In this article, Jeffrey I. Bernstein of Carleton University, Richard G. Harris from Simon Fraser University, and Andrew Sharpe from the Centre for the Study of Living Standards provide a comprehensive analysis of the widening of the Canada-US manufacturing productivity gap. Since 1994, labour...

The fifth issue of the International Productivity Monitor published by the Centre for the Study of Living Standards contains six articles. Topics covered are: the Canada-US manufacturing productivity gap; trends in Canadian living standards; the impact of economic reform on British productivity...

Trend productivity growth is a crucial determinant of future living standards as well as fiscal balances. In this article, Benoit Robidoux and Bing-Sun Wong from Finance Canada examine the issue of whether trend productivity growth has increased in Canada and conclude that in fact it has. If...

Both ICT-producing and ICT-using industries have contributed disproportionately to labour productivity growth in the 1990s. In this article, Bart van Ark, Robert Inklaar from the University of Groningen and Robert H. McGuckin of the U.S. Conference Board compare Canada, the United States and...

This article by Raynauld Letourneau and Martine Lajoie of Industry Canada provides a detailed regional analysis of levels of living standards, measured as output per capita, and productivity (output per worker) for the 1995-97 period, the most recent data currently available. They find that all...

The foundation for real income growth is productivity growth. This basic principle of economics is well illustrated in this article by Andrew Sharpe of the Centre for the Study of Living Standards on the determinants of trends in living standards in Canada in the 1990s. He shows that over the...

The author argues that productivity should be raised by bringing the low productivity segment of the workforce closer to the median. Consequently, he argues that the most pressing task for Canadians is to foster basic skills, reduce the high school dropout rate, and raise the profile of...

The productivity performance of the construction sector in Canada over the last quarter century has been dismal, with output per hour lower in 2000 than in 1977. In this article Andrew Sharpe from the Centre for the Study of Living Standards examines productivity trends in this sector and...