Hardback
Economic Performance in the Americas
The Role of the Service Sector in Brazil, Mexico and the USA
9781840645477 Edward Elgar Publishing
Economic Performance in the Americas compares the economic performances of Brazil, Mexico and the USA over the past half century. As with most other high and middle-income countries their economies are service-sector orientated and have been for several decades. This book encompasses all sectors of the economy but focuses primarily on services, analysing both the main trends in the various service industries in Brazil and Mexico and the underlying forces shaping their huge expansion.
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Critical Acclaim
Contents
More Information
Economic Performance in the Americas compares the economic performances of Brazil, Mexico and the USA over the past half century. As with most other high and middle-income countries their economies are service-sector orientated and have been for several decades. This book encompasses all sectors of the economy but focuses primarily on services, analysing both the main trends in the various service industries in Brazil and Mexico and the underlying forces shaping their huge expansion.
The growth of services obscures large differences between the two Latin countries and the USA in terms of the types of services that gained importance and the driving growth forces. The author provides a fascinatingly unique and comprehensive overview of the long run development of the entire service sector in the countries discussed.
Using new methods for international comparisons of output and productivity in services, Nanno Mulder examines the impact of the increased service sector orientation in the overall economy. Relative to the USA, the Brazilian and Mexican service sectors performed better than agriculture and to a lesser extent, industry. However, this positive contribution hides large discrepancies, with some service industries showing important productivity gains whereas others turned out stagnant.
Scholars and analysts of macroeconomics, industrial economics and development economics will warmly welcome this book.
The growth of services obscures large differences between the two Latin countries and the USA in terms of the types of services that gained importance and the driving growth forces. The author provides a fascinatingly unique and comprehensive overview of the long run development of the entire service sector in the countries discussed.
Using new methods for international comparisons of output and productivity in services, Nanno Mulder examines the impact of the increased service sector orientation in the overall economy. Relative to the USA, the Brazilian and Mexican service sectors performed better than agriculture and to a lesser extent, industry. However, this positive contribution hides large discrepancies, with some service industries showing important productivity gains whereas others turned out stagnant.
Scholars and analysts of macroeconomics, industrial economics and development economics will warmly welcome this book.
Critical Acclaim
‘This book represents another milestone in research on international comparisons of economic performance. Nanno Mulder has done a thorough job in comparing productivity between Brazil and Mexico on the one hand and the United States on the other. His emphasis on measuring service productivity, using state of the art techniques, is a very welcome shift away from most studies that exclusively focus on goods producing sectors.’
– Bart Van Ark, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
– Bart Van Ark, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Contents
Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Structural Change and the Shift to Services 3. Measurement of Real Service Output 4. Transport and Communications 5. Wholesale and Retail Trade 6. Financial Services 7. Health Care 8. Education 9. Commodity-producing Sectors 10. Comparative Performances of the Service and Commodity Sectors Appendix A. Population and Employment Appendix B. GDP Indices and Levels of GDP Appendix C. Exchange Rates and Prices Appendix D. The Service Sector Appendix E. Reconciling Census and National Accounts Data References Statistical References Index
