--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/issue-3/the-contribution-of-icts-to-productivity-growth-in-canada-and-the-united-states-in-the-1990s/" title: "The Contribution of ICTs to Productivity Growth in Canada and the United States in the 1990s" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-10T09:13:21+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-13T06:38:11+00:00" post_type: "ipm" summary: "" ipm_issue_period: - "Fall 2001" ipm_keyword: - "Canada" - "ICT" - "ICT investment" - "labour productivity" - "manufacturing" - "new economy" - "productivity growth" - "United States" ipm_research_theme: - "Technology and innovation" ipm_country_focus: - "Canada" - "United States" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp" status: "publish" --- # The Contribution of ICTs to Productivity Growth in Canada and the United States in the 1990s Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/issue-3/the-contribution-of-icts-to-productivity-growth-in-canada-and-the-united-states-in-the-1990s/ # The Contribution of ICTs to Productivity Growth in Canada and the United States in the 1990s [Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-3-1-Rao-Tang.pdf) Cite this article × Cite this article as: Rao, Someshwar, and Jianmin Tang. 2001. “The Contribution of ICTs to Productivity Growth in Canada and the United States in the 1990s.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 3 (Fall 2001): 3–18. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/issue-3/the-contribution-of-icts-to-productivity-growth-in-canada-and-the-united-states-in-the-1990s/ ## Authors: - Someshwar Rao Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada - Jianmin Tang Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada ## IPM Issue 3 Fall 2001 pp. 3–18 ## 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/) [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/) [Appendix: Variable Definitions and Country/Sector Coverage for Regulatory Reform Analysis Gilbert Cette, Jimmy Lopez, Giuseppe Nicoletti, Océane Vernerey Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 1–18](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/appendix-variable-definitions-and-country-sector-coverage-for-regulatory-reform-analysis/) [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/) [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 This article analyses the contribution of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to productivity growth in Canada and the United States in the 1990s. It finds that Canada’s productivity gap relative to the U.S. is largely explained by a smaller and slower-growing ICT-producing sector and weaker productivity gains in ICT-using industries. The short-to-medium-term outlook for Canada’s productivity growth is viewed as unfavourable given the economic slowdown and weak ICT investment. Cet article analyse la contribution des technologies de l’information et des communications (TIC) à la croissance de la productivité au Canada et aux États-Unis dans les années 1990. Il constate que l’écart de productivité du Canada par rapport aux États-Unis s’explique en grande partie par un secteur producteur de TIC plus petit et à croissance plus lente, ainsi que par de plus faibles gains de productivité dans les industries utilisatrices de TIC. Les perspectives à court et moyen terme pour la croissance de la productivité au Canada sont jugées défavorables, compte tenu du ralentissement économique et de la faiblesse de l’investissement en TIC. [Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-3-1-Rao-Tang.pdf)