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Total factor productivity

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137:, is usually measured as the ratio of aggregate output (e.g., GDP) to aggregate inputs. Under some simplifying assumptions about the production technology, growth in TFP becomes the portion of growth in output not explained by growth in traditionally measured inputs of labour and capital used in production. TFP is calculated by dividing output by the weighted geometric average of labour and capital input, with the standard weighting of 0.7 for labour and 0.3 for capital. Total factor productivity is a measure of productive efficiency in that it measures how much output can be produced from a certain amount of inputs. It accounts for part of the differences in cross-country per-capita income. For relatively small percentage changes, the rate of 25: 173:
form) is often used to represent total output (Y) as a function of total-factor productivity (A), capital input (K), labour input (L), and the two inputs' respective shares of output (α and β are the share of contribution for K and L respectively). As usual for equations of this form, an increase in
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Total factor productivity (TFP) is often considered the primary contributor to GDP growth rate. Other contributing factors include labor inputs, human capital, and physical capital. Total factor productivity measures residual growth in total output of a firm, industry or national economy that cannot
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attempted to correct for weaknesses in estimations of the labour component of the equation, by refining estimates of the quality of labour. Specifically, years of schooling is often taken as a proxy for the quality of labour (and stock of human capital), which does not account for differences in
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The word "total" suggests all inputs have been measured. Official statisticians tend to use the term "multifactor productivity" (MFP) instead of TFP because some inputs such as energy are usually not included. External costs including attributes of the workforce, public infrastructure such as
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Technology growth and efficiency are regarded as two of the biggest sub-sections of total factor productivity, the former possessing "special" inherent features such as positive externalities and non-rivals which enhance its position as a driver of economic growth.
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would not have a simple economic interpretation, and the concept of TFP appears to be a modeling artifact. Official statistics avoid measuring levels, instead constructing unitless growth rates of output and inputs and thus also for the residual.
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be explained by the accumulation of traditional inputs such as labor and capital. Since this cannot be measured directly the process of calculating derives TFP as the residual which accounts for effects on total output not caused by inputs.
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Sickles, R., & Zelenyuk, V. (2019). Measurement of Productivity and Efficiency: Theory and Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781139565981
280:. Therefore, some economists believe that the method and its results are invalid or need to be carefully interpreted and used along with other alternative approaches. 802:
Caves, Douglas W; Christensen, Laurits R; Diewert, W Erwin (1982). "The Economic Theory of Index Numbers and the Measurement of Input, Output, and Productivity".
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Caves, Douglas W; Christensen, Laurits R; Diewert, W Erwin (1982). "Multilateral Comparisons of Output, Input, and Productivity Using Superlative Index Numbers".
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Färe, R.; Grosskopf, S.; Norris, M.; Zhang, Z. (1994). "Productivity growth, technical progress, and efficiency change in industrialized countries".
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New Developments in Productivity Analysis: Chapter: Total Factor Productivity: A Short Biography; Sponsored by: National Bureau of Economic Research
518:"Testing Significance of Contributions in Growth Accounting, with Application to Testing ICT Impact on Labour Productivity of Developed Countries" 578: 257:
Robert Ayres and Benjamin Warr have found that the model can be improved by using the efficiency of energy conversion, which roughly tracks
179: 540: 697: 452:"Exergy, Power and Work in the U. S. Economy 1900-1998, Insead's Center For the Management of Environmental Resources, 2002/52/EPS/CMER" 89: 42: 61: 751: 68: 161:. Also, it has been found that integration (among firms for example) has a causal positive impact on total factor productivity. 685: 434: 75: 388: 270:
highways and environmental sustainability costs such as mineral depletion and pollution are not traditionally included.
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growth can be estimated by subtracting growth rates of labor and capital inputs from the growth rate of output.
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schooling between countries. Using these re-estimations, the contribution of TFP was substantially lower.
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OECD Productivity Manual: A Guide to the Measurement of Industry-Level and Aggregate Productivity Growth
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estimated that for an average country the TFP accounts for 60 percent of growth of output per worker.
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W.E. Diewert and A.O. Nakamura. 2007. The measurement of productivity for nations. Chapter 66 of
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The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War
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Natividad, G. (2014). "Integration and Productivity: Satellite-Tracked Evidence".
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As a residual, TFP is also dependent on estimates of the other components.
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It has been shown that there is a historical correlation between TFP and
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Hulten, Charles R.; Dean, Edwin R.; Harper, Michael J. (2001).
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Total Factor Productivity Growth in Historical Perspective
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exercises and total factor productivity are open to the
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either A, K or L will lead to an increase in output.
532: 379: 49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 741: 612:"Accounting for Growth: The Role of Physical Work" 220: 890: 843: 422: 287:, TFP has been criticized as lacking meaningful 688:. CBO Working Paper 2013–01. page 1, footnote 1 522:International Journal of Business and Economics 853:. University of Chicago Press. pp. 1–54. 642: 538: 449: 603: 488: 450:Ayres, R. U.; Ayres, L. W.; Warr, B. (2002). 443: 230: 400: 398: 396: 744:"Dimensions and Economics: Some Problems" 649:Ayres, Robert U.; Warr, Benjamin (2006). 648: 610:Ayres, Robert U.; Warr, Benjamin (2004). 609: 579:"Human Capital and the Wealth of Nations" 416: 393: 109:Learn how and when to remove this message 515: 752:Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics 735: 891: 404: 334:, a balancing quantity, which is TFP. 47:adding citations to reliable sources 18: 423:Robert J. Gordon (29 August 2017). 16:Ratio of aggregate output to inputs 13: 716:, U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics 338:In this construction the units of 332:(widgets × year) / (caphr × manhr) 14: 915: 870:<Chapter by Charles Hulten> 539:Easterly, W.; Levine, R. (2001). 23: 766: 719: 707: 691: 678: 34:needs additional citations for 571: 509: 482: 429:. Princeton University Press. 164: 1: 373: 144: 833:The American Economic Review 407:"Total Factor Productivity∗" 405:Comin, Diego (August 2006). 368:List of production functions 264: 159:energy conversion efficiency 7: 742:William Barnett II (2007). 346: 308:: man-hours/year (manhr/yr) 58:"Total factor productivity" 10: 920: 880:: CS1 maint: postscript ( 714:Frequently Asked Questions 584:. May 2006. Archived from 231:Estimation and refinements 698:Total Factor Productivity 684:Robert Shackleton. 2013. 135:multi-factor productivity 127:total-factor productivity 899:Macroeconomic indicators 727:Handbook of Econometrics 169:The equation below (in 666:Cite journal requires 630:Cite journal requires 559:Cite journal requires 503:10.1287/mnsc.2013.1833 470:Cite journal requires 259:technological progress 222: 223: 904:Production economics 358:Productivity paradox 289:units of measurement 285:dimensional analysis 180: 43:improve this article 491:Management Science 353:Productivity model 278:Cambridge critique 218: 591:on 29 August 2006 516:Zelenyuk (2014). 436:978-1-4008-8895-5 274:Growth accounting 119: 118: 111: 93: 911: 885: 879: 871: 869: 867: 852: 840: 827: 810:(6): 1393–1414. 798: 775:Economic Journal 761: 760: 748: 739: 733: 723: 717: 711: 705: 695: 689: 682: 676: 675: 669: 664: 662: 654: 646: 640: 639: 633: 628: 626: 618: 616: 607: 601: 600: 598: 596: 590: 583: 575: 569: 568: 562: 557: 555: 547: 545: 536: 530: 529: 513: 507: 506: 497:(7): 1698–1718. 486: 480: 479: 473: 468: 466: 458: 456: 447: 441: 440: 420: 414: 413: 411: 402: 391: 386: 333: 329: 323: 319: 313: 307: 297: 283:On the basis of 249:A 2005 study on 240:William Easterly 227: 225: 224: 219: 217: 216: 204: 203: 114: 107: 103: 100: 94: 92: 51: 27: 19: 919: 918: 914: 913: 912: 910: 909: 908: 889: 888: 873: 872: 865: 863: 861: 850: 816:10.2307/1913388 787:10.2307/2232257 769: 764: 746: 740: 736: 724: 720: 712: 708: 696: 692: 683: 679: 667: 665: 656: 655: 647: 643: 631: 629: 620: 619: 614: 608: 604: 594: 592: 588: 581: 577: 576: 572: 560: 558: 549: 548: 543: 537: 533: 514: 510: 487: 483: 471: 469: 460: 459: 454: 448: 444: 437: 421: 417: 409: 403: 394: 387: 380: 376: 363:Tacit knowledge 349: 331: 327: 321: 317: 311: 305: 295: 267: 233: 212: 208: 199: 195: 181: 178: 177: 167: 147: 133:), also called 115: 104: 98: 95: 52: 50: 40: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 917: 907: 906: 901: 887: 886: 859: 841: 828: 799: 781:(365): 73–86. 768: 765: 763: 762: 734: 718: 706: 690: 677: 668:|journal= 641: 632:|journal= 602: 570: 561:|journal= 531: 508: 481: 472:|journal= 442: 435: 415: 392: 377: 375: 372: 371: 370: 365: 360: 355: 348: 345: 336: 335: 325: 315: 309: 303: 302:/year (wid/yr) 266: 263: 232: 229: 215: 211: 207: 202: 198: 194: 191: 188: 185: 166: 163: 146: 143: 117: 116: 31: 29: 22: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 916: 905: 902: 900: 897: 896: 894: 883: 877: 862: 860:0-226-36062-8 856: 849: 848: 842: 838: 834: 829: 825: 821: 817: 813: 809: 805: 800: 796: 792: 788: 784: 780: 776: 771: 770: 758: 754: 753: 745: 738: 732: 728: 722: 715: 710: 703: 699: 694: 687: 681: 673: 660: 652: 645: 637: 624: 613: 606: 587: 580: 574: 566: 553: 542: 535: 528:(2): 115–126. 527: 523: 519: 512: 504: 500: 496: 492: 485: 477: 464: 453: 446: 438: 432: 428: 427: 419: 408: 401: 399: 397: 390: 385: 383: 378: 369: 366: 364: 361: 359: 356: 354: 351: 350: 344: 341: 326: 316: 310: 304: 301: 294: 293: 292: 290: 286: 281: 279: 275: 271: 262: 260: 255: 252: 251:human capital 247: 245: 241: 236: 228: 213: 209: 205: 200: 196: 192: 189: 186: 183: 175: 172: 162: 160: 155: 151: 142: 140: 136: 132: 128: 124: 113: 110: 102: 91: 88: 84: 81: 77: 74: 70: 67: 63: 60: –  59: 55: 54:Find sources: 48: 44: 38: 37: 32:This article 30: 26: 21: 20: 864:. 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Index


verification
improve this article
adding citations to reliable sources
"Total factor productivity"
news
newspapers
books
scholar
JSTOR
Learn how and when to remove this message
economics
energy conversion efficiency
Cobb–Douglas
William Easterly
Ross Levine
human capital
Growth accounting
Cambridge critique
dimensional analysis
units of measurement
widgets
Productivity model
Productivity paradox
Tacit knowledge
List of production functions


Sickles, R., & Zelenyuk, V. (2019). Measurement of Productivity and Efficiency: Theory and Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781139565981

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