Market services: Productivity benchmarks for the UK

Abstract

This paper presents comparisons of labour productivity (value added per hour worked) in market services for the UK, the US, France and Germany in 1993. Market services, defined as (1) Distribution, Hotels and Catering, (2) Transport and Communications and (3) Finance, Insurance and Real Estate, make up 34-43 percent of total employment in the four countries. For productivity in market services overall, the US led the UK by 35 percent in 1993, Germany led the UK by 34 percent and France led the UK by 36 percent. The UK productivity shortfall vis-à-vis Germany and France was wider in market services than in manufacturing. © Blackwell Publishers 1998.