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Americans are the most productive in the world - 9/3/2007 12:31:00 AM

cyberdude611

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By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER, Associated Press Writer
Sun Sep 2, 11:08 PM ET

(GENEVA) American workers stay longer in the office, at the factory or on the farm than their counterparts in Europe and most other rich nations, and they produce more per person over the year.

They also get more done per hour than everyone but the Norwegians, according to a U.N. report released Monday, which said the United States "leads the world in labor productivity."

The average U.S. worker produces $63,885 of wealth per year, more than their counterparts in all other countries, the International Labor Organization said in its report. Ireland comes in second at $55,986, followed by Luxembourg at $55,641, Belgium at $55,235 and France at $54,609.

The productivity figure is found by dividing the country's gross domestic product by the number of people employed. The U.N. report is based on 2006 figures for many countries, or the most recent available.

Only part of the U.S. productivity growth, which has outpaced that of many other developed economies, can be explained by the longer hours Americans are putting in, the ILO said.

The U.S., according to the report, also beats all 27 nations in the European Union, Japan and Switzerland in the amount of wealth created per hour of work — a second key measure of productivity.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070903/ap_on_bi_ge/un_labor_productivity;_ylt=AmyLWU_mMMlVm9X1LIVAcnWs0NUE

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RE: Americans are the most productive in the world - 9/3/2007 12:51:46 AM

CuriousLord

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To draw off another thread, thank Karana we're not socialized. (Not that the will to improve one's own station in life drives workers to be more productive, or anything.)

I still remember those teenage years spent debating socialism with an overly socialism-entranced sub. The cruelity of the capalist system versus its sheer potential for productivity and innovation.

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RE: Americans are the most productive in the world - 9/3/2007 1:03:13 AM

seeksfemslave

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The problem with these stats. is that total wealth is defined as GDP. This does not only mean productive wealth in the sense of building more widgets at lower cost. Government expenditure is included.

Thus say if state employed teachers get a pay rise GDP rises.Even tho' that rise can only be financed by tax or borrowing. ie by other peoples wealth.
House prices rise also inflate the GDP.

If the US economy is so productive why so many threads lamenting job losses.? This is not anti US the same situation in spades exists here in the UK !

Economists given sufficient time can prove anything about everthing and get well payed to do it.

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RE: Americans are the most productive in the world - 9/3/2007 1:05:41 AM

mnottertail

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well we have had a great deal of war production and sub-prime lending, subtract that out of GNP, factor in real growth and we will have to go to work for china.

Ron

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RE: Americans are the most productive in the world - 9/3/2007 2:58:40 AM

SusanofO

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How happy are they, compared with those in other countries, overall?

To me, that would be the most interesting question, as far as it relates to out productivity in the U.S.

- Susan

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RE: Americans are the most productive in the world - 9/3/2007 3:29:35 AM

MrRodgers

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quote:

ORIGINAL: cyberdude611

By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER, Associated Press Writer
Sun Sep 2, 11:08 PM ET

The productivity figure is found by dividing the country's gross domestic product by the number of people employed. The U.N. report is based on 2006 figures for many countries, or the most recent available.

Only part of the U.S. productivity growth, which has outpaced that of many other developed economies, can be explained by the longer hours Americans are putting in, the ILO said.

The U.S., according to the report, also beats all 27 nations in the European Union, Japan and Switzerland in the amount of wealth created per hour of work — a second key measure of productivity.

The basic problem with certain figures arrived at by using GDP is that GDP includes all products AND services. Literally trillions of dollars ($X,000,000,000,000/yr) of 'services' are 'produced' in financial deals. These require almost no labor and creates no additional wealth. People do NOT create wealth anyway...we can only enhance value.

The problem with our overall economy is that inspite of all that production and according to other equally valid surveys and what the UN and its surveys don't tell you is that collectively we our consuming $6 BILLION a day...more then we are producing...adding that much more debt to our current account deficit.

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RE: Americans are the most productive in the world - 9/3/2007 5:30:33 AM

MHOO314

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Does this take in to account that we have also sent allot of our work "offshore"? And I argue with productive---we spend more hours because so many of our things are screwed up.

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RE: Americans are the most productive in the world - 9/3/2007 6:50:04 AM

pahunkboy

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this report reaks of irrational exuberance

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RE: Americans are the most productive in the world - 9/3/2007 8:33:25 AM

farglebargle

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I'd bet the LABOR CLASS ( as opposed to the BOSS CLASS which publishes media... ) would rather have more time with their family, than spending more time at the office, or store, or whatever.

The idea the GDP is *the* measure of success for a Nation is laughable. It may contribute to *A* measure of success, but that's like saying "Your temperature is fine, so you're healthy", while neglecting the compound fracture.

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RE: Americans are the most productive in the world - 9/3/2007 1:45:03 PM

popeye1250

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Great, when do they start the 12 week "holidays" like in Europe?

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RE: Americans are the most productive in the world - 9/3/2007 6:00:53 PM

Petronius

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It is a set of bogus statistics.

First, the method doesn't major worker productivity at all. According to the article it simply takes a country's GDP and divides it by the number of people.

Thus Bill Gates, with his simple U.S.-awarded monopoly gains property title to huge amounts of money from overseas sales of Windows. That isn't a figure of U.S. labor productivity.

Nor is the foreign interest paid to U.S. banks, though it is included in the sited study.

I'll bet the ultimate figures are all altered via a process known as "purchasing power parity" [PPP]. This is a useful economic tool but is subject to enormous bias based on the cultural and political views of the people who make the PPP adjustments.

Finally, I'll bet the study ignored at least one of the smaller Arabic oil-exporting nations.

But to repeat myself: the reported study uses bogus statistics to reach a conclusion that is unsupported by the claims and is, to express the matter scientifically, utter bullshit.

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RE: Americans are the most productive in the world - 9/3/2007 6:05:06 PM

jaymckenas

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More apt title for this thread:

Americans are the most destructive in the world.

Look at Iraq, 'nuff said.

-Jayson

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RE: Americans are the most productive in the world - 9/3/2007 7:01:14 PM

popeye1250

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And some people don't seem to think we can exist without illegal aliens?

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