Must-Read: : The Global Productivity Slump: Common and Country-Specific Factors: "In 2014, according to the Conference Board’s Total Economy Data Base, the growth of total factor productivity (TFP) hovered around zero...
...for the third straight year, down from 1 per cent in 1996-2006 and ½ per cent in 2007-12.... We identify previous episodes of sharp and sustained decelerations in TFP growth using data for a large sample of countries and years... as many as 77 such episodes.... Low levels of educational attainment, unusually high investment rates and weak political systems are among the significant country-specific correlates of TFP slumps, while increases in risk (higher TED spreads) and energy-price shocks are among the significant global factors.
