Productivity
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As nations engage in a race for global advantage in innovation, ITIF champions a new policy paradigm that ensures businesses and national economies can compete successfully by spurring public and private investment in foundational areas such as research, skills, and 21st century infrastructure. Our research on productivity issues analyzes past, present, and future trends in productivity, and advances policies to drive robust productivity growth, including through tech-based automation.
More Publications and Events
May 7, 2024|Books & Edited Volumes
Technology Fears and Scapegoats: 40 Myths about Privacy, Jobs, AI, and Today’s Innovation Economy
Technologies and tech companies are accused of creating a myriad of societal problems. This book exposes them as mostly myths, falsehoods, and exaggerations.
April 30, 2024|Events
Reviving Canada’s Innovation Economy
Please join ITIF as it launches the Centre for Canadian Innovation and Competitiveness, an Ottawa-based ITIF affiliate focused on tackling these issues. This event will feature an expert panel discussion on a new report from the Centre examining the how and why of Canada’s performance on key measures of productivity, innovation, and competitiveness.
April 15, 2024|Blogs
Fact of the Week: Participation in Global Value Chains Raises Firms’ Labor Productivity by 20 Percent
A recent working paper found that, overall, global value chain participation raises labor productivity by about 20 percent.
April 12, 2024|Blogs
Large Firms Generate Positive Productivity and Non-Productivity Spillovers for Their Suppliers
Policymakers should not follow neo-Brandeisian calls to break up large companies because such actions will only hurt the economy and small firms
April 8, 2024|Blogs
Fact of the Week: A 10 Percent Increase in Intangible Assets Increases MFP Growth By Up To 0.46 Percent
A recent working paper found that firms that had low multifactor productivity (MFP) to start with experienced higher MFP growth, and that firms with more intangible assets also had higher MFP growth.
March 11, 2024|Reports & Briefings
How Innovative Is China in the Robotics Industry?
China does not yet appear to be leading in robotic innovation, but its domestic production and adoption are growing rapidly, and the Chinese government has prioritized the industry. It is likely only a matter of time before Chinese robotics companies catch up to the leading edge.
March 11, 2024|Podcasts
Podcast: The Interplay of Hype and Skepticism in Autonomous Vehicle Advancements, With Richard Mudge
Amidst the burgeoning advancements in autonomous vehicles, striking a balance between expectation and reality emerges as a challenge.
March 4, 2024|Blogs
Fact of the Week: A 1 Percent Increase in STEM Technicians Raises Manufacturing Firms’ Productivity by 4 Percent
A recent working paper found that manufacturing firms, a 1 percent increase in techies’ share of wages was associated with a 4 percent increase in TFP in the next year.
January 16, 2024|Blogs
Fact of the Week: Robot Adoption Among Brazilian Firms Did Not Result in Significant Job Losses
A working paper analyzed the effect that robot and tool adoption have on Brazilian workers and found that there were no statistically significant effects on employment or earnings for workers with at least a high school diploma.
January 8, 2024|Blogs
Fact of the Week: Belgian Firms That Sold Their Products to Superstar Firms Increased Their Productivity by 8 Percent
A 2023 working paper suggests that firms that establish supply chain links with superstar firms saw an increase in total factor productivity of about 8 percent after three years.