--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/issue-8/recent-productivity-developments-in-canada-and-the-united-states-productivity-growth-deceleration-versus-acceleration/" title: "Recent Productivity Developments in Canada and the United States: Productivity Growth Deceleration versus Acceleration" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-13T05:43:09+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-13T06:41:30+00:00" post_type: "ipm" summary: "" ipm_issue_period: - "Spring 2004" ipm_keyword: - "business sector" - "Canada" - "cyclical" - "employment" - "ICT" - "labour productivity" - "post-2000" - "productivity acceleration" - "productivity deceleration" - "United States" ipm_research_theme: - "Productivity trends and comparisons" ipm_country_focus: - "Canada" - "United States" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp" status: "publish" --- # Recent Productivity Developments in Canada and the United States: Productivity Growth Deceleration versus Acceleration Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/issue-8/recent-productivity-developments-in-canada-and-the-united-states-productivity-growth-deceleration-versus-acceleration/ # Recent Productivity Developments in Canada and the United States: Productivity Growth Deceleration versus Acceleration [Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-8-2-Sharpe.pdf) Cite this article × Cite this article as: Sharpe, Andrew. 2004. “Recent Productivity Developments in Canada and the United States: Productivity Growth Deceleration versus Acceleration.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 8 (Spring 2004): 16–26. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/issue-8/recent-productivity-developments-in-canada-and-the-united-states-productivity-growth-deceleration-versus-acceleration/ ## Author: - Andrew Sharpe Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) ## IPM Issue 8 Spring 2004 pp. 16–26 ## Related IPM articles [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/) [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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The article attributes Canada’s weaker performance to its labour market: employment declined in the United States but grew strongly in Canada, absorbing output gains and dampening measured productivity growth. The author argues Canada’s productivity underperformance is largely cyclical and should reverse as the economy recovers. Cet article documente la forte divergence de la croissance de la productivité du travail entre le Canada et les États-Unis après 2000, la production par heure du secteur des entreprises américain ayant crû à un rythme annuel moyen de 4,6 % en 2001-2003 — une accélération post-2000 — tandis que la croissance du Canada décélérait. L’article attribue la moindre performance canadienne à son marché du travail : l’emploi a diminué aux États-Unis, mais a fortement augmenté au Canada, absorbant les gains de production et atténuant la croissance mesurée de la productivité. L’auteur soutient que la sous-performance de productivité du Canada est largement cyclique et devrait s’inverser à mesure que l’économie se redresse. [Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-8-2-Sharpe.pdf)