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Is there still a productivity paradox? two methods for a transatlantic comparison

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  • Fabrice Gilles
  • Yannick L'Horty

Abstract

Economic activity accelerated in the United States, in the second part of the cycle, after 1995, within an environment of decreasing inflation. France has followed a qualitatively similar path since 1997, also clearly suggesting the effects of a positive supply shock. The spread of new information and communication technologies (NICT) partly explains these singular events. On one hand, a calculation of contributions to output growth suggests that they would explain about half of the increase in activity in the United States and one-fifth in France. On the other hand, a trend/cycle decomposition reveals that the structural acceleration in output and productivity gains in the United States are very much restricted to industries producing NICT and there is a rather small break in productivity gains. In France, where differences between sectors are not so clear-cut, the diffusion of NICT has been accompanied by a slowdown in trends in productivity gains. In both cases, there is little room left for the effects of the diffusion of technical progress associated with NICT.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabrice Gilles & Yannick L'Horty, 2005. "Is there still a productivity paradox? two methods for a transatlantic comparison," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(7), pages 533-551.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:ecinnt:v:14:y:2005:i:7:p:533-551
    DOI: 10.1080/1043859042000269061
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    1. Hodrick, Robert J & Prescott, Edward C, 1997. "Postwar U.S. Business Cycles: An Empirical Investigation," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 29(1), pages 1-16, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yannick L’Horty & Christophe Rault, 2005. "The Impact of Growth, Labour Cost and Working Time on Employment: Lessons from the French Experience," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 19(3), pages 595-620, September.
    2. Yoann Barbesol & Thomas Heckel & Simon Quantin, 2008. "Élasticité de la production au capital informatique : estimations à l’aide de données d’entreprises," Économie et Statistique, Programme National Persée, vol. 419(1), pages 55-71.

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