--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-25/u-s-productivity-growth-the-slowdown-has-returned-after-a-temporary-revival/" title: "U.S. Productivity Growth: The Slowdown Has Returned After a Temporary Revival" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-13T07:37:44+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-13T07:37:44+00:00" post_type: "ipm" summary: "" ipm_issue_period: - "Spring 2013" ipm_keyword: - "demographics" - "Gordon" - "headwinds" - "inequality" - "IT revolution" - "manufacturing" - "non-manufacturing" - "productivity" - "slowdown" - "United States" ipm_research_theme: - "Productivity trends and comparisons" ipm_country_focus: - "United States" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp" status: "publish" --- # U.S. Productivity Growth: The Slowdown Has Returned After a Temporary Revival Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-25/u-s-productivity-growth-the-slowdown-has-returned-after-a-temporary-revival/ # U.S. Productivity Growth: The Slowdown Has Returned After a Temporary Revival [Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-25-2-Gordon.pdf) Cite this article × Cite this article as: Gordon, Robert. 2013. “U.S. Productivity Growth: The Slowdown Has Returned After a Temporary Revival.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 25 (Spring 2013): 13–19. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-25/u-s-productivity-growth-the-slowdown-has-returned-after-a-temporary-revival/ ## Author: - Robert Gordon Department of Economics, Northwestern University; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ## IPM Issue 25 Spring 2013 pp. 13–19 ## Related IPM articles [The Relationship between Efficiencies Defenses for Mergers and TFP Growth Robin Shaban Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 82–102](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/the-relationship-between-efficiencies-defenses-for-mergers-and-tfp-growth/) [Adult Skills and Productivity: New Evidence from PIAAC 2023 Dan Andrews, Balázs Égert, Christine de La Maisonneuve Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 41–63](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/adult-skills-and-productivity-new-evidence-from-piaac-2023/) [The Potential Impact of Pro-competitive Regulatory Reforms on Productivity and Growth in Canada Gilbert Cette, Jimmy Lopez, Giuseppe Nicoletti, Océane Vernerey Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 3–40](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/the-potential-impact-of-pro-competitive-regulatory-reforms-on-productivity-and-growth-in-canada/) [De-industrialization and the Great Productivity Slowdown: What Comes Next? 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The Canadian Experience Tim Sargent Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 39–53](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/how-does-industrial-policy-impact-output-hours-and-productivity-the-canadian-experience/) [Climate Change and Productivity — An Exploration Dirk Pilat Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 54–86](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/climate-change-and-productivity-an-exploration/) ## Abstract ## Résumé EN FR Copy link Email LinkedIn There was never any slowdown in productivity growth in U.S. manufacturing during the postwar period, and indeed there was an unprecedented explosion of manufacturing productivity growth between 1996 and 2004. But the share of the manufacturing sector in the total economy has declined from 30 to 10 per cent since the 1950s. The record for the other 90 per cent, consisting of all the economy outside of manufacturing, is far less encouraging; in non-manufacturing labour productivity growth fell from 2.95 per cent per year in 1948-72 to 1.29 per cent per year in 1972-96. After a brief revival to 2.63 per cent in the brief eight-year period 1996-2004, the growth rate slumped again to 1.47 in the past eight years. This examination of the data provides evidence that the revival of productivity growth associated with the dot.com revolution is over, that multifactor productivity growth in the total economy has returned to the rate achieved in the post-1972 slowdown years. RÉSUMÉ Il n’y a jamais eu de ralentissement de la croissance de la productivité dans le secteur de la fabrication aux États-Unis pendant l’après-guerre et il y a effectivement eu une explosion de croissance sans précédent dans les industries manufacturières entre 1996 et 2004. Cependant, la part qu’occupe le secteur de la fabrication dans l’économie totale est passée de 30 à 10 % depuis les années 1950. Les statistiques pour l’autre tranche de 90 %, constituée de tous les secteurs de l’économie autres que la fabrication, sont beaucoup moins encourageantes : dans ces secteurs, la croissance de la productivité du travail a diminué pour passer de 2,95 % par année entre 1948 et 1972 à 1,29 % par année entre 1972 et 1996. Après un bref regain de vie qui l’a de nouveau porté brièvement à 2,63 % entre 1996 et 2004, le taux de croissance a rechuté pour se fixer à 1,47 % au cours des huit dernières années. Cet examen des données prouve que le regain de vie de la croissance de la productivité associé à la révolution du dot.com est terminé, et que la croissance de la productivité multifactorielle dans l’économie totale est revenue au taux où elle se trouvait après le ralentissement de 1972. T HIS COMMENT PROVIDES my perspective on Il n’y a jamais eu de ralentissement de la croissance de la productivité dans le secteur manufacturier américain au cours de la période d’après-guerre, et il y a eu en fait une explosion sans précédent de la croissance de la productivité manufacturière entre 1996 et 2004. Mais la part du secteur manufacturier dans l’économie totale a diminué de 30 % à 10 % depuis les années 1950. Le bilan des 90 % restants, qui constituent toute l’économie en dehors du secteur manufacturier, est bien moins encourageant : dans le secteur non manufacturier, la croissance de la productivité du travail est passée de 2,95 % par année en 1948-1972 à 1,29 % par année en 1972-1996. Après un bref redressement à 2,63 % sur la courte période de huit ans 1996-2004, le taux de croissance a de nouveau chuté à 1,47 % au cours des huit dernières années. Cet examen des données apporte des preuves que la reprise de la croissance de la productivité associée à la révolution dot-com est terminée. [Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-25-2-Gordon.pdf)