--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-31/partial-versus-total-factor-productivity-measures-an-assessment-of-their-strengths-and-weaknesses/" title: "Partial versus Total Factor Productivity Measures: An Assessment of their Strengths and Weaknesses" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-13T07:40:56+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-13T07:40:56+00:00" post_type: "ipm" summary: "" ipm_issue_period: - "Fall 2016" ipm_keyword: - "Canada" - "labour productivity" - "measurement" - "methodology" - "MFP" - "natural resources" - "partial productivity" - "TFP" - "theory" ipm_research_theme: - "Measurement and methodology" ipm_country_focus: - "Canada" - "International" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp" status: "publish" --- # Partial versus Total Factor Productivity Measures: An Assessment of their Strengths and Weaknesses Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-31/partial-versus-total-factor-productivity-measures-an-assessment-of-their-strengths-and-weaknesses/ # Partial versus Total Factor Productivity Measures: An Assessment of their Strengths and Weaknesses [Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-31-8-Murray.pdf) Cite this article × Cite this article as: Murray, Alexander. 2016. “Partial versus Total Factor Productivity Measures: An Assessment of their Strengths and Weaknesses.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 31 (Fall 2016): 113–126. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-31/partial-versus-total-factor-productivity-measures-an-assessment-of-their-strengths-and-weaknesses/ ## Author: - Alexander Murray Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) ## IPM Issue 31 Fall 2016 pp. 113–126 ## Related IPM articles [Is the SNA Still Useful? 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Total factor productivity (or TFP) relates an index of output to a composite index of all inputs. This article reviews the strengths and weaknesses of each type of productivity measure from theoretical and methodological perspectives. Different productivity measures may be useful for different analytical purposes, and no single measure provides a complete picture of an industry’s productivity performance. We argue for a balanced, context-appropriate approach to productivity analysis that incorporates both productivity measures. Productivity measures are often used to assess Une mesure de productivité partielle relie la production à un seul intrant. La productivité multifactorielle (ou PMF) relie un indice de production à un indice composite de tous les intrants. Cet article passe en revue les forces et les faiblesses de chaque type de mesure de la productivité dans des perspectives théoriques et méthodologiques. Différentes mesures de productivité peuvent être utiles à différentes fins analytiques, et aucune mesure unique ne fournit un portrait complet de la performance de productivité d’une industrie. Nous plaidons pour une approche équilibrée et adaptée au contexte en matière d’analyse de la productivité, qui intègre les deux types de mesures. [Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-31-8-Murray.pdf)