Productivity Measures and Related Variables - National (Annual)

Summary of changes

Activity on this program started: 1946

Reference period of change - 2010

In March 2012, provincial data (for 1997 through 2010) were released for the first time.

Reference period of change - 2002

Up to 2002 inclusive, the productivity data were based on the 1980 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC). Revised estimates, published for the first time on December 18, 2003, are based on the 1997 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

Reference period of change - 2000

On May 22, 2001, revised estimates (up to the year 2000 inclusive) reflecting the Agency initiative to improve statistical coverage of surveys in the services sector were published. The new survey information on the services sector led to an upward revision in real value-added growth in the services sector in 1997. Equally important, some manufacturing and construction activities have been reclassified to the services industries, specifically in wholesale trade and services to businesses. In the goods sector, the growth in real value-added was revised downward. This decline was more than offset by an upward revision in the services sector. These revisions had a downward impact on the growth of both labour and multifactor productivity measures in goods-producing businesses after 1996. However, this downward shift was more than offset by an increase in productivity growth in services-producing businesses.

Estimation - On December 17, 2001, multifactor productivity estimates reflecting major changes in the methodology used to measure ouput and inputs were published for the first time. Output series now reflect the capitalization of software expenditures introduced by the Canadian System of National Accounts on May 31, 2001. In the case of capital input, the new method recognizes that tangible assets have different service lives, depreciation rates, tax treatments and, ultimately, different marginal products. Much like the new estimates of capital input, which capture substitution across asset classes, the new estimates of labour input incorporate substitution between various types of heterogeneous labour (e.g., workers cross-classified by age, education and experience).

A brief description of the new method for calculating growth in labour and capital inputs is available respectively at :
http://www.statcan.ca/english/concepts/15-204/labourinput.pdf
and
http://www.statcan.ca/english/concepts/15-204/note.pdf

Reference period of change - 1999

In 1999, this program's name changed from "Aggregate Productivity Measures" to "Productivity Measures and Related Variables, National (Annual)".