Skip to main content

Search the site by keyword

Insights from recent firm-level productivity research

Cover Getting under the hood
Authors

New Zealand Productivity Commission

Statistics New Zealand

The Treasury New Zealand

Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

Date published

5 July 2018

Downloads

This note summarises insights from recent research on New Zealand's productivity performance using firm-level data. Coverage is largely limited to research completed since 2013 and that uses the Longitudinal Business Database, although a small number of older studies or studies that use different data are included where they help illustrate important findings. The structure is as follows:

  • Section 1 explains the focus on productivity.
  • Section 2 explains the use of firm-level data and outlines a stylised model of firm-level productivity.
  • Sections 3-7 present evidence on reallocation and catch-up, innovation, international connections, skills and management capability, and geography and sectors. As a cross-cutting issue, research on migration can be found in the sections on innovation and on skills and management capability.
  • Section 8 discusses the Productivity Hub’s forward looking research programme.
JEL Codes  D2; J2; J3; J6

Tags Business and trade NZ productivity

Publications

Filter publications by topic.

Please select (multi select)
Please select (multi select)
Please select (multi select)
Hero image Breaking the cycle of persistent disadvantage girls dashing through the door of their new home

Evaluation report for a fair chance for all inquiry

31 October 2023

The New Zealand Productivity Commission (the Commission) commissioned an independent evaluation of the A Fair Chance for All inquiry.
Multidimensional disadvantage and wellbeing Cover
Multidimensional disadvantage and wellbeing

17 October 2023

A quantitative analysis report final 30July 2023
A quantitative analysis of disadvantage and how it persists in Aotearoa New Zealand

31 July 2023

main image for productivity by the numbers report 2023
Productivity by the numbers 2023

3 July 2023

A family of four walking down on a beach
Statement of intent FY 2023/27

30 June 2023

NZPC Statement of performance expectations 2023 24
Statement of performance expectations FY 2023/24

30 June 2023

Breaking the cycle of disadvantage girls running through the door of their new home
Final report - A fair chance for all: Breaking the cycle of persistent disadvantage

20 June 2023

Deliberate logo with the title of the report
Causal diagrams to support ‘a fair chance for all’

3 May 2023

An illustration of people traversing two mountain ranges viewed close-up under a magnifying glass
Frontier Firms follow-on review

1 May 2023

Front cover of the report
Frontier Firms follow-on review: detailed observations

1 May 2023

Three kids jumping into the water from a pier
Annual report FY 2021/22

30 March 2023

Four people transcending a steep mountain ridge helping each other
Working together: Re-focussing public accountability to achieve better lives

17 March 2023

Three large cranes at an industrial port pictured in a sunset
A New Zealand history of shocks

28 February 2023

Containers piled up at a port - economic resilience main image
Issues paper - Improving Economic Resilience

28 February 2023

Cover image of the report
A learning system for addressing persistent disadvantage

27 February 2023

A boy looking into binoculars publications cover
Summary of submissions on interim report

27 February 2023

Seven kids sprinting on a green field - fair chance for all inquiry main image
Summary of talanoa session on interim report

20 February 2023

Containers piled up at a port - economic resilience main image
Supply chains to the last bus stop on the planet

23 December 2022

Paper cover image high speed internet
Does high-speed internet boost exporting?

21 December 2022

Haemata Wananga Feedback Report A Fair Chance for All November 2022
Haemata wānanga feedback on interim report

15 November 2022

green New zealand map with iconic landmarks - A fair chance for all illustration
The benefits of reducing persistent disadvantage

29 September 2022

Three men on a construction site pointing to the horizon immigration inquiry main image
Evaluation of immigration settings inquiry

1 September 2022

Te puna korero cover image children lined up
Te puna kōrero: Understanding persistent disadvantage in Aotearoa New Zealand

29 August 2022

Economics and Research publication image
Review of the Productivity Commission's Research function FY 2020/22

29 August 2022

Cover Migration firm level productivity Page 01 v2
Migration and firm-level productivity

18 July 2022

SPE
Statement of performance expectations FY 2022/23

30 June 2022

NZPC Colonisation Racism Wellbeing Final
Colonisation, Racism and Wellbeing

9 June 2022

IBTN 800 v2
Immigration by the numbers

31 May 2022

Cover v22
Planning for prosperity: Transparent and public immigration targets

30 May 2022

Taylor Fry
Data-led approaches to identifying skills shortages

29 May 2022

Cover v23
Case study: Construction industry and migration

28 May 2022

CS v2
Case study: Aged residential care

28 May 2022

Immigration fit for the future cover image - hands
Immigration - Fit for the future

1 April 2022

AR 2020 21
Annual report FY 2020/21

15 December 2021

Seven kids running on a field - public feedback cover
A fair chance for all: Where should we focus?

1 December 2021

Cover v20
Together alone: A review of joined-up social services

14 November 2021

Civer Primer to New Zealands immigration system
Primer to New Zealand's immigration system

8 November 2021

Cover International migration to NZ historical themes and trends
International migration to New Zealand: Historical themes & trends

8 November 2021

Cover Impacts of immigration on the labour market and productivity
Impacts of immigration on the labour market and productivity

8 November 2021

Cover The wider wellbeing effects of immigration
The wider wellbeing effects of immigration

8 November 2021

Cover Immigration policy international perspectives
Immigration policy: International perspectives

8 November 2021

Cover International migration to NZ future opportunities and challenges
International migration to New Zealand: Future opportunities and challenges

8 November 2021

Haemata report on wananga with Maori cover
Wānanga feedback on the terms of reference

27 September 2021

Text Ferret report on public feedback Page 01
Consultation on the Terms of Reference

1 September 2021

A boy looking into binoculars publications cover
Scoping the terms of reference for an inquiry

19 July 2021

28 frontier firms green transp v2
Evaluation of frontier firms inquiry

1 July 2021

PBTN cover
Productivity by the numbers: 2021

27 May 2021

NZTE Exporting challenges
Exporting challenges and responses of New Zealand firms

21 April 2021

Cover v19
Frontier firms: Four industry case studies

21 April 2021

NZIER Picking cherries 800
Picking cherries

20 April 2021

He Manukura 750 v3
He Manukura - Insights from Māori frontier firms

20 April 2021

NZPC Focused innovation policy 750
Focused innovation policy: Lessons from international experience

20 April 2021

An illustration of people traversing two mountain ranges
New Zealand firms: reaching for the frontier

1 April 2021

Front cover v2
Living on the edge: an anatomy of New Zealand's frontier firms

2 March 2021

Front cover
Benchmarking New Zealand's frontier firms

25 February 2021

Pages from The performance of Maori firms New Zealand Work Research Institute
The performance of Māori frontier firms: a strategic management approach

4 December 2020

Pages from The dairy sector in NZ TDB Advisory
The dairy sector in New Zealand: extending the boundaries

4 December 2020

Cover v18
Migration and New Zealand's frontier firms

30 November 2020

Cover 350
New Zealand boards and frontier firms

4 September 2020

Cover v17
Firm dynamics and productivity growth

31 August 2020

Cover v16
A cost benefit analysis of 5 extra days at COVID-19 alert level 4

7 August 2020

How does monetary policy affect welfare
How does monetary policy affect welfare?

30 June 2020

SOI 202024
Statement of intent FY 2020/24

30 June 2020

Pages from Frontier firms David Skilling
Frontier firms: an international small advanced economy perspective

28 May 2020

TFP2
Trust and total factor productivity

28 April 2020

Technological change and the future of work main illustration
Final report - Technological change and the future of work

31 March 2020

Cover v15
Job-to-job transitions and the regional job ladder

18 March 2020

Cover 1001
New Zealanders' attitudes towards robots and AI

9 March 2020

Cover 600
Local government insights

19 February 2020

Local government funding and financing main illustration
Final report - Local government funding and financing

16 December 2019

Local government funding and financing main illustration
Vacant land taxes and housing supply

1 December 2019

Local government funding and financing main illustration
Recovering costs from tourists to pay for mixed-use local services

1 December 2019

Cover v12
Scope and funding of local government

30 November 2019

Cover New jobs old jobs
New jobs, old jobs

16 October 2019

Cover Page
Competition and productivity

16 August 2019

Insight Economics Review of changes to council development contributions policies cover v2
Review of changes to council development contributions policies in four high-growth areas

6 August 2019

PBN Cover
Productivity by the numbers: 2019

7 June 2019

Local government funding and financing main illustration
How funding and financing affects productivity

1 June 2019

Sapere Analysis of Local Government Cost Drivers publication cover
Analysis of local government cost drivers

16 May 2019

Local government funding and financing main illustration
Report on land based local tax systems

15 May 2019

Insight Economics Analysis of Council Rating Policies cover
Analysis of the current and past use of council rating tools in New Zealand

7 May 2019

Local government funding and financing main illustration
Local government funding and finance – Accounting and financial management issues

1 May 2019

Improving state sector productivity main image
Final report - State sector productivity

1 March 2019

Cover firm dynamics 2
Firm dynamics and job creation: revisiting the perpetual motion machine

14 February 2019

Growing digital Infographic summary
Growing the digital economy in Australia and New Zealand

14 February 2019

Cover Innovation in Primary Health v3
Innovation in primary healthcare

1 February 2019

Cover
The tax-benefit interface

1 February 2019

Productivity in developed Cover
Productivity in developed Asia-Pacific: A firm-level perspective

24 December 2018

Cover A Note on Construction Worker
A Note on Construction Worker Migration to New Zealand 1962-2018

14 November 2018

health care homes report cover
Health care homes: Early evidence in Wellington

1 October 2018

Low-emissions economy main image
Final report - Low-emissions economy

31 August 2018

Cover v2
Assessing and enhancing New Zealand's productivity

1 August 2018

Cover Getting under the hood
Insights from recent firm-level productivity research

5 July 2018

Promoting the utilisation of productivity measures
Promoting the utilisation of productivity measures

1 July 2018

Cover Can the kiwi fly
Can the kiwi fly? Achieving productivity lift off in New Zealand

28 June 2018

Cover Effective Marginal Tax Rates v2
Effective Marginal Tax Rates: The New Zealand case

1 May 2018

Cover The Labour Income Share v2
The Labour Income Share in New Zealand: An Update

20 March 2018

Cover Absorptive capacity
Absorptive Capacity in NZ Firms: measurement and importance

22 February 2018

Cover v3
Residential construction and population growth in New Zealand: 1996-2016

1 January 2018

State sector productivity inquiry illustration
Productivity measurement case study: Courts

1 December 2017

State sector productivity inquiry illustration
Productivity measurement case study: Ministry of Social Development

1 December 2017

State sector productivity inquiry illustration
Productivity measurement case study: Police

1 December 2017

The impact of RD grants on the performance of NZ firms
The impact of R&D grants on the performance of New Zealand firms

23 November 2017

Cover Innovation and the performance of New Zealand firms
Innovation and the performance of New Zealand firms

23 November 2017

Cover Tertiary Education v2
Estimating quality-adjusted productivity in tertiary education

1 November 2017

State sector productivity inquiry illustration
Productivity measurement case study: Early childhood education

1 November 2017

State sector productivity inquiry illustration
History of efficiency measurement by the New Zealand health sector - Post 2000

1 October 2017

Cover Examining the UK Climate Change Act 2008 0
Examining the UK Climate Change Act 2008

29 September 2017

Cover Public Sector Productivity School Quality Adjustment v3
Quality adjusting sector-level data on New Zealand schools

1 June 2017

Social Sector
Social sector productivity: a task perspective

1 June 2017

4 tertiary students underneath some symbols of academia
Final report - New models of tertiary education

21 March 2017

Urban landscape with cityscape in background
Final report - Better urban planning

28 February 2017

Cover Explaining ethnic disparities
Explaining ethnic disparities in bachelor's qualifications

20 February 2017

Cover Geographic proximity and productivity convergence.jpg
Geographic proximity and productivity convergence across New Zealand firms

16 December 2016

Servification
The servicification of trade

16 December 2016

Cover NZ productivity potential v3
Achieving New Zealand's productivity potential

28 November 2016

Cover Subjective wellbeing
Subjective wellbeing in New Zealand: Some recent evidence

9 May 2016

Cover What can complexity theory tell us about urban planning v2
What can complexity theory tell us about urban planning?

27 April 2016

Cover History of tertiary education reforms
History of tertiary education reforms in New Zealand

12 January 2016

Cover productivity hub symposium
Productivity Symposium transcript

1 December 2015

Using land for housing inquiry image
Final report - Using land for housing

21 October 2015

More effective social services inquiry illustration
Final report - More effective social services

15 September 2015

Cover v13
Do New Zealand firms catch up to the domestic productivity frontier?

30 June 2015

Cover MOtu
The impact of R&D subsidy on innovation

29 June 2015

Cover innovatiove
Measuring the innovative activity of New Zealand firms

29 June 2015

Cover NZ prod
New Zealand’s productivity growth

29 May 2015

Firm cover
Firm dynamics and job creation in New Zealand

29 May 2015

Cover v11
The labour income share in New Zealand

5 February 2015

Cover v9
Reform of the UK’s decumulation market

21 January 2015

Regulatory institutions inquiry illustration
Final report - Regulatory institutions and practices

16 July 2014

Cover v6
New Zealand's international trade in services

5 June 2014

Cover v7
Trade over distance for New Zealand firms

5 June 2014

Cover v8
Structural change and New Zealand’s productivity performance

5 June 2014

Boosting services sector productivity illustration
Final report - Boosting services sector productivity

1 June 2014

Infographic How high are New Zealand prices v2
Explaining international differences in the prices of tradables and non-tradables

21 May 2014

Infographic v2
An international perspective on the New Zealand productivity paradox

16 April 2014

Cover v5
The prices of goods and services in New Zealand

1 March 2014

Cover NZ Aus industry level
Investigating New Zealand-Australia productivity differences

19 December 2013

Pages from NZPC Conway Meehan Productivity by the Numbers
Productivity by the numbers: the New Zealand experience

20 September 2013

Cover v4
Housing affordability in New Zealand

16 July 2013

Better local regulation inquiry illustration
Final report - Towards better local regulation

13 May 2013

Cover AUK
The effect of Auckland's Metropolitan Urban Limit on land prices

28 March 2013

Cover aus nz v2
How integrated are the Australian and New Zealand economies?

28 March 2013

New Zealand and Australia's Productivity Commission logos
Final report - Strengthening trans-Tasman economic relations

30 November 2012

Freight services inquiry illustration
Final report - International freight transport services

24 April 2012

Housing affordability inquiry illustration
Final report - Housing affordability

30 March 2012

Load more publications