--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/research/a-detailed-analysis-of-nova-scotias-productivity-performance-1997-2010/" title: "A Detailed Analysis of Nova Scotia’s Productivity Performance, 1997-2010" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-02T13:17:07+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-07T08:11:38+00:00" post_type: "research" summary: "" post_tag: - "Atlantic Canada" - "capital productivity" - "labour productivity" - "machinery and equipment" - "Nova Scotia" - "productivity" - "provinces" - "R&D" country_focus: - "Canada" province_region: - "NS" research_theme: - "Productivity and Economic Measurement" - "Regional Economic Development" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/old-reports_hero_banner_bg.webp" status: "publish" --- # A Detailed Analysis of Nova Scotia’s Productivity Performance, 1997-2010 Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/research/a-detailed-analysis-of-nova-scotias-productivity-performance-1997-2010/ # A Detailed Analysis of Nova Scotia’s Productivity Performance, 1997-2010 [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2012-05-1.pdf) Cite this report × Cite this report as: Sharpe, Andrew, and Ricardo de Avillez. 2012. “A Detailed Analysis of Nova Scotia’s Productivity Performance, 1997-2010.” CSLS Research Report 2012-05. Ottawa: Centre for the Study of Living Standards. https://csls.ca/research/a-detailed-analysis-of-nova-scotias-productivity-performance-1997-2010/ ## Authors: - Andrew Sharpe Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) - Ricardo de Avillez Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) ## Report 2012-05 June 2012 131 pages ## Related research [Living Standards Domain of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing Andrew Sharpe, Christopher Ross November 2011 | Report 2011-17 | 124 pages](https://csls.ca/research/living-standards-domain-of-the-canadian-index-of-wellbeing-2011-17/) [Productivity: Key to Economic Success Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) March 1998 | Report 1998-01 | 99 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-key-to-economic-success/) [Productivity Trends: A Canada-U.S. Comparison Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) January 1999 | Report 1999-01 | 6 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-trends-a-canada-u-s-comparison/) [New Estimates of Manufacturing Productivity Growth for Canada and the United States Andrew Sharpe March 1999 | Report 1999-02 | 21 pages](https://csls.ca/research/new-estimates-of-manufacturing-productivity-growth-for-canada-and-the-united-states/) [Apprenticeship in Canada: A Training System Under Siege? 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Andrew Sharpe June 2003 | Report 2003-03 | 83 pages](https://csls.ca/research/why-are-americans-more-productive-than-canadians/) ## Abstract ## Résumé EN FR Copy link Email LinkedIn Despite labour productivity growth somewhat above the national average over the 19972000 period, Nova Scotia’s level of business sector output per hour in 2010 was only 75.7 per cent that of Canada. This report provides a detailed analysis of Nova Scotia’s labour and capital productivity performance and the factors behind this performance. It identifies weak machinery and equipment investment and low levels of business R&D as the two factors most responsible for the province’s productivity gap. Malgré une croissance de la productivité du travail légèrement supérieure à la moyenne nationale au cours de la période 1997-2000, le niveau de production par heure travaillée du secteur des entreprises de la Nouvelle-Écosse en 2010 ne représentait que 75,7 % de celui du Canada. Ce rapport propose une analyse détaillée de la performance de la Nouvelle-Écosse en matière de productivité du travail et du capital, ainsi que des facteurs expliquant cette performance. Il cerne la faiblesse de l’investissement en machines et matériel et le faible niveau de R-D des entreprises comme les deux facteurs les plus responsables de l’écart de productivité de la province. [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2012-05-1.pdf)