---
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title: "Contribution of ICT Diffusion to Labour Productivity Growth: The United States, Canada, the Eurozone, and the United Kingdom, 1970-2013"
author:
  name: "CSLS"
  url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/"
date_published: "2026-07-13T07:40:44+00:00"
date_modified: "2026-07-13T07:40:44+00:00"
post_type: "ipm"
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ipm_issue_period:
  - "Spring 2015"
ipm_keyword:
  - "1970-2013"
  - "Banque de France"
  - "Canada"
  - "capital stock"
  - "diffusion"
  - "Eurozone"
  - "ICT"
  - "productivity"
  - "United Kingdom"
  - "United States"
ipm_research_theme:
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ipm_country_focus:
  - "Canada"
  - "Europe"
  - "International"
  - "United Kingdom"
  - "United States"
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# Contribution of ICT Diffusion to Labour Productivity Growth: The United States, Canada, the Eurozone, and the United Kingdom, 1970-2013

Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-28/contribution-of-ict-diffusion-to-labour-productivity-growth-the-united-states-canada-the-eurozone-and-the-united-kingdom-1970-2013/

# Contribution of ICT Diffusion to Labour Productivity Growth: The United States, Canada, the Eurozone, and the United Kingdom, 1970-2013

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Cite this article as:

Cette, Gilbert, Christian Clerc, and Lea Bresson. 2015. “Contribution of ICT Diffusion to Labour Productivity Growth: The United States, Canada, the Eurozone, and the United Kingdom, 1970-2013.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 28 (Spring 2015): 81–88. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-28/contribution-of-ict-diffusion-to-labour-productivity-growth-the-united-states-canada-the-eurozone-and-the-united-kingdom-1970-2013/

## Authors:

-
Gilbert Cette
Banque de France; University of Aix-Marseille II (CEDERS); INSEE-CREST; University of Aix-Marseille II (CEDERS)

-
Christian Clerc
Banque de France; Université Aix-Marseille; CNRS; EHESS

-
Lea Bresson
Banque de France; Université Aix-Marseille; CNRS; EHESS

## IPM Issue 28

Spring 2015 pp. 81–88

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## Abstract

## Résumé

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This study measures and compares the trends in ICT diffusion and the contribution of ICT to labour productivity growth in the United States, Canada, the Eurozone, and the United Kingdom from 1970 to 2013. There are three main results: i) after a long period of sustained growth, ICT diffusion, as measured by the share of ICT capital stock to GDP expressed in current prices, has stabilized since 2000 in all four areas; ii) this stabilization happened at different levels, significantly higher in the United States than elsewhere; and iii) in all four jurisdictions, the contribution of ICT to labour productivity growth rose significantly in 1994-2004 compared to 1974-1994. Since 2004, the contribution of ICT to labour productivity growth has fallen off considerably. It only remains positive as a result of the continued advances in ICT performance as proxied by the continued fall in ICT prices. Unfortunately, the pace of improvement also appears to be rapidly decreasing. AMPLE EMPIRICAL LITERATURE HAS been ded-

Cette étude mesure et compare les tendances de la diffusion des TIC et la contribution des TIC à la croissance de la productivité du travail aux États-Unis, au Canada, dans la zone euro et au Royaume-Uni de 1970 à 2013. Il y a trois résultats principaux : i) après une longue période de croissance soutenue, la diffusion des TIC, mesurée par la part du stock de capital en TIC dans le PIB exprimée en prix courants, s’est stabilisée depuis 2000 dans les quatre zones; ii) cette stabilisation s’est produite à des niveaux différents, nettement plus élevés aux États-Unis qu’ailleurs; et iii) dans les quatre juridictions, la contribution des TIC à la croissance de la productivité du travail a augmenté de façon significative en 1994-2004 par rapport à 1974-1994. Depuis 2004, la contribution des TIC à la croissance de la productivité du travail a considérablement diminué.

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