Pro-productivity policies are strategies that help economies get more done with the resources they have, like workers, equipment, and technology. Since the 2010s, many countries have seen a slowdown in how fast they’re improving productivity.
To turn this around, policies are needed that encourage investment in things like new technology, better training for workers, and smarter public services. Working smarter, spreading innovation faster, and making sure people and systems are equipped to keep up are crucial to boost productivity growth. Stronger institutions and global collaboration can also help countries learn from each other and adapt more effectively over time.
– Read Are Pro-Productivity Policies Fit for Purpose? Productivity Drivers and Policies in G-20 Economies, a Working Paper by Bart van Ark, Klaas de Vries and Dirk Pilat that sets out a typology of pro-productivity policies.
– Listen to Science, Technology, Innovation and Pro-Productivity Policies, an episode of Productivity Puzzles featuring Dirk Pilat.
– Read Are Pro-Productivity Policies Fit for Purpose?, a blog from the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI) in Japan, based on Bart van Ark’s talk at RIETI in March 2025.