Market Services and the Productivity Race, 1850–2000: British Performance in International PerspectiveNow that services account for such a dominant part of economic activity, it has become apparent that achieving high levels of productivity in the economy requires high levels of productivity in services. This book offers a major reassessment of Britain's comparative productivity performance over the last 150 years. Whereas in the mid-nineteenth century Britain had higher productivity than the United States and Germany, by 1990 both countries had overtaken Britain. The key to achieving high productivity was the 'industrialisation' of market services, which involved both the serving of business and the provision of mass-market consumer services in a more business like fashion. Comparative productivity varied with the uneven spread of industrialised service sector provision across sectors. Stephen Broadberry provides a quantitative overview of these trends, together with a qualitative account of developments within individual sectors, including shipping, railways, road and air transport, telecommunications, wholesale and retail distribution, banking, and finance. |
From inside the book
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Page 1
In both 1870 and 1990 US labour productivity in manufacturing was about twice the British level, while German labour productivity in ... through, for example, greater de-industrialisation than in Germany (Broadberry and Crafts, 2003).
In both 1870 and 1990 US labour productivity in manufacturing was about twice the British level, while German labour productivity in ... through, for example, greater de-industrialisation than in Germany (Broadberry and Crafts, 2003).
Page 2
Rather, it reflected US and German overtaking in private or market services. ... in the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany is crucial to understanding the patterns of comparative productivity performance in services.
Rather, it reflected US and German overtaking in private or market services. ... in the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany is crucial to understanding the patterns of comparative productivity performance in services.
Page 3
Similarly, figure 1.2 shows the importance of developments in services to the German overtaking of Britain. ... Although there was some increase in Germany's comparative labour productivity position in industry, from about 92% of the ...
Similarly, figure 1.2 shows the importance of developments in services to the German overtaking of Britain. ... Although there was some increase in Germany's comparative labour productivity position in industry, from about 92% of the ...
Page 4
For the Germany/UK case, in figure 1.4, the picture is complicated by the fact that the historical data for distribution and finance in Germany are available only on a combined basis. The German performance was better in transport and ...
For the Germany/UK case, in figure 1.4, the picture is complicated by the fact that the historical data for distribution and finance in Germany are available only on a combined basis. The German performance was better in transport and ...
Page 6
The issue of market demand is also helpful in understanding the contrast between Britain and Germany in the late nineteenth century – and, indeed, much of the twentieth century. For, although the population of Germany was a little ...
The issue of market demand is also helpful in understanding the contrast between Britain and Germany in the late nineteenth century – and, indeed, much of the twentieth century. For, although the population of Germany was a little ...
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Common terms and phrases
accounted aggregate economy agriculture annum balance of payments Bank of England benchmark Britain Broadberry building societies Central Statistical Office centralised Channon clearing banks companies comparative labour productivity comparative productivity competition corporatist countries customised decline difficult distribution efficient employment exports Feinstein 1972 figures finance financial services fire firms first fleet freight Germany Germany’s Germany/UK Growth rates hierarchical human capital important Indices of output industrialisation industrialisation of services industry inputs and productivity inter-war period investment labour force labour productivity lead labour productivity levels liabilities manufacturing market services merchant million nineteenth century non-bank financial Note O’Mahony Office Annual Abstract overseas passenger physical capital Post Office post-war productivity gap productivity performance reflected road transport series projections service sector share significant Source standardised Statistical Office Annual Statistisches substantial tonnage trade traffic transport and communications trends UK Central Statistical United Kingdom venture World World War II
Popular passages
Page 31 - Reports of the Departmental Committee appointed by the Board of Trade to consider the position of the. First report (Nov., 1916). The German Control Stations and the Atlantic Emigrant Traffic.
Page 30 - American towns; report of an enquiry by the Board of trade into working class rents, housing and retail prices, together with the rates of wages in certain occupations in the principal industrial towns of the United States of America, with an introductory memorandum and a comparison of conditions in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Page 36 - UK Productivity Performance from 1950 to 1979: A Restatement of the Broadberry-Crafts View'. Economic History Review, 56: 718-35. and Ghosal, S. (2002). 'From the Counting House to the Modern Office: Explaining Anglo-American Productivity Differences in Services, 1870-1990'.
Page 44 - The First Large Firms in German Retailing - The Chains of Department Stores from the 1920's to the 1970/80's: Structures, Strategies, Management.
Page 177 - ... and corresponds broadly with the concept of higher-level skills employed here, requiring a qualification at the standard of a university degree (Prais 1995). Although the key higher professions in the nineteenth century were in the Church, medicine, and law, the twentieth century has seen the growing importance of engineering, science, and accounting. Increasingly, these professions have come to be restricted to graduate entry, so that in recent times information on professional associations...
Bibliographic information
| Title | Market Services and the Productivity Race, 1850–2000: British Performance in International Perspective Cambridge Studies in Economic History - Second Series |
| Author | Stephen Broadberry |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press, 2006 |
| ISBN | 1139460943, 9781139460941 |
| Subjects | › › › Business & Economics / Economic History Business & Economics / Economics / General Business & Economics / General History / Europe / Great Britain / General History / Modern / 20th Century History / Modern / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |