Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Andrew Sharpe Author-Email: andrew.sharpe@csls.ca Title: Editor’s Overview Abstract: This 21st issue of the International Productivity Monitor published by the Centre for the Study of Living Standards contains five articles. The topics addressed are: a comparative industry perspective on productivity and economic growth in Europe; a detailed analysis of labour productivity growth in the transportation equipment industry in Canada; a portrait of the productivity performance of the Canadian provinces from a growth accounting perspective; a review of productivity experience and challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean and insights for Canada; and a discussion of the relationship between ageing and productivity. Classification-JEL: Y2 Keywords: productivity, economic growth, growth accounting, ageing Journal: International Productivity Monitor Pages: 1-2 Volume: 21 Year: 2011 Month: Spring File-URL: http://www.csls.ca/ipm/21/IPM-21-editoroverview.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf Handle: RePEc:sls:ipmsls:v:21:y:2011:0 Template-type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Marcel P. Timmer Author-Email: m.p.timmer@rug.nl Author-Name: Robert Inklaar Author-Email: R.C.Inklaar@rug.nl Author-Name: Mary O'Mahony Author-Email: m.omahony@bham.ac.uk Author-Name: Bart van Ark Author-Email: bart.vanark@conference-board.org Title: Productivity and Economic Growth in Europe: A Comparative Industry Perspective Abstract: Why did European productivity growth slow down while American growth accelerated since the 1990s? In this article we provide a detailed analysis of the sources of growth from a comparative industry perspective, based on our recent book Economic Growth in Europe. We argue that Europe’s falling behind is the combined result of a severe productivity slowdown in traditional manufacturing and other goods production, and a concomitant failure to invest in and reap the benefits from Information and Communications Technology (ICT), in particular in market services. The analysis is based on an update of the EU KLEMS growth accounting database and introduces a new measure for patterns of growth. Classification-JEL: D24, O47, O52 Keywords: productivity, manufacturing, information and communications technology, market services, growth accounting, Europe Journal: International Productivity Monitor Pages: 3-23 Volume: 21 Year: 2011 Month: Spring File-URL: http://www.csls.ca/ipm/21/IPM-21-Timmer-et-al.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf Handle: RePEc:sls:ipmsls:v:21:y:2011:1 Template-type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Kelvin Chan Author-Email: kelvinkayin.chan@ic.gc.ca Author-Name: Jianmin Tang Author-Email: jianmin.tang@ic.gc.ca Author-Name: Wulong Gu Author-Email: wulong.gu@statcan.gc.ca Title: Industry Mix, Plant Turnover and Productivity Growth: A Case Study of the Transportation Equipment Industry in Canada Abstract: The transportation equipment industry is one of the few Canadian industries that is as productive as its U.S. counterpart. However, labour productivity growth in the Canadian transportation equipment industry declined from 4.5 per cent per year in 1981-2000 to 1.7 per cent per year in 2000-2007. This article investigates whether restructuring and the reallocation of output and resources within the industry after 2000 contributed to this decline. It shows that the dramatic decline in productivity growth was mainly due to the slowdown in productivity growth in sub-industries, which can largely be traced to the decline in labour productivity growth of continuing plants. Finally, the article shows that even if the Canadian industry mix were the same as the U.S. mix, the productivity growth profile of the Canadian transportation equipment industry would not change. Classification-JEL: D24, L62 Keywords: transportation, industry, restructuring, reallocation, productivity growth, continuing plants Journal: International Productivity Monitor Pages: 24-47 Volume: 21 Year: 2011 Month: Spring File-URL: http://www.csls.ca/ipm/21/IPM-21-Chan-Tang-Gu.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf Handle: RePEc:sls:ipmsls:v:21:y:2011:2 Template-type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Ricardo de Avillez Author-Email: ricardo.avillez@csls.ca Author-Name: Chris Ross Author-Email: christopher.ross@csls.ca Title: A Portrait of the Productivity Performance of the Canadian Provinces, 1997-2007 Abstract: This article, based on the CSLS Provincial Productivity Database, provides a portrait of the productivity performance of the ten Canadian provinces over the 1997-2007 period. Level and growth rate estimates of labour and multifactor productivity are presented and discussed, with an emphasis on the provinces’ market sector. Two-digit NAICS industry level estimates are also presented. Capital intensity and labour quality figures are also provided, and a standard growth accounting framework is used to determine the sources of labour productivity growth, as well as the sources of labour productivity level gaps between Canada and the provinces. Classification-JEL: O51, D24, J24 Keywords: productivity, capital intensity, labour quality, multifactor productivity, growth, Canada, province Journal: International Productivity Monitor Pages: 48-69 Volume: 21 Year: 2011 Month: Spring File-URL: http://www.csls.ca/ipm/21/IPM-21-deAvillez-Ross.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf Handle: RePEc:sls:ipmsls:v:21:y:2011:3 Template-type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Someshwar Rao Author-Email: someshwar@gmail.com Title: Insights from Latin America for Canada: A Review Article on The Age of Productivity: Transforming Economies from the Bottom Up Abstract: This review article assesses the edited volume The Age of Productivity: Transforming Economies from the Bottom Up, which addresses the productivity challenges facing Latin America and the Caribbean. The main message of the volume is that a low level of total factor productivity (TFP) and slow TFP growth account for the region's large and growing income gaps relative to developed economies and the emerging East Asian economies. High trade costs, a large credit gap, a complex and ineffective tax system, unintended consequences of SME support programs and social policies, and a large innovation deficit are identified as largely responsible for the region's productivity problems. Given that Canada's productivity challenge is similar to that of Latin America, the article discusses possible policy lessons for Canada from the region's experience. Classification-JEL: Y30, D24 Keywords: total factor productivity, growth, Latin America, Caribbean, Canada Journal: International Productivity Monitor Pages: 70-81 Volume: 21 Year: 2011 Month: Spring File-URL: http://www.csls.ca/ipm/21/IPM-21-Rao.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf Handle: RePEc:sls:ipmsls:v:21:y:2011:4 Template-type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Andrew Sharpe Author-Email: andrew.sharpe@csls.ca Title: Is Ageing a Drag on Productivity Growth? A Review Article on Ageing, Health and Productivity: The Economics of Increased Life Expectancy Abstract: This review article discusses the volume Ageing, Health and Productivity: The Economics of Increased Life Expectancy, which provides a detailed examination of the relationship between ageing and productivity. While the authors find some evidence of a negative effect of ageing on productivity, they conclude that at the aggregate level the effect is small. The review argues that this finding provides support for efforts to boost the employment rate of older persons, especially those aged 55-69, both to benefit these persons themselves and to increase tax revenues to cover the rising health and pension costs of the growing senior population. Classification-JEL: Y30, J24, J11 Keywords: productivity, ageing, demographics Journal: International Productivity Monitor Pages: 82-94 Volume: 21 Year: 2011 Month: Spring File-URL: http://www.csls.ca/ipm/21/IPM-21-Sharpe.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf Handle: RePEc:sls:ipmsls:v:21:y:2011:5