The Economics of Productivity in Asia and Australia

Productivity growth has long been recognised by both economists and non-economists as being necessary for all economies aspiring to raise their standard of living. Thus, Renuka Mahadevan aims to highlight the conceptual differences, advantages and disadvantages of the various total factor productivity (TFP) measures and suggests processes and strategies for choosing the best technique to draw up policies for sustainable growth. Empirical results from six case studies are presented, and the analysis of the selected Asia Pacific economies is not only informative but also allows for variety in issues concerning productivity analysis. Consequently, policy measures based on each of the economies' experiences are carefully measured out in relation to various aspects such as trade liberalisation, industrial policy and other microeconomic and macroeconomic policies.

The nature of the applied work in the book is refreshing and will therefore appeal to policymakers. It is also a valuable reference material for economists and researchers in industry and government, as well as graduate students who are interested in the Asia Pacific region and in particular, in productivity growth analysis.