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The Global Productivity Slump: Common and Country-Specific Factors

Author

Listed:
  • Barry Eichengreen

    (University of California Berkeley)

  • Donghyun Park

    (Asian Development Bank, Manila,)

  • Kwanho Shin

    (Department of Economics, Korea University)

Abstract

Productivity growth is slowing around the world. In 2015, the growth of total factor productivity (TFP) hovered around zero for the fourth straight year, down from 1 percent in 1996–2006 and 0.5 percent in 2007–12. In this paper we identify previous episodes of sharp and sustained decelerations in TFP growth using data for a large sample of countries and years. TFP slumps are ubiquitous: We find as many as 77 such episodes, depending on definition, in low-, middle- and high-income countries. Low levels of educational attainment and unusually high investment rates are among the significant country-specific correlates of TFP slumps, and energy-price shocks are among the significant global factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Barry Eichengreen & Donghyun Park & Kwanho Shin, 2017. "The Global Productivity Slump: Common and Country-Specific Factors," Asian Economic Papers, MIT Press, vol. 16(3), pages 1-41, Fall.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:asiaec:v:16:y:2017:i:3:p:1-41
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    3. Giorgio Calcagnini & Germana Giombini & Giuseppe Travaglini, 2021. "The Productivity Gap Among Major European Countries, USA and Japan," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 7(1), pages 59-78, March.
    4. Ahn, JaeBin & Choi, Moon Jung, 2020. "From firm-level imports to aggregate productivity: Evidence from Korean manufacturing firm data," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    5. Rod Tyers & Yixiao Zhou, 2018. "Automation, taxes and transfers with International rivalry," CAMA Working Papers 2018-44, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    6. David M. Byrne & John G. Fernald & Marshall B. Reinsdorf, 2016. "Does the United States Have a Productivity Slowdown or a Measurement Problem?," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 47(1 (Spring), pages 109-182.
    7. Anderton, Robert & Jarvis, Valerie & Labhard, Vincent & Morgan, Julian & Petroulakis, Filippos & Vivian, Lara, 2020. "Virtually everywhere? Digitalisation and the euro area and EU economies," Occasional Paper Series 244, European Central Bank.
    8. Bakhtiari, Sasan, 2017. "Corporate credit ratings: Selection on size or productivity?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 84-101.
    9. Bakas, Dimitrios & Kostis, Pantelis & Petrakis, Panagiotis, 2020. "Culture and labour productivity: An empirical investigation," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 233-243.
    10. Ichiro Muto & Nao Sudo & Shunichi Yoneyama, 2023. "Productivity Slowdown in Japan's Lost Decades: How Much of It Can Be Attributed to Damaged Balance Sheets?," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 85(1), pages 159-207, February.
    11. Yosuke Okazaki & Nao Sudo, 2018. "Natural Rate of Interest in Japan -- Measuring its size and identifying drivers based on a DSGE model --," Bank of Japan Working Paper Series 18-E-6, Bank of Japan.
    12. Rod Tyers & Yixiao Zhou, 2023. "The Tech War: Distributional Consequences Of International Rivalry," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 23-07, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
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    14. Guanghua Wan & Peter J. Morgan & Justin Yifu Lin & Guanghua Wan & Peter J. Morgan, 2016. "Factors Affecting the Outlook for Medium-term to Long-term Growth in China," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 24(5), pages 20-41, September.
    15. Rod Tyers & Yixiao Zhou, 2022. "A Bamboo Curtain: The Grim Australian Consequences of China Conflict," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 22-20, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.

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    JEL classification:

    • F33 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Monetary Arrangements and Institutions
    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration
    • F50 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - General
    • F65 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Finance
    • G00 - Financial Economics - - General - - - General

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