Productivity Trends of Unincorporated Enterprises in the Canadian Economy, 1987 to 2005

This study uses new GDP estimates for the unincorporated sector in order to examine labour productivity in the unincorporated sector and to compare it to that in the corporate sector over the period 1987 to 2005. The level of nominal GDP per hour worked is significantly lower for unincorporated enterprises ($23.20 in 2005) than it is for corporations ($43.40 in 2005). In 2005, GDP per hour worked in the unincorporated sector was just 53% of GDP per hour worked in the corporate sector.