Authors
Brendan Mai, John Janssen, Geoff Lewis and Simon McLoughlin
Abstract
New Zealand‟s productivity performance has gained considerable attention in recent times, particularly compared with Australia's. Using a three-pronged approach, this paper sheds new light on that comparison. Firstly, levels as opposed to productivity growth rates are compared, giving insight into income per capita disparities. Secondly, the paper examines the puzzle of why OECD economy-wide productivity growth rates differ from official "measured" or "market‟ sector estimates compiled by Statistics New Zealand and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Thirdly, growth rates are compared for the 12 common industries for which New Zealand and Australia compile official productivity estimates. The paper also highlights the usefulness of the new industry-level dataset for New Zealand, and suggests areas for further development.
Taking on the West Island – How does our productivity stack up? (PDF, 493kb)
This paper has been updated since the NZAE Conference, and was republished on 20 October, 2010, Taking on the West Island: How New Zealand's labour productivity stacks up?