IMF Staff Country Reports

Portugal : Selected Issues

Author/Editor:

International Monetary Fund

Publication Date:

October 20, 2005

Electronic Access:

Download PDF. Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF file

Summary:

This Selected Issues paper on Portugal reviews the considerations regarding productivity slowdown. The favorable evolution of income growth from the 1970s to the mid-1990s in Portugal was associated with above-average productivity growth but also reflected a more moderate decline in the amount of hours worked than that experienced in other countries in Europe. Portugal was an outstanding performer with double-digit productivity increases in large several high-tech industries. The evidence suggests that the negative impact of high labor adjustment costs on productivity is more intense for small- and medium-size companies and depends on the nature of wage-bargaining systems.

Series:

Country Report No. 05/376

Subject:

Economic growth Fiscal policy Gross domestic product Industrial production Labor productivity Portugal Selected issues