Still medalling: Productivity gets a bronze (data source)

Productivity data is missing from the Longitudinal Business Database (LBD) for over a third of firm-year observations in “measured sector” industries, equating to a fifth of total labour in those industries.

We develop a method to fill these data gaps using an additional (third) data source – firm-level annualised goods and services tax (GST) returns.

Coupled with additional modelling using full-coverage employment information, the resulting “complete” productivity dataset provides additional avenues for researchers to test the robustness of their results to the inclusion of firm types previously underrepresented in the productivity data – particularly new and owner-operated firms.

DOI: doi.org/10.29310/WP.2024.06

Citation

Fabling, R. 2024. “Still medalling: Productivity gets a bronze (data source)”. Motu Working Paper 24-06. Motu Economic and Public Policy Research. Wellington, New Zealand.