Productivity and Competitiveness of the Western Balkan countries: An Analysis Based on the wiiw Western Balkan Productivity Database

Oliver Reiter, Monika Schwarzhappel () and Robert Stehrer
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Monika Schwarzhappel: The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw, https://wiiw.ac.at/monika-schwarzhappel-s-601.html

No 37, wiiw Policy Notes from The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw

Abstract: This policy brief provides results regarding productivity levels and dynamics in the Western Balkan countries in a comparative perspective, drawing on the newly established wiiw Western Balkan Productivity Database. The database provides time series of value added, gross output and intermediate inputs as well as labour productivity and unit labour costs, based on data collected from national statistical institutes. We present the most important indicators comparing productivity performance of the Western Balkan countries with Bulgaria and Romania (which became EU Members in 2007) and Croatia (which became an EU Member in 2013). Our results indicate that all Western Balkan countries have surpassed the level of productivity of Bulgaria in 2007 but productivity growth has stalled since the crisis. Unit labour costs growth has been low, though from a relatively high level (compared to neighbouring countries). These results make the case that advancing the EU accession process for the Western Balkan countries is both viable and necessary.

Keywords: Productivity; unit labour costs; Western Balkan countries; accession (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E01 O11 O40 O47 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 18 pages including 4 Tables and 5 Figures
Date: 2020-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eff, nep-mac and nep-tra
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