UK productivity lags behind G7 countries

A report released by the Office for National Statistics today reveals that the UK is falling behind other G7 countries when it comes to productivity.

The nation was 18 percentage points behind the average for the major G7 advanced economies in 2014, the widest productivity gap since comparable estimates began in 1991. On an output per worker basis, the UK was 19 points below the average.

Labour productivity as measured by real (inflation adjusted) output per hour and output per worker grew modestly across the G7 countries throughout 2014, but the UK’s “productivity gap” of 14% is almost twice as large as other nations.

The analysis also includes productivity comparisons with some of the UK’s major trading partners outside the G7. Output per hour was five percentage points lower than Spain and considerably lower than Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands. Within the G7, the UK was a staggering 36 points lower than Germany.

Download the ONS reference table at bit.ly/1otF19P