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Capital Quality Improvement and the Sources of Growth in the Euro Area

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  • Plutarchos Sakellaris
  • Focco W. Vijselaar

Abstract

The euro area experienced a slowdown in output and Total Factor Productivity growth in the 1990s compared to the 1980s. We ask the following questions. Is the apparent slowdown in euro area output due to a lack of proper accounting for capital quality improvement? The answer is no. Did technological change really slow down in the euro area? The answer here is mixed. The part of the technological change that is embodied in capital goods and boosts output through investment in these goods in fact accelerated in the 1990s. In contrast, disembodied technological change, which boosts output through new consumer goods or new production processes, decelerated in the 1990s more sharply than the official figures portray.

Suggested Citation

  • Plutarchos Sakellaris & Focco W. Vijselaar, 2005. "Capital Quality Improvement and the Sources of Growth in the Euro Area," CESifo Working Paper Series 1452, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_1452
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Gonzales-Eiras, Martín & Niepelt, Dirk, 2004. "Sustaining Social Security," Seminar Papers 731, Stockholm University, Institute for International Economic Studies.
    2. Peter N. Ireland, 2013. "Stochastic Growth In The United States And Euro Area," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 11(1), pages 1-24, February.
    3. Philipp an de Meulen & Torsten Schmidt, 2013. "Von der Euroeinführung zur Schuldenkrise: Ergebnisse einer Wachstumszerlegung für ausgewählte Länder des Euroraums," Vierteljahrshefte zur Wirtschaftsforschung / Quarterly Journal of Economic Research, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 82(2), pages 77-96.
    4. Lenarčič, Črt, 2019. "Inflation – Harrod-Balassa-Samuelson effect in a DSGE model setting," MPRA Paper 101199, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Bruno Tissot & Les Skoczylas, 2005. "Revisiting recent productivity developments across OECD countries," BIS Working Papers 182, Bank for International Settlements.
    6. Musso, Alberto & Westermann, Thomas, 2005. "Assessing potential output growth in the euro area - a growth accounting perspective, January 2005," Occasional Paper Series 22, European Central Bank.
    7. Antonopoulos, Christos & Sakellaris, Plutarchos, 2009. "The contribution of Information and Communication Technology investments to Greek economic growth: An analytical growth accounting framework," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 171-191, August.
    8. Larissa M. Batrancea, 2023. "The Hard Worker, the Hard Earner, the Young and the Educated: Empirical Study on Economic Growth across 11 CEE Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-14, November.
    9. Koeniger, Winfried & Leonardi, Marco, 2006. "Capital Deepening and Wage Differentials: Germany vs. US," IZA Discussion Papers 2065, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Alka obadić & Sanja Porić, 2008. "The coordination between education and employment policies," EFZG Working Papers Series 0802, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity

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