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Productivity Growth and the New Economy

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  • William D. Nordhaus

    (Yale University)

Abstract

The present study is the third in a series of three papers devoted to issues in the measurement of productivity and productivity growth. The major findings are as follows. First, this study shows that the new data set used here, which develops data on total output, business sector output, and "well-measured" output, and relying on income-side data, provides a useful supplement to existing data sets. Second, there has clearly been a rebound in labor-productivity growth in recent years. All three sectoral definitions show a major acceleration in labor productivity in the last three years of the period (1996-98) relative to the 1978-95 period. The rebound was 1.2 percentage points for GDP, 1.8 percentage points for business sector, and 2.1 percentage points for well-measured output. Third, productivity growth in the new economy sectors has made a significant contribution to economy-wide productivity growth. For the business sector, of the 1.82 percentage point increase in labor-productivity growth in the last three years, 0.65 percentage point was due to the new-economy sectors. Finally, for all three output measures, there has been a substantial upturn in labor-productivity growth outside the new economy. After removing the direct effect of new economy sectors, the productivity acceleration was 0.54 percentage points for total GDP, 0.65 percentage points for business output, and 1.18 percentage points for well- measured output. It is clear that the productivity rebound is not narrowly focused in a few new-economy sectors.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • William D. Nordhaus, 2002. "Productivity Growth and the New Economy," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 33(2), pages 211-265.
    • Handle: RePEc:bin:bpeajo:v:33:y:2002:i:2002-2:p:211-265
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    File URL: https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2002/06/2002b_bpea_nordhaus.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Basu, Susanto & Fernald, John G., 1995. "Are apparent productive spillovers a figment of specification error?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 165-188, August.
    2. 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.
    3. Lucia Foster & John Haltiwanger & C.J. Krizan, 2002. "The Link Between Aggregate and Micro Productivity Growth: Evidence from Retail Trade," NBER Working Papers 9120, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Martin Neil Baily, 1982. "The Productivity Growth Slowdown by Industry," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 13(2), pages 423-459.
    5. William D. Nordhaus, 1972. "The Recent Productivity Slowdown," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 3(3), pages 493-546.
    6. Dale W. Jorgenson & Mun S. Ho & Kevin J. Stiroh, 2006. "Projecting Productivity Growth: Lessons from the US Growth Resurgence," Chapters, in: Dennis W. Jansen (ed.), The New Economy and Beyond, chapter 2, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Robert J. Gordon, 1993. "The Jobless Recovery: Does It Signal a New Era of Productivity-led Growth?," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 24(1), pages 271-316.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    macroeconomics; Productivity Growth; New Economy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E3 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • C82 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Macroeconomic Data; Data Access
    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights

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