--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/research/the-productivity-performance-of-atlantic-canada/" title: "The Productivity Performance of Atlantic Canada" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-02T13:32:46+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-02T13:32:46+00:00" post_type: "research" summary: "" post_tag: - "Atlantic Canada" - "human capital" - "innovation" - "labour productivity" - "machinery and equipment" - "Maritime provinces" - "Newfoundland" - "productivity" - "regional" country_focus: - "Canada" province_region: - "Atlantic" 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" --- # The Productivity Performance of Atlantic Canada Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/research/the-productivity-performance-of-atlantic-canada/ # The Productivity Performance of Atlantic Canada [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2009-14-1.pdf) Cite this report × Cite this report as: Harrison, Peter, and Andrew Sharpe. 2009. “The Productivity Performance of Atlantic Canada.” CSLS Research Report 2009-14. Ottawa: Centre for the Study of Living Standards. https://csls.ca/research/the-productivity-performance-of-atlantic-canada/ ## Authors: - Peter Harrison Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) - Andrew Sharpe Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) ## Report 2009-14 December 2009 149 pages ## Related research [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/) [Productivity Trends in the Construction Sector: A Case of Lagging Technical Progress Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) November 2001 | Report 2001-03 | 177 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-trends-in-the-construction-sector-a-case-of-lagging-technical-progress/) [Productivity Trends in Natural Resources Industries in Canada Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) February 2003 | Report 2003-01a | 69 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-trends-in-natural-resources-industries-in-canada/) [Productivity in the Forest Products Sector: A Review of the Literature Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) February 2003 | Report 2003-02 | 28 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-in-the-forest-products-sector-a-review-of-the-literature/) [An Analysis of Productivity Trends in the Forest Products Sector in Canada Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) February 2003 | Report 2003-01b | 64 pages](https://csls.ca/research/an-analysis-of-productivity-trends-in-the-forest-products-sector-in-canada/) [Why Are Americans More Productive Than Canadians? Andrew Sharpe June 2003 | Report 2003-03 | 83 pages](https://csls.ca/research/why-are-americans-more-productive-than-canadians/) [An Index of Labour Market Well-Being for OECD Countries Lars Osberg, Andrew Sharpe September 2003 | Report 2003-05 | 37 pages](https://csls.ca/research/an-index-of-labour-market-well-being-for-oecd-countries/) [Productivity Growth and Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) September 2003 | Report 2003-06 | 70 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-growth-and-poverty-reduction-in-developing-countries/) ## Abstract ## Résumé EN FR Copy link Email LinkedIn This report examines the productivity performance of Atlantic Canada over the 1981–2007 period, addressing three questions: what has been Atlantic Canada’s productivity performance relative to the Canadian average and OECD countries; what trends characterize the region’s productivity drivers; and what policy changes would help close the productivity gap. The report finds that Atlantic Canada’s aggregate labour productivity improved from 78 per cent of the Canadian average in 1981 to 94 per cent in 2007, largely driven by Newfoundland and Labrador’s mining and oil and gas expansion. The Maritime provinces made only modest progress in closing the gap, and the report examines drivers including machinery and equipment investment, human capital, innovation, scale economies, public infrastructure, and competitive intensity. Ce rapport examine la performance de la productivité du Canada atlantique au cours de la période 1981-2007, en répondant à trois questions : quelle a été la performance de la productivité du Canada atlantique par rapport à la moyenne canadienne et aux pays de l’OCDE; quelles tendances caractérisent les moteurs de la productivité de la région; et quels changements de politique aideraient à combler l’écart de productivité. Le rapport constate que la productivité globale du travail du Canada atlantique est passée de 78 % de la moyenne canadienne en 1981 à 94 % en 2007, en grande partie grâce à l’expansion du secteur minier, pétrolier et gazier de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador. Les provinces maritimes n’ont réalisé que des progrès modestes dans la réduction de l’écart, et le rapport examine les moteurs, notamment l’investissement en machines et matériel, le capital humain, l’innovation, les économies d’échelle, les infrastructures publiques et l’intensité concurrentielle. [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2009-14-1.pdf)