A comparison of multifactor productivity calculations of the U.S. agricultural sector

Since the late 1970s, there have been fourteen studies that have estimated multifactor productivity (MFP) growth rates for the U.S. agricultural sector. The estimates of average annual MFP growth rates have ranged from 1.15 to 1.94 percent per year for studies using the gross productivity approach. The purpose of this paper is to identify the reasons for these different estimates. We consider theoretical and empirical factors and do not find any single reason that satisfactory explains the variation. The alternative estimates appear to be most sensitive to the coverage of years.     

中国农业生产率的变动与分解分析:1978～2004年--基于非参数的HMB生产率指数的实证研究

本文使用非参数的HMB生产率指数方法,考察了中国农村改革以来农业全要素生产率（TFP）的变动趋势,并把TFP的增长构成分解为技术进步、技术效率变化、规模效应和投入产出混合效应四个部分。结果表明,改革开放以来我国农业TFP的增长主要是由技术进步推动的,技术效率的下降对TFP的增长造成了不利影响,而规模效应和混合效应影响较弱。文章还指出中国农业的育种能力和生物技术的发展是农业技术进步的决定力量。     

Measurement of Productivity Changes: Two Malmquist Index Approaches

The adjacent Malmquist productivity index is compared to the more recently suggested base period Malmquist productivity index. The two index approaches are evaluated with respect to base period dependency, the circular test, and with respect to a set of additional classical index tests. In addition it is shown that the base period index is independent of base period if and only if the marginal rate of substitution of inputs is independent of time. Finally, the adjacent and the base period indexes are put through a Monte Carlo (bootstrap) test to see if they yield similar results when applied to a panel of Swedish pharmacy data.     

A Parametric Distance Function Approach for Malmquist Productivity Index Estimation

Malmquistindexes of productivity are generally estimated using index numbertechniques or non-parametric frontier approaches. The aim ofthis paper is to show that Malmquist indexes can be estimatedin a similar way using parametric-deterministic or parametric-stochasticfrontier approaches. To allow a multi-output multi-input technologyand for technical change in production, we adopt an output distancefunction which is specified in a translog form. We then showthat using the estimated parameters, several radial distancefunctions can be calculated and combined in order to estimateand decompose the productivity index. Finally, this approachis applied to a panel of Spanish insurance companies. The mainresults confirm those generally obtained for financial services:very low rates of growth and technical change in spite of a rapidderegulation process and expansion of activity.     

Localized Innovation and Productivity Growth in Asia: An Intertemporal DEA Approach

Recent contributions to growth theory stress the importance of localized innovation for the performance of more backward countries. In earlier papers, analyses by means of DEA techniques confirmed this intuition. In this paper, we extend this type of analysis by relaxing the macroeconomic viewpoint adopted until now. New databases on output, labor and capital input in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors are developed for 40 countries. Using intertemporal DEA, it is found that changes in the global production frontier are localized at high levels of capital intensity. This result is stronger in agriculture than in manufacturing. Further, a decomposition of labor productivity growth in eight Asian countries for the period 1975–1992 into the effects of capital intensification, learning and innovation is made. The results suggest that there is a particular development path in which increases in capital intensity appear to be a prerequisite to benefit from international technology spillovers.JEL Classification: O14, O30, O40, O47     

A Decomposition of Total Factor Productivity Growth in Korean Manufacturing Industries: A Stochastic Frontier Approach

This paper applies a stochastic frontier production model to Korean manufacturing industries, to decompose the sources of total factor productivity (TFP) growth into technical progress, changes in technical efficiency, changes in allocative efficiency, and scale effects. Empirical results based on data from 1980–1994 show that productivity growth was driven mainly by technical progress, that changes in technical efficiency had a significant positive effect, and that allocative efficiency had a negative effect. This study suggests that specific guidelines are required to promote productivity in each industry, and provides additional insight into understanding the recent debate on TFP growth in Korean manufacturing.     

Estimating Technological Change Using a Stochastic Frontier Production Function Framework: Evidence from U.S. Firm-Level Data

This paper presents a methodology for estimating an index of technological change using firm-level data in a stochastic frontier production function model that takes into account time-varying technical inefficiency. In contrast to the Solow divisia index approach, econometric estimation of the index with panel data allows the researcher to separate technical progress from the stochastic measurement error. Applying the econometric methodology to a panel of 908 publicly-traded U.S. firms from the COMPUSTAT database, we find evidence of a significant downturn in general technological change for the period, 1970– 1989, whereas the divisia index methodology applied to the same data shows stagnation. When the sample is divided into Manufacturing, Services, and Miscellaneous categories we find that estimates of technological change for the three groups display markedly different stochastic behavior and that the Services group is the source of the downturn.     

一种基于劳动生产率的就业人口预测方法——以深圳为例

基于劳动生产率视角,构建一个既综合微观层面各产业劳动生产率变化发展态势,也涵盖宏观层面城市及全国未来经济增长速度等多因素的弹性体系,以此探究产值、劳动生产率和就业人口规模等变量之间灰色联系,从而实现对动态的城市就业人口规模进行预测的目的;界定适用此方法进行就业人口规模预测的一般城市特征,并应用此方法对深圳市2013-2020年就业人口规模进行预测,据此提出相关政策建议。