The Pandemic and Short-Run Changes in Output, Hours Worked and Labour Productivity: Canadian Evidence by Industry
The official measure of Canadian labour productivity rose by about 15 per cent (not annualized) during the first two quarters of 2020, reflecting a decline in total hours worked that exceeded an exceptional decline in output. We analyze this short-run change using monthly data disaggregated to 87 in...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Centre for the Study of Living Standards
2020-09-01
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| Series: | International Productivity Monitor |
| Online Access: | http://www.csls.ca/ipm/39/Blit-Skuterud-Veall.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818724471545004032 |
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| author | Joel Blit Mikal Skuterud Michael R. Veall |
| author_facet | Joel Blit Mikal Skuterud Michael R. Veall |
| author_sort | Joel Blit |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The official measure of Canadian labour productivity rose by about 15 per cent (not annualized) during the first two quarters of 2020, reflecting a decline in total hours worked that exceeded an exceptional decline in output. We analyze this short-run change using monthly data disaggregated to 87 industries, focusing for analytical reasons on changes from April 2018 to April 2020 and August 2018 to August 2020. Just over one-fifth of the April labour productivity increase, and just under three-fifths of the smaller August increase, can be associated with the changing hours composition across industries. Estimated indices for the feasibility of working from home, the degree of worker health (COVID) risk, and the extent workers in the industry are customer-facing are not associated with the short-run changes in labour productivity by industry. However, there is clear evidence that industries with high work from home index values tended to have smaller reductions in output and hours. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T21:26:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1e19818f748e411bb5ca528826a591cc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1492-9759 1492-9767 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T21:26:57Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Centre for the Study of Living Standards |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Productivity Monitor |
| spelling | doaj.art-1e19818f748e411bb5ca528826a591cc2022-12-21T21:32:00ZengCentre for the Study of Living StandardsInternational Productivity Monitor1492-97591492-97672020-09-01391632The Pandemic and Short-Run Changes in Output, Hours Worked and Labour Productivity: Canadian Evidence by IndustryJoel Blit0Mikal Skuterud1Michael R. Veall2University of WaterlooUniversity of WaterlooMcMaster UniversityThe official measure of Canadian labour productivity rose by about 15 per cent (not annualized) during the first two quarters of 2020, reflecting a decline in total hours worked that exceeded an exceptional decline in output. We analyze this short-run change using monthly data disaggregated to 87 industries, focusing for analytical reasons on changes from April 2018 to April 2020 and August 2018 to August 2020. Just over one-fifth of the April labour productivity increase, and just under three-fifths of the smaller August increase, can be associated with the changing hours composition across industries. Estimated indices for the feasibility of working from home, the degree of worker health (COVID) risk, and the extent workers in the industry are customer-facing are not associated with the short-run changes in labour productivity by industry. However, there is clear evidence that industries with high work from home index values tended to have smaller reductions in output and hours.http://www.csls.ca/ipm/39/Blit-Skuterud-Veall.pdf |
| spellingShingle | Joel Blit Mikal Skuterud Michael R. Veall The Pandemic and Short-Run Changes in Output, Hours Worked and Labour Productivity: Canadian Evidence by Industry International Productivity Monitor |
| title | The Pandemic and Short-Run Changes in Output, Hours Worked and Labour Productivity: Canadian Evidence by Industry |
| title_full | The Pandemic and Short-Run Changes in Output, Hours Worked and Labour Productivity: Canadian Evidence by Industry |
| title_fullStr | The Pandemic and Short-Run Changes in Output, Hours Worked and Labour Productivity: Canadian Evidence by Industry |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Pandemic and Short-Run Changes in Output, Hours Worked and Labour Productivity: Canadian Evidence by Industry |
| title_short | The Pandemic and Short-Run Changes in Output, Hours Worked and Labour Productivity: Canadian Evidence by Industry |
| title_sort | pandemic and short run changes in output hours worked and labour productivity canadian evidence by industry |
| url | http://www.csls.ca/ipm/39/Blit-Skuterud-Veall.pdf |
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