--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-37/the-industry-anatomy-of-the-transatlantic-productivity-growth-slowdown-europe-chasing-the-american-frontier/" title: "The Industry Anatomy of the Transatlantic Productivity Growth Slowdown: Europe Chasing the American Frontier" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-13T07:53:05+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-13T07:53:05+00:00" post_type: "ipm" summary: "" ipm_issue_period: - "Fall 2019" ipm_keyword: - "20-year lag" - "EU KLEMS" - "EU-10" - "industry-level" - "labour productivity" - "productivity slowdown" - "technical change" - "TFP" - "transatlantic" - "United States" ipm_research_theme: - "Productivity trends and comparisons" ipm_country_focus: - "Europe" - "International" - "United States" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp" status: "publish" --- # The Industry Anatomy of the Transatlantic Productivity Growth Slowdown: Europe Chasing the American Frontier Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-37/the-industry-anatomy-of-the-transatlantic-productivity-growth-slowdown-europe-chasing-the-american-frontier/ # The Industry Anatomy of the Transatlantic Productivity Growth Slowdown: Europe Chasing the American Frontier [Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-37-1-Gordon-Sayed.pdf) Cite this article × Cite this article as: Gordon, Robert, and Hassan Sayed. 2019. “The Industry Anatomy of the Transatlantic Productivity Growth Slowdown: Europe Chasing the American Frontier.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 37 (Fall 2019): 3–38. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-37/the-industry-anatomy-of-the-transatlantic-productivity-growth-slowdown-europe-chasing-the-american-frontier/ ## Authors: - Robert Gordon Department of Economics, Northwestern University; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) - Hassan Sayed Princeton University ## IPM Issue 37 Fall 2019 pp. 3–38 ## Related IPM articles [Efficiency Adjustment of Hours Worked: Two Possible Modifications of a Jorgensen Production Model Barbara Fraumeni Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 103–115](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/efficiency-adjustment-of-hours-worked-two-possible-modifications-of-a-jorgensen-production-model/) [Labour Productivity as a Measure of Technological Change Ulrich Kohli Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 64–81](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/labour-productivity-as-a-measure-of-technological-change/) [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/) [IPM Issue 49 Editors’ Overview Andrew Sharpe, Bart van Ark, Paul Schreyer Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 1–2](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/) [De-industrialization and the Great Productivity Slowdown: What Comes Next? 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Bart van Ark, Klaas de Vries, Abdul Erumban Spring 2024 | IPM Issue 46 | pp. 38–59](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-46/are-intangibles-running-out-of-steam/) ## Abstract ## Résumé EN FR Copy link Email LinkedIn Using EU KLEMS (2012 and 2017 vintages linked via ratio linking) for EU-10 countries and U.S. BLS data, this article provides a detailed industry-level comparison of productivity growth slowdowns on both sides of the Atlantic. The key finding is that EU-10 total economy labour productivity slowed by 1.68 percentage points between 1972-1995 and 2005-2015 — virtually identical to the U.S. slowdown of 1.67 points between 1950-1972 and 2005-2015 — with a 20-year lag. The same industries were affected by the same magnitude on both sides of the Atlantic, supporting the view that the slowdown reflects a slowing pace of technical change rather than country-specific factors. À l’aide d’EU KLEMS (millésimes 2012 et 2017 reliés par liaison de ratio) pour 10 pays de l’UE et des données BLS américaines, cet article fournit une comparaison détaillée au niveau industriel des ralentissements de la croissance de la productivité des deux côtés de l’Atlantique. Le principal constat est que la productivité totale du travail de l’économie des EU-10 a ralenti de 1,68 point de pourcentage entre 1972-1995 et 2005-2015 — pratiquement identique au ralentissement américain de 1,67 point entre 1950-1972 et 2005-2015 — avec un décalage de 20 ans. Les mêmes industries ont été touchées par la même ampleur des deux côtés de l’Atlantique, ce qui appuie la thèse selon laquelle le ralentissement reflète un ralentissement du rythme du changement technique plutôt que des facteurs propres à chaque pays. [Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-37-1-Gordon-Sayed.pdf)