Productivity, workplace performance and ICT: Industry and firm-level evidence for Europe and the US

This paper considers the contribution of information and communications technology (ICT), to international productivity performance. It first uses an international industry data set and a growth accounting framework, to show that ICT has typically had a lower impact on productivity in Europe than in the US, although there is considerable variation within Europe. The paper also analyses the European situation in greater depth by examining micro-economic data from Germany, Italy and the UK. While direct comparisons between the national findings are difficult, the results suggest that the UK experience with ICT has been closer to the US than other European countries. © Scottish Economic Society 2005.