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Explaining the gaps in labour productivity in some developed countries

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  • Weshah Razzak

    (Department of Labour - New Zealand)

Abstract

Modern economic theories explain differences in productivity and economic growth by differences in political and economic institutions, and differences in culture, geographical location, policies, and laws. Another new strand of the literature explains productivity and economic growth differentials by gaps in general purpose technology and information and communication technology, while another literature cites real exchange rate depreciations as the main explanatory variable. These gaps might explain differences in economic performances between developed and developing countries, but they are too small to explain differences between developed industrial economies such as New Zealand and Australia or Canada and the United States. In this paper, more than eighty percent of labour productivity gaps between New Zealand and Australia and Canada and the United States are explained by endogenous technology shocks (TFP) and capital intensities.

Suggested Citation

  • Weshah Razzak, 2007. "Explaining the gaps in labour productivity in some developed countries," Money Macro and Finance (MMF) Research Group Conference 2006 30, Money Macro and Finance Research Group.
  • Handle: RePEc:mmf:mmfc06:30
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    Cited by:

    1. Razzak, Weshah, 2013. "An Empirical Study of Sectoral-Level Capital Investments in New Zealand," MPRA Paper 52461, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Razzak, W.A., 2007. "Explaining The Gaps In Labour Productivity In Some Developed Countries: New Zealand, Australia, The United States And Canada, 1988-2004," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 7(2).
    3. Laabas, Belkacem & Weshah, Razzak, 2011. "Economic Growth and The Quality of Human Capital," MPRA Paper 28727, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Iris Mihai, 2014. "Reconsidering Economic Productivity," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 6, pages 176-180, December.
    5. Razzak, Weshah, 2008. "On The dynamic of search, matching and productivity in New Zealand and Australia," MPRA Paper 8262, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Productivity; nontradable prices; real exchange rate;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O57 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries
    • C13 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Estimation: General
    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models

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