Editor's Overview

This the inaugural issue of the International Productivity Monitor, a new publication produced by the Ottawa-based Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS). The objective of the Monitor is to focus atttention on the importance of productivity for improving living standards and quality of life. We will be publishing twice a year articles from leading researchers on productivity issues, trends and developments in Canada and other countries. The Monitor will also serve as a vehicle for an international exchange of ideas and information on productivity topics. The first issue of the Monitor contains eight articles on a wide range of productivity topics. There are the new economy and trend productivity growth in Canada, the renaissance of service sector productivity in the United States, a regional comparison of U.S-Canada standards of living, the postwar productivity convergence experience among OECD countries, price cap regulation and productivity growth, and finally a symposium of three articles on the measurement and interpretation of total factor productivity. In addition to the hard-copy version of the Monitor, which is available in English and French, all articles are available on-line at the CSLS website (www.csls.ca). Moreover, unabridged versions of many of the articles are also posted.