
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.upo.es/serv/bib/wps/econ0909.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2009
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: http://www.upo.es/serv/bib/wps/econ0909R.pdf
    File Function: Revised version, 2010
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Greenwood, Jeremy & Hercowitz, Zvi & Krusell, Per, 2000. "The role of investment-specific technological change in the business cycle," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 91-115, January.
    2. repec:ucp:bknber:9780226304557 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Pakko Michael R., 2005. "Changing Technology Trends, Transition Dynamics, and Growth Accounting," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 5(1), pages 1-42, December.
    4. Mendoza, Enrique G. & Razin, Assaf & Tesar, Linda L., 1994. "Effective tax rates in macroeconomics: Cross-country estimates of tax rates on factor incomes and consumption," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 297-323, December.
    5. Fumio Hayashi & Edward C. Prescott, 2004. "The 1990s in Japan: a lost decade," Chapters, in: Paolo Onofri (ed.), The Economics of an Ageing Population, chapter 2, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Martínez, Diego & Rodríguez, Jesús & Torres, José L., 2008. "The productivity paradox and the new economy: The Spanish case," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 1569-1586, December.
    7. Alejandro Justiniano & Giorgio E. Primiceri, 2008. "The Time-Varying Volatility of Macroeconomic Fluctuations," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(3), pages 604-641, June.
    8. Miyagawa, Tsutomu & Sakuragawa, Yukie & Takizawa, Miho, 2006. "The impact of technology shocks on the Japanese business cycle--An empirical analysis based on Japanese industry data," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 401-417, December.
    9. Jason G. Cummins & Giovanni L. Violante, 2002. "Investment-Specific Technical Change in the US (1947-2000): Measurement and Macroeconomic Consequences," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 5(2), pages 243-284, April.
    10. Douglas Gollin, 2002. "Getting Income Shares Right," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 110(2), pages 458-474, April.
    11. Dale W. Jorgenson, 2001. "Information Technology and the U.S. Economy," Higher School of Economics Economic Journal Экономический журнал Высшей школы экономики, CyberLeninka;Федеральное государственное автономное образовательное учреждение высшего образования «Национальный исследовательский университет «Высшая школа экономики», vol. 5(1), pages 3-34.
    12. Shinjo, Koji & Zhang, Xingyuan, 2003. "Productivity analysis of IT capital stock: The USA-Japan comparison," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 81-100, March.
    13. TOKUI Joji & INUI Tomohiko & Young Gak KIM, 2008. "Embodied Technological Progress and the Productivity Slowdown in Japan," Discussion papers 08017, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    14. Dale W. Jorgenson & Kevin J. Stiroh, 2000. "Raising the Speed Limit: U.S. Economic Growth in the Information Age," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 31(1), pages 125-236.
    15. Greenwood, Jeremy & Hercowitz, Zvi & Krusell, Per, 1997. "Long-Run Implications of Investment-Specific Technological Change," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(3), pages 342-362, June.
    16. Michael Gort & Jeremy Greenwood & Peter Rupert, 1999. "Measuring the Rate of Technological Progress in Structures," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 2(1), pages 207-230, January.
    17. Marcel P. Timmer & Bart van Ark, 2005. "Does information and communication technology drive EU-US productivity growth differentials?," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 57(4), pages 693-716, October.
    18. Robert J. Gordon, 1990. "The Measurement of Durable Goods Prices," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number gord90-1, March.
    19. Miyagawa, Tsutomu & Ito, Yukiko & Harada, Nobuyuki, 2004. "The IT revolution and productivity growth in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 362-389, September.
    20. Jorgenson, Dale W. & Motohashi, Kazuyuki, 2005. "Information technology and the Japanese economy," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 460-481, December.
    21. FUKAO Kyoji & MIYAGAWA Tsutomu, 2007. "Productivity in Japan, the US, and the Major EU Economies: Is Japan Falling Behind?," Discussion papers 07046, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    22. Sonobe, Tetsushi & Otsuka, Keijiro, 2001. "A new decomposition approach to growth accounting: derivation of the formula and its application to prewar Japan," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Molinari, Benedetto & Rodríguez, Jesús & Torres, José L., 2013. "Growth and technological progress in selected Pacific countries," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 60-71.
    2. Aleksandar Vasilev, 2020. "An RBC model with investment-specific technological change: lessons for Bulgaria (1999–2018)," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(4), pages 511-524, May.
    3. Díaz, Antonia & Puch, Luis A., 2013. "A theory of vintage capital investment and energy use," UC3M Working papers. Economics we1320, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía.
    4. José Luis Torres Chacon, 2015. "Introduction to Dynamic Macroeconomic General Equilibrium Models," Vernon Press Titles in Economics, Vernon Art and Science Inc, edition 2, number 54, July.
    5. Molinari Benedetto & Rodríguez-López Jesús & Torres José L., 2013. "Information and communication technologies over the business cycle," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 13(1), pages 1-31, July.
    6. José Luis Torres Chacon, 2015. "Introduction to Dynamic Macroeconomic General Equilibrium Models [Second Edition, Paperback]," Vernon Press Titles in Economics, Vernon Art and Science Inc, edition 2, number 44.
    7. Díaz, Antonia & Franjo, Luis, 2016. "Capital goods, measured TFP and growth: The case of Spain," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 19-39.
    8. Georg Duernecker, 2014. "Technology Adoption, Turbulence, And The Dynamics Of Unemployment," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 12(3), pages 724-754, June.
    9. Díaz Antonia & Puch Luis A., 2019. "Investment, technological progress and energy efficiency," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 19(2), pages 1-28, June.
    10. Georges Daw, 2024. "Impact of technical change via intermediate consumption: exhaustive general equilibrium growth accounting and reassessment applied to USA 1954–1990," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 23(1), pages 55-87, January.
    11. Hidalgo Pérez, Manuel A. & O׳Kean Alonso, José María & Rodríguez López, Jesús, 2016. "Labor demand and ICT adoption in Spain," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(5), pages 450-470.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Diego Martínez, y José L. Torres & Jesús Rodríguez-López & José L. Torres, 2008. "Productivity growth and technological change in Europe and us," Economic Working Papers at Centro de Estudios Andaluces E2008/12, Centro de Estudios Andaluces.
    2. Jesús Rodríguez López, 2010. "Growth, fluctuations and technology in the U.S. post-war economy," Working Papers 10.01, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Economics.
    3. Martínez, Diego & Rodríguez, Jesús & Torres, José L., 2010. "ICT-specific technological change and productivity growth in the US: 1980-2004," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 121-129, May.
    4. Molinari, Benedetto & Rodríguez, Jesús & Torres, José L., 2013. "Growth and technological progress in selected Pacific countries," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 60-71.
    5. Hwang, Won-Sik & Shin, Jungwoo, 2017. "ICT-specific technological change and economic growth in Korea," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(4), pages 282-294.
    6. Aleksandar Vasilev, 2020. "An RBC model with investment-specific technological change: lessons for Bulgaria (1999–2018)," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(4), pages 511-524, May.
    7. Martínez, Diego & Rodríguez, Jesús & Torres, José L., 2008. "The productivity paradox and the new economy: The Spanish case," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 1569-1586, December.
    8. José Luis Torres Chacon, 2015. "Introduction to Dynamic Macroeconomic General Equilibrium Models," Vernon Press Titles in Economics, Vernon Art and Science Inc, edition 2, number 54, July.
    9. Chung, Hyuk, 2018. "ICT investment-specific technological change and productivity growth in Korea: Comparison of 1996–2005 and 2006–2015," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 78-90.
    10. José Luis Torres Chacon, 2015. "Introduction to Dynamic Macroeconomic General Equilibrium Models [Second Edition, Paperback]," Vernon Press Titles in Economics, Vernon Art and Science Inc, edition 2, number 44.
    11. Juan Carlos Conesa & Timothy J. Kehoe & Kim J. Ruhl, 2007. "Modeling great depressions: the depression in Finland in the 1990s," Quarterly Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, vol. 31(Nov), pages 16-44.
    12. Justiniano, Alejandro & Primiceri, Giorgio E. & Tambalotti, Andrea, 2010. "Investment shocks and business cycles," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(2), pages 132-145, March.
    13. Jorge Duran & Omar Licandro, 2015. "Is the output growth rate in NIPA a welfare measure?," Discussion Papers 2015/18, University of Nottingham, Centre for Finance, Credit and Macroeconomics (CFCM).
    14. Anthony Landry, 2018. "Capital-Goods Imports and U.S. Growth," 2018 Meeting Papers 208, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    15. Huffman, Gregory W., 2008. "An analysis of fiscal policy with endogenous investment-specific technological change," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 32(11), pages 3441-3458, November.
    16. Alejandro Justiniano & Giorgio Primiceri & Andrea Tambalotti, 2011. "Investment Shocks and the Relative Price of Investment," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 14(1), pages 101-121, January.
    17. Hasan Bakhshi & Jens Larsen, 2001. "Investment-specific technological progress in the United Kingdom," BIS Papers chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Empirical studies of structural changes and inflation, volume 3, pages 49-80, Bank for International Settlements.
    18. Manuel A. Hidalgo Pérez & Jesús Rodríguez López & José Mª O.Kean Alonso, 2008. "Labor demand and information technologies: evidence for Spain, 1980-2005," Economic Working Papers at Centro de Estudios Andaluces E2008/13, Centro de Estudios Andaluces.
    19. Vu, Khuong M., 2013. "Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Singapore’s economic growth," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 284-300.
    20. Bakhshi, Hasan & Larsen, Jens, 2005. "ICT-specific technological progress in the United Kingdom," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 648-669, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Productivity growth; Investment-specific progress; Neutral progress; Information and communication technology.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights
    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pab:wpaper:09.09. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Publicación Digital - UPO (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/deupoes.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.