The assumption that high productivity = high unemployment possibly
somewhere else is based on the zero sum game idea.
I see no reason for this to be true - there is an infinite amount of work
that needs to be done and only a finite number of people. All it requires
is both management and investment. This has worked, may I say without
making too much of a political point, very well in the UK although no
doubt there are some imperfections. We have seen a massive drop in
unemployment - and probably some growth in productivity over the past few
years. The comparison with our European partners is clear for all to see.
The effect has been dramatic in turning what was a fairly sluggish economy
into a very active one. Digby Jones, no less as head of the CBI on a
recent BBC Question Time commented that it was a significant achievement
and something not to be squandered. He didn't quite say vote Labour but
it wasn't far off.
Of course there are costs of such a dynamic economy - there is no longer
time to stand and stare. But we can all go to France for our holidays to
do that and help prop up their highly productive economy...
Best wishes
John
John Logsdon "Try to make things as simple
Quantex Research Ltd, Manchester UK as possible but not simpler"
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+44(0)161 445 4951/G:+44(0)7717758675 www.quantex-research.com
On Tue, 29 Mar 2005, Ray Thomas wrote:
> >But this is a particularly unfair
> >criticism to direct at the Canadian Centre for the Study of Living
> >Standards
> >who have in fact published a large number of studies of unemployment,
>
> No adverse criticism of the Canadian Centre was intended or made. The
> point of my message was to draw attention to the neglect of unemployment as
> a subject worthy of worldwide study. How can it be that we have a
> first-class journal more or less devoted to labour productivity, but none
> devoted to one of the outcomes of increasing labour productivity - namely
> high unemployment in most countries of the world?
>
> It is noted that the Canadian Centre have published studies of unemployment.
> But it would not be unfair to summarise these as dealing with unemployment
> as a problem associated with management of the economies of a few highly
> idustrialised countries. As the UN statistics quoted show, unemployment is
> mainly a problem for countries that cannot be regarded as industrialised.
>
> Ray Thomas
> 35 Passmore, Tinkers Bridge, Milton Keynes MK6 3DY
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> Tel/Fax 01908 679081
>
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