--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/issue-7/symposium-on-future-productivity-growth-in-canada-an-introduction/" title: "Symposium on Future Productivity Growth in Canada: An Introduction" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-13T05:43:06+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-13T06:41:28+00:00" post_type: "ipm" summary: "" ipm_issue_period: - "Fall 2003" ipm_keyword: - "business sector" - "Canada" - "demographics" - "future productivity" - "labour productivity" - "productivity" - "projections" - "social programs" - "total economy" ipm_research_theme: - "Productivity trends and comparisons" ipm_country_focus: - "Canada" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp" status: "publish" --- # Symposium on Future Productivity Growth in Canada: An Introduction Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/issue-7/symposium-on-future-productivity-growth-in-canada-an-introduction/ # Symposium on Future Productivity Growth in Canada: An Introduction [Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-7-4-Sharpe.pdf) Cite this article × Cite this article as: Sharpe, Andrew. 2003. “Symposium on Future Productivity Growth in Canada: An Introduction.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 7 (Fall 2003): 44–45. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/issue-7/symposium-on-future-productivity-growth-in-canada-an-introduction/ ## Author: - Andrew Sharpe Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) ## IPM Issue 7 Fall 2003 pp. 44–45 ## 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/) [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/) [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/) [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/) [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/) [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/) ## Abstract ## Résumé EN FR Copy link Email LinkedIn This introduction to a three-paper symposium on future productivity growth in Canada provides context for the contributions by Wilson, Macklem, and Robidoux. It discusses the choice of aggregate labour productivity measure (total economy versus business sector; persons versus hours), the relationship between productivity and the sustainability of social programs, and alternative long-term productivity forecasts from Global Insight, Informetrica, and the Conference Board. The key message is a consensus among symposium contributors that total economy labour productivity growth in Canada is likely to average around 2 per cent per year over the next two decades. Cette introduction à un symposium en trois articles sur la croissance future de la productivité au Canada fournit le contexte des contributions de Wilson, Macklem et Robidoux. Elle examine le choix de la mesure de la productivité du travail globale (économie totale par rapport au secteur des entreprises; personnes par rapport aux heures), la relation entre la productivité et la viabilité des programmes sociaux, et les prévisions alternatives de productivité à long terme de Global Insight, d’Informetrica et du Conference Board. Le message central est un consensus entre les contributeurs du symposium selon lequel la croissance de la productivité du travail dans l’économie totale du Canada sera vraisemblablement d’environ 2 % par année au cours des deux prochaines décennies. [Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-7-4-Sharpe.pdf)