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- 1. Service Inflation: Why Is It Higher? ArchivedArticles and reports: 62F0014M1997005Geography: CanadaDescription:
Since 1961, the service component of the Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI) has generally shown a higher rate of increase than the goods component. Furthermore, when some of the more volatile components of the CPI are removed the spread widens. For instance, during the same period core goods inflation (excluding food and energy) increased at an annual rate of 4.3% compared to 6.1% per cent for services (excluding shelter). The literature on service sector inflation suggests five explanations for this phenomenon. Although all these sources of the inflation differential are interesting and important in their own right, this paper will examine two. Some believe that service inflation is a statistical artifact stemming from the inherent difficulties in measuring the output of services and hence their price changes. This issue will be examined first. Indeed the measurement problem appears more serious for services; however it cannot be held completely responsible for the inflationary gap. William Baumol (1967) originally suggested the other cause for higher service inflation whereby unbalanced sectorial growth would be the cause of the divergent inflation rates. This explanation will be the focus of the second part of the paper. In spite of the attractiveness of Baumol's model, empirical evidence rejects the hypothesis.
Release date: 1999-05-13 - Articles and reports: 61-532-X19970013509Description:
With the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canada forged a partnership with the United States and Mexico that would see it enter an era of trade liberalization hitherto unparalleled on the North American continent. In so doing, Canada became a key player and an integral part of the world's largest economic union.
Release date: 1998-02-02 - Articles and reports: 62F0014M1996002Geography: CanadaDescription:
Price indexes are an essential tool for the analysis of real output in the construction industry and for relative performance and productivity measures. They provide a succinct picture of the past and a useful framework for forecasting future developments. Government requires such price indexes as part of the information used in the development of its policies including support programs to provincial governments. These indexes are also used in construction contracts to adjust for cost fluctuations and inflation. It is however, a difficult task to obtain satisfactory indexes reflecting 'pure' price changes for construction. The units built are nonstandard and heterogeneous with large variations in quality, size, design and construction techniques. Consequently, there are many different types of indexes developed from information recorded in the construction industry.
This paper summarizes the various ways in which construction price indexes can be compiled, and examines and compares the performance of some of the indexes currently produced at Statistics Canada. It is hoped that the comparisons would permit an assessment of the various types of construction indexes examined for specific applications.
Release date: 1997-05-05 - Articles and reports: 62F0014M1996003Geography: CanadaDescription:
Productivity analysis is one of the major foundations of the analysis of long-term economic growth. It is important to study productivity in order to identify the factors that contribute to it and to explore the relationship that exists between productivity, growth and international competitiveness.
Statistics Canada produces partial productivity indexes for some 30 industries and the business sector of the economy on an annual basis. However, little is known about the real output, productivity, and price trends in the construction industry. Four opportunities for productivity research in the construction industry are evident, (a) investigation of the available productivity measures, (b) alternative approaches to the implicit methods currently used in the compilation of output price indexes, (c) estimation of productivity within particular sectors of the construction industry, and (d) comparison of productivity on an interprovincial or international basis.
In this paper we will focus on the first two of the four alternatives and will give examples of the last two. In particular, by formalizing the adjustments that are made to the input factors used in the development of output indexes, we contend that the result will be more impartial and enduring. Generally, our goal is to investigate and promote measures that will be available and attractive to the construction industry as it begins to demand more electronic information. The purpose is to derive, eventually, some new productivity estimates based upon the best available statistics.
Release date: 1997-05-05
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- 1. Service Inflation: Why Is It Higher? ArchivedArticles and reports: 62F0014M1997005Geography: CanadaDescription:
Since 1961, the service component of the Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI) has generally shown a higher rate of increase than the goods component. Furthermore, when some of the more volatile components of the CPI are removed the spread widens. For instance, during the same period core goods inflation (excluding food and energy) increased at an annual rate of 4.3% compared to 6.1% per cent for services (excluding shelter). The literature on service sector inflation suggests five explanations for this phenomenon. Although all these sources of the inflation differential are interesting and important in their own right, this paper will examine two. Some believe that service inflation is a statistical artifact stemming from the inherent difficulties in measuring the output of services and hence their price changes. This issue will be examined first. Indeed the measurement problem appears more serious for services; however it cannot be held completely responsible for the inflationary gap. William Baumol (1967) originally suggested the other cause for higher service inflation whereby unbalanced sectorial growth would be the cause of the divergent inflation rates. This explanation will be the focus of the second part of the paper. In spite of the attractiveness of Baumol's model, empirical evidence rejects the hypothesis.
Release date: 1999-05-13 - Articles and reports: 61-532-X19970013509Description:
With the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canada forged a partnership with the United States and Mexico that would see it enter an era of trade liberalization hitherto unparalleled on the North American continent. In so doing, Canada became a key player and an integral part of the world's largest economic union.
Release date: 1998-02-02 - Articles and reports: 62F0014M1996002Geography: CanadaDescription:
Price indexes are an essential tool for the analysis of real output in the construction industry and for relative performance and productivity measures. They provide a succinct picture of the past and a useful framework for forecasting future developments. Government requires such price indexes as part of the information used in the development of its policies including support programs to provincial governments. These indexes are also used in construction contracts to adjust for cost fluctuations and inflation. It is however, a difficult task to obtain satisfactory indexes reflecting 'pure' price changes for construction. The units built are nonstandard and heterogeneous with large variations in quality, size, design and construction techniques. Consequently, there are many different types of indexes developed from information recorded in the construction industry.
This paper summarizes the various ways in which construction price indexes can be compiled, and examines and compares the performance of some of the indexes currently produced at Statistics Canada. It is hoped that the comparisons would permit an assessment of the various types of construction indexes examined for specific applications.
Release date: 1997-05-05 - Articles and reports: 62F0014M1996003Geography: CanadaDescription:
Productivity analysis is one of the major foundations of the analysis of long-term economic growth. It is important to study productivity in order to identify the factors that contribute to it and to explore the relationship that exists between productivity, growth and international competitiveness.
Statistics Canada produces partial productivity indexes for some 30 industries and the business sector of the economy on an annual basis. However, little is known about the real output, productivity, and price trends in the construction industry. Four opportunities for productivity research in the construction industry are evident, (a) investigation of the available productivity measures, (b) alternative approaches to the implicit methods currently used in the compilation of output price indexes, (c) estimation of productivity within particular sectors of the construction industry, and (d) comparison of productivity on an interprovincial or international basis.
In this paper we will focus on the first two of the four alternatives and will give examples of the last two. In particular, by formalizing the adjustments that are made to the input factors used in the development of output indexes, we contend that the result will be more impartial and enduring. Generally, our goal is to investigate and promote measures that will be available and attractive to the construction industry as it begins to demand more electronic information. The purpose is to derive, eventually, some new productivity estimates based upon the best available statistics.
Release date: 1997-05-05
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