La distribución de la productividad mundial: convergencia y divergencia en el periodo de la posguerra
Abstract
En el periodo de la posguerra se han visto cambios sustanciales en la productividad laboral en el mundo. Este artículo documenta cuatro hechos estilizados sobre la distribución de la productividad mundial. Primero, existe una disparidad enorme y creciente entre las colas de la distribución. Segundo, esta disparidad incrementó rápidamente en la década de 1980, se desaceleró en la siguiente década, y finalmente se estabilizó a mediados de los años 2000. Tercero, existe substancial movilidad de países hacia adelante y hacia atrás. Cuarto, la cola superior es más sensible a mejoras en capital humano, mientras que la cola inferior es más sensible a mejoras en tecnología. El artículo termina señalando que, por lo menos en el futuro más cercano, la distribución-productividad mundial podría seguir siendo caracterizada por divergencia en los países más cercanos a la cola inferior, y convergencia y adelantamiento en los países más cercanos a la cola superior.
The post-World War II period has seen substantial changes in labor productivity around the world. Motivated by these changes, this article documents four stylized facts about the world productivity distribution. First, there is a large and increasing disparity between its tails. Second, this disparity rapidly increased in the 1980s, slowed down in the next decade, and stabilized in the mid-2000s. Third, overtime, there has been substantial forward and backward mobility of countries and regions. Forth, the upper tail the distribution is more sensitive to improvements in human capital, while the lower tail is more sensitive to improvements in technology. The article concludes pointing out that, at least in the near future, the world productivity distribution may still be characterized by divergence at the bottom, and convergence and overtaking at the top.
The post-World War II period has seen substantial changes in labor productivity around the world. Motivated by these changes, this article documents four stylized facts about the world productivity distribution. First, there is a large and increasing disparity between its tails. Second, this disparity rapidly increased in the 1980s, slowed down in the next decade, and stabilized in the mid-2000s. Third, overtime, there has been substantial forward and backward mobility of countries and regions. Forth, the upper tail the distribution is more sensitive to improvements in human capital, while the lower tail is more sensitive to improvements in technology. The article concludes pointing out that, at least in the near future, the world productivity distribution may still be characterized by divergence at the bottom, and convergence and overtaking at the top.
Description
No. 24