Do Technology Shocks Lower Hours Worked? Evidence from the Japan Industrial Productivity Database

We examine the response of productivity and hours worked to technology and non-technology shocks using the Japan Industrial Productivity (JIP) Database. We find that, at the aggregate level, (1) hours worked increase in response to positive technology shocks both in the manufacturing and the nonmanufacturing sectors, which is consistent with the conventional real-business-cycle model; and (2) productivity decreases in response to positive non-technology shocks. At the two- and three-digit industry levels, we find that the correlation between productivity and hours worked in response to technology shocks still tends to be positive in the manufacturing sector while negative in the nonmanufacturing sector. Further, decomposing non-technology shocks into permanent changes in the relative size of industries and industry-specific shocks shows that the negative productivity response to non-technology shocks originates from industry-specific factors.