Productivity and the welfare of nations, Vol. 1 of 1

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Productivity and the welfare of nations

Author:	Basu, Susanto; Pascali, Luigi; Schiantarelli, Fabio; Serven, Luis;	Collection Title:	Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 6026
Country:	World;	Date Stored:	2012/04/04
Document Date:	2012/04/01	Document Type:	Policy Research Working Paper
Language:	English	Major Sector:	Public Administration, Law, and Justice
Rel. Proj ID:	1W-Reforms And Growth- -- P080834;	Region:	The World Region
Report Number:	WPS6026	Sub Sectors:	Central government administration
SubTopics:	Environmental Economics & Policies; Economic Theory & Research; Currencies and Exchange Rates; Emerging Markets; Debt Markets	TF No/Name:	TF098053-KCPII - Industrial Policy in an Uncertain Environment; TF099120-KCP; TF099853-PHRD STAFF GRANT SUPPORT FOR TOMOKO WADA
Volume No:	1 of 1

Summary: This paper shows that the welfare of a country's representative consumer can be measured using just two variables: current and future total factor productivity and the capital stock per capita. These variables suffice to calculate welfare changes within a country, as well as welfare differences across countries. The result holds regardless of the type of production technology and the degree of market competition. It applies to open economies as well, if total factor productivity is constructed using domestic absorption, instead of gross domestic product, as the measure of output. It also requires that total factor productivity be constructed with prices and quantities as perceived by consumers, not firms. Thus, factor shares need to be calculated using after-tax wages and rental rates and they will typically sum to less than one. These results are used to calculate welfare gaps and growth rates in a sample of developed countries with high-quality total factor productivity and capital data. Under realistic scenarios, the U.K. and Spain had the highest growth rates of welfare during the sample period 1985-2005, but the U.S. had the highest level of welfare.


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