By productivity one understands the output for each worker (pro head productivity) or for each working hour (productivity per hour).

In the economical Gesamtrechnung the overall economic productivity is the quotient from gross domestic product (Abk. GROS DOMESTIC PRODUCT) and the quantity of the assigned working units. The latter can be the number of employed persons or the employee (inventory sizes), which number of the performed hours or paid hours (current sizes). Usually the number of employed persons or the employee is used.

Apart from the productivity in the same way also still different for instance the capital productivity or, which happens rarely, the productivity of the factor of production soil can be computed.

If one regards the development of the productivity within a national economy, are out-counted. The material GROS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (the GROS DOMESTIC PRODUCT computes in constant prices) is thus used. With the introduction of the chain indices the Federal Statistical Office will use the volume GROS DOMESTIC PRODUCT as price-settled size.

With international comparisons against it also the nominal GROS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (the GROS DOMESTIC PRODUCT in respective prices) can be used, whereby with the help of the respective rates of exchange the gross domestic products on a currency (e.g. US Dollar, euro) to be converted must. However the development of in such a way measured productivity in the comparison reflects also the fluctuations of the rates of exchange.

As working units thereby the number of workers or the number of working hours can be e.g. consulted. If the number of workers is used, this can be compared with the Pro-Kopf-Einkommen (Abk. PKE) to a national economy. The PKE is always smaller, since not all persons are integrated in the working process. Between height and growth rate of the productivity the international cannot be firm-placed comparison empirical connection in (see Hemmer (1999) and Jone (1997)). If height and unemployment would be negatively correlated, the lower is as the growth rate of the productivity the level of the productivity would be the higher, then there would be a general catching up process. Countries with low productivity would catch up countries with high productivity gradually.

In the illustration 2 is indicated, as the GROS DOMESTIC PRODUCT for each person employed developed in the countries of the triad Germany, the USA and Japan 1960 to 2004. The GROS DOMESTIC PRODUCT is computed in constant prices in the respective currency. Between the triad countries it gave obviously a Aufholen. Japan and Federal Republic of Germany have in the meantime after the order of magnitude just as high work productivety as the USA. After the Second World War they had still been past.

Productivity and

The productivity must be higher, than the wage level, otherwise one the job is not profitable. That is, if wages are increased, jobs with lower productivity are omitted and it remain only the jobs with higher productivity. The measured productivity of the remaining jobs rises thus due to wage increases.

From this the usually accepted process of the labor demand curve explains itself. The more highly the wage level, the less work by the enterprises one inquires. Unemployment can be explained so also as high wage level. This is called also classical unemployment, in contrast to keynesianischer unemployment, which is attributed to demand lacking for goods.

From wage increases now the following vicious circle results:

Wages increased - > less-productive jobs fall away - > measured productivity rises - > the increased productivity serves for the reason of further wage increases - > further jobs with low productivity are omitted - > measured productivity of the remaining jobs rises again - etc.

From wage increases results a ever higher productivity, which is unwanted from job market-political view however, because jobs with low productivity are omitted and so so-called classical unemployment rises.

Against it wage increases were regarded from unionized side as desirable "“productivity whip"”. Higher wages obligations the enterprises to introduce technical progress in order to be able to produce further profitably, whereby the international competitive ability of the German economy was lastingly strengthened. In view of continuous unemployment this argument is used in the meantime rarely.

With collective bargaining the productivity belongs to the sizes, which are considered during the wage fixing. An productivity-oriented wage policy requires to increase the wages parallel to the productivity. Thus the wage ratio would remain stably. With unemployment by this rule a deviation is required. If classical unemployment is assumed, the wages must be expanded more weakly, than the productivity, however Unterkonsumtion than a cause rises are accepted, then the wages are to be more strongly expanded according to the purchasing power theory.

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