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Productivity Improvement and Economic Growth

Author

Listed:
  • Koji Nakamura

    (Bank of Japan)

  • Sohei Kaihatsu

    (Bank of Japan)

  • Tomoyuki Yagi

    (Bank of Japan)

Abstract

This paper summarizes recent discussion on labor productivity which is the source of medium- to long-term economic growth and observes the characteristics of recent productivity developments using relevant statistical data. Furthermore, the paper examines the background of recent Japan's low labor productivity growth and analyzes issues regarding Japan's sustainable growth.Labor productivity in major advanced countries has been experiencing a slowdown in recent years. This is mainly affected by the slowdown of Total Factor Productivity (TFP). In Japan, there are two reasons behind the slowdown: first, technology and ideas accumulated by research and development (R&D) and management resources such as capital and labor are not utilized efficiently; and second, these resources are not efficiently reallocated among corporations.In order to improve Japan's productivity in the medium to long-term, it is desirable to encourage the flexible reallocation of management resources such as capital and labor by changing working process at the corporate level in accordance with changes in the socio-economic environment and the advent of new technologies, as well as by improving efficiency in the labor and capital markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Koji Nakamura & Sohei Kaihatsu & Tomoyuki Yagi, 2018. "Productivity Improvement and Economic Growth," Bank of Japan Working Paper Series 18-E-10, Bank of Japan.
    • Handle: RePEc:boj:bojwps:wp18e10
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    Cited by:

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    2. Ding Nan & Pomi Shahbaz & Shamsheer ul Haq & Muhammad Nadeem & Muhammad Imran, 2023. "The Economies’ Ability to Produce Diversified and Complex Goods to Meet the Global Competition: Role of Gross Value Chain, Institutional Quality, and Human Capital," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-17, April.
    3. Tomoyuki Iida & Kanako Shoji & Shunichi Yoneyama, 2018. "What Drives China's Growth? Evidence from Micro-level Data," Bank of Japan Working Paper Series 18-E-19, Bank of Japan.
    4. Michael Koczyrkewycz & Taha Chaiechi & Rabiul Beg, 2021. "Productivity Growth Recovery Mechanisms: An ARDL Approach Lessons from the United States, Japan and South Korea," Bulletin of Applied Economics, Risk Market Journals, vol. 8(2), pages 163-184.
    5. XU Peng, 2021. "Population Aging and Small Business Exits," Discussion papers 21091, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Productivity; Potential growth; Intangible assets; Resource reallocation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E20 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence

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