A Shortcut Method for Generating Time Series of Input Data for Productivity Analysis

This paper outlines a simple method for generating long time-series of intermediate inputs by industries and products from supply and use tables (SUTs) that can serve as building blocks in productivity growth analysis. This backward extrapolation method is tested on a set of Dutch SUTs for the period 1987-2001. We find that our methodology delivers estimates of values, volumes and real growth rates of intermediate inputs that compare well with the ones from officially published tables. It generates a stable long series of tables based on a limited set of information. This method will hence be a useful tool for generating time-series of intermediate inputs, which are a crucial element in productivity analysis.