Labour productivity in the U.S. non-farm business sector grew two and a half per cent per year during the 1995-2005 period, nearly double its growth rate over the previous two decades. Services sector labour productivity (LP) and multifactor productivity (MFP) grew more rapidly and substantially...

In this article, we present a brief history of the development of services industry data in the United States, review the substantial progress that has been made over the past decade and a half, and present recommendations for needed additional improvements. We conclude that the state of U.S....

The author highlights the extremely salutatory effect the Boskin Commission has had on international price statistics, promoting open discussion of price measurement issues, engendering dialogue between statistical agencies and users, and encouraging research. Less positive in the author'sview...

Brief introduction to the symposium highlighting the importance of price measurement for reliable productivity estimates. Accurate price indexes are essential for reliable productivity measurement. the author points out that a one percentage point upward bias in price changes results in a one...

Les indices de prix peuvent être construits selon une méthode dite « hédonique ». Cette méthode prend en compte les changements intervenus dans la qualité du produit en s’appuyant sur un ensemble de caractéristiques clés du produit. L’objectif de ce manuel est d’aider le lecteur...

The author provides a political economy interpretation of the rise and fall of public interest in price measurement, placing these developments in the context of the attempt by Congress and the White House to deal with growing deficits in the early to mid-1990s. He provides a detailed discussion...