OECD Compendium of Productivity indicators 2019: Key findings This report presents a comprehensive overview of recent and longer-term trends in productivity levels and growth in OECD countries, accession countries, key partners and some G20 countries. An introductory chapter features an analysis of latest developments in productivity, employment and wages.

1. 29 April 2019
Statistics and Data Directorate
OECD
OECD Compendium of
Productivity Indicators
2019
Key findings

2. 2
Productivity growth in the OECD area remains weak
Labour productivity in the OECD
GDP per hour worked, total economy, annual percentage change
Source: OECD
Compendium of
Productivity
Indicators 2019.

3. 3
Productivity also slowed in emerging economies
Labour productivity in emerging economies
GDP per person employed, total economy, annual percentage change
Source: OECD Compendium of Productivity Indicators 2019.

4. 4
Multifactor productivity growth also remains weak
Multifactor productivity growth
Total economy, annual percentage change
Source: OECD Compendium of Productivity Indicators 2019.

5. 5
Economic growth has been boosted by higher labour
utilisation
Contributions of labour productivity and labour utilisation to GDP per capita growth
Annual percentage change
Source: OECD
Compendium
of Productivity
Indicators
2019.

6. 6
Increases in labour utilisation have been driven by
increasing employment
Contributions of average hours and employment to growth in labour utilisation
Annual percentage change
Source: OECD Compendium of Productivity Indicators 2019.

7. 7
Employment rates have reached historic highs
Employment rates
Employment as a share of 15-64 aged population, all persons, percentage
Source: OECD Compendium of Productivity Indicators 2019.

8. 8
But most jobs have been created in low-productivity
and low-paid industries
Source: OECD Compendium of Productivity Indicators 2019.
Note: Average labour productivity and average compensation per employee are measured as gross value added per person employed and compensation per
employee in the total economy of the country. Data for France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and the United States refer to 2010-2016. Information
provided for the United States follows a broader industry breakdown and comparisons with other countries needs some caution.
Number of jobs created/destroyed between
2010 and 2017 in industries with
compensation per employee above and
below average in 2010
Percentage of total job creation
Number of jobs created/destroyed
between 2010 and 2017 in industries with
labour productivity above and below
average in 2010
Percentage of total job creation

9. 9
Weighing down on overall increase in wages
Growth in real wages, total economy
Compensation per hour worked, CPI deflated, annual percentage change
Source: OECD Compendium of Productivity
Indicators 2019.
Growth in real
wages has
strengthened …
… but remains
below pre-crisis
rates

10. 10
The sluggish recovery of investment undermines
productivity growth
Investment rates
Gross fixed capital formation by asset type as a share or GDP, total economy
Source: OECD
Compendium of
Productivity Indicators
2019.

11. productivity.contact@oecd.org
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