--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-35/what-do-we-know-about-the-productivity-slowdown-evidence-from-australian-industry-data/" title: "What Do We Know About the Productivity Slowdown? Evidence from Australian Industry Data" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-13T07:52:45+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-13T07:52:45+00:00" post_type: "ipm" summary: "" ipm_issue_period: - "Fall 2018" ipm_keyword: - "ABS" - "agriculture" - "Australia" - "industry-level" - "inefficiency" - "manufacturing" - "MFP" - "mining" - "productivity" - "slowdown" ipm_research_theme: - "Sectoral and firm-level dynamics" ipm_country_focus: - "Australia" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp" status: "publish" --- # What Do We Know About the Productivity Slowdown? Evidence from Australian Industry Data Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-35/what-do-we-know-about-the-productivity-slowdown-evidence-from-australian-industry-data/ # What Do We Know About the Productivity Slowdown? Evidence from Australian Industry Data [Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-35-8-Fox.pdf) Cite this article × Cite this article as: Fox, Kevin. 2018. “What Do We Know About the Productivity Slowdown? Evidence from Australian Industry Data.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 35 (Fall 2018): 149–156. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-35/what-do-we-know-about-the-productivity-slowdown-evidence-from-australian-industry-data/ ## Author: - Kevin Fox University of New South Wales Sydney ## IPM Issue 35 Fall 2018 pp. 149–156 ## 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? Paul Fisher Spring 2025 | IPM Issue 48 | pp. 115–138](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-48/de-industrialization-and-the-great-productivity-slowdown-what-comes-next/) [Appendix: UK Productivity Growth Rates Across Data Vintages and Studies Josh Martin Spring 2025 | IPM Issue 48 | pp. 65–73](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-48/appendix-uk-productivity-growth-rates-across-data-vintages-and-studies/) [Opportunities and Risks of Artificial Intelligence for Productivity Francesco Filippucci, Peter Gal, Katharina Laengle, Matthias Schief, Filiz Unsal Spring 2025 | IPM Issue 48 | pp. 1–26](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-48/opportunities-and-risks-of-artificial-intelligence-for-productivity/) [Eroding Natural Capital: An Alternative Explanation for the Secular Decline in Productivity Growth Christina Caron Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 109–147](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/eroding-natural-capital-an-alternative-explanation-for-the-secular-decline-in-productivity-growth/) [Using Ecosystem Accounting to Integrate the Environment in Measures of Multifactor Productivity Carl Obst Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 87–108](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/using-ecosystem-accounting-to-integrate-the-environment-in-measures-of-multifactor-productivity/) [How Does Industrial Policy Impact Output, Hours and Productivity? 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 The productivity slowdown across industrialised countries since around 2004 is a topic of much interest to academic researchers and policy makers alike. As we search for explanations for the slowdown, it is useful to consider what the performance has been at the industry level. This article provides some evidence and perspectives from official Australian industry-level data. While industries have experienced different productivity growth profiles since 1989-90, they all experienced a slowdown after 2003-04. A rise in inefficiency may be one source of this slowdown. Some suggestions for future research directions that may provide a deeper understanding of productivity growth are suggested, in the spirit of a slowdown being too valuable to waste. Le ralentissement de la productivité dans les pays industrialisés depuis environ 2004 est un sujet qui suscite beaucoup d’intérêt chez les chercheurs académiques et les décideurs. Dans notre quête d’explications au ralentissement, il est utile d’examiner la performance au niveau industriel. Cet article fournit des données probantes et des perspectives à partir des données officielles australiennes au niveau industriel. Si les industries ont connu des profils de croissance de la productivité différents depuis 1989-90, elles ont toutes connu un ralentissement après 2003-04. Une hausse de l’inefficience pourrait être l’une des sources de ce ralentissement. [Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-35-8-Fox.pdf)