A Sectoral Analysis of Ontario's Weak Productivity Growth

Peter Spiro

International Productivity Monitor, 2013, vol. 25, 20-35

Abstract: Since 2005, labour productivity growth in Ontario’s business sector has been zero, greatly under-performing the rest of Canada and being single-handedly responsible for most of what has been described as “Canada’s dismal productivity growth.” This article examines the issue through detailed sectoral data, and finds a wide range of variation underlying the average productivity growth rate. Some important sectors have maintained decent productivity growth. Other sectors, especially manufacturing, saw the level of productivity decline significantly. Empirical evidence suggests that weak aggregate demand – due to the high Canadian dollar, the U.S. recession, and global restricting- was the main cause of weak productivity. Weak demand led to lost economies of scale, particularly due to compositional shifts in the economy

Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.csls.ca/ipm/26/IPM-26-Spiro.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: A sectoral analysis of Ontario's weak productivity growth (2013)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sls:ipmsls:v:26:y:2013:2

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.csls.ca

Access Statistics for this article

International Productivity Monitor is currently edited by Andrew Sharpe, Executive Director

More articles in International Productivity Monitor from Centre for the Study of Living Standards 170 Laurier Ave. W, Suite 604, Ottawa, ON K1P 5V5. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CSLS ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).