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<p>This analysis is a welcome initiative by the OECD to improve the international
comparability of productivity statistics. It was initiated in response to a request
from the ONS to examine how different countries go about measuring total hours worked
(which are required to calculate output per hour worked).</p><p> </p><p>When calculating
labour productivity there is a trade-off between using the best available data sourced
from different countries’ national accounts, or data compiled on the most consistent
basis. The OECD research finds that while for many countries this choice makes a minor
difference, for the UK it has a larger effect and improves our performance relative
to other countries.</p><p> </p><p>The ONS is examining how best to incorporate these
findings into their international comparisons of labour productivity and plans to
publish an article on this in January 2019; including more detailed breakdowns of
how the UK compares with other developed countries on a more consistent basis.</p>
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