Is IT Driving the U.S. Productivity Revival?

Download full PDF article

Abstract

This article examines industry-level evidence on whether IT is driving the U.S. productivity revival of the late 1990s. Moving beyond aggregate data, the analysis finds that the productivity acceleration is widespread—not concentrated in a few industries—and that it is closely linked to IT capital accumulation in IT-using industries. Both the production and intensive use of IT contributed to productivity gains. Industries that invested heavily in IT, such as wholesale trade and retail trade, showed the strongest productivity acceleration, supporting the conclusion that IT is a central driver of the U.S. productivity revival.

Download full PDF