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labour costs at the company level reduces profitability and<br />

causes inflationary pressure, because the company directs<br />

the increased labour costs to the consumer, i.e. increases<br />

the prices for products and services. It should also be noted<br />

that while unit labour costs only examine the connection<br />

between labour costs and productivity, other costs besides<br />

labour costs, like capital costs, are also important.<br />

4.4.2<br />

The general level of productivity in the<br />

Estonian business sector<br />

The analysis of Estonia’s productivity level starts from the<br />

viewpoint of the country as a whole. At this macro level<br />

the GDP indicator is used as the measure of productivity,<br />

which can be used both at its nominal value or adjusted<br />

for purchasing power parity. In the latter case, the differences<br />

in the prices of goods and services in various<br />

countries are taken into account, and the GDP indicator<br />

for the given state is adjusted accordingly. When calculating<br />

the productivity of the entire business sector, the GDP<br />

indicator is divided by the number of people employed<br />

in the economy as a whole and the hours that they work.<br />

Thus, we get various indicators of labour productivity.<br />

Hourly productivity is a somewhat more precise measure<br />

of labour productivity, than the level of productivity per<br />

worker, because some of the people who are employed<br />

may not be working fulltime (Table 4.4.1).<br />

Based on a summary of OECD data, Estonia ranks<br />

32 nd , i.e. the next to the last position compared to the<br />

reference states. Chile is below us and Hungary slightly<br />

above, with the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and the South<br />

Korea slightly above that. A large group of small euro area<br />

states – Austria, Finland, Denmark – along with Canada<br />

and Japan, rank significantly higher. Of the reference<br />

states, Ireland has a particularly high productivity level,<br />

which reaches 67 USD per hour, followed by Netherlands,<br />

with an hourly productivity of 60 USD.<br />

4.4.3<br />

Productivity in Estonia’s main economic<br />

spheres<br />

Estonia’s position related to labour productivity, in<br />

comparison to the other reference states, is shown<br />

in Table 4.4.2. The 2010 data from Eurostat and the<br />

national statistics offices related to the level of value<br />

added per worker has been used. The ten aggregated<br />

areas of activity have been differentiated in the comparison.<br />

For the better visualisation of the results, the<br />

relative level of Estonian productivity by the branches<br />

of the economy is shown as a percentage of the level of<br />

the corresponding state.<br />

The economic branches of activity where Estonia’s<br />

labour productivity is higher than the comparative country,<br />

i.e. the ratio is over one hundred, have been shaded.<br />

In the comparison, Estonia’s productivity is, unfortunately,<br />

significantly lower than the majority of the states in most<br />

of the economic spheres. Only compared to Hungary is<br />

Estonia’s productivity level higher in most of the economic<br />

activity areas, but manufacturing industries productivity<br />

in Estonia is lower than in Hungary. At that, Hungary’s<br />

economy has been in decline during the last few years,<br />

and as a result of the financial crisis (primarily due to the<br />

impact of currency exchange fluctuations), has suffered<br />

more than the other states. Estonia’s level of productivity<br />

is higher than the corresponding indicators for the Czech<br />

Republic and Slovakia, in several fields. Compared to<br />

the Czech Republic, Estonia has higher productivity in<br />

water supply, transport, and administrative and support<br />

service activities (building management, labour leasing,<br />

etc.). Estonia’s productivity is also somewhat higher than<br />

Slovakia’s level in water supply and transportation, as well<br />

as accommodations and food service. Water supply in<br />

Estonia is also more productive than in Slovenia.<br />

Compared to the remaining states, Estonia’s level<br />

of productivity is significantly lower. The areas that<br />

Table 4.4.2<br />

Productivity by aggregated areas of activity (as a percentage of the level in the reference states in 2010)<br />

Manufacturing<br />

industry<br />

Electricity<br />

energy, etc.<br />

Water supply<br />

Trade<br />

Transportation<br />

Accommodation,<br />

food service<br />

Information and<br />

communications<br />

Real estate<br />

Professional,<br />

scientific and<br />

technical<br />

Administrative<br />

and support<br />

service activities<br />

Ireland 11 24 61 33 40 40 20 82 29 41<br />

Switzerland 18 31 30 14 28 21 24 23 16 33<br />

Denmark 22 27 26 29 27 32 35 22 23 32<br />

Netherlands 24 26 43 34 41 42 36 20 30 64<br />

Austria 26 43 43 34 40 31 42 18 31 34<br />

Finland 28 29 38 32 50 27 42 15 33 45<br />

EU 27 38 45* 45 60* 43 40 36 34 55<br />

Slovenia 64 91 113 55 74 50 68 57 63 96<br />

Hungary 75 78 177 124 152 146 92 120 115 135<br />

Czech Republic 82 40 148 83 125* 90 66 63 74 110<br />

Slovakia 93 66 164 84 138 108 71 69 88 94<br />

Source: Eurostat<br />

*2009 data. EU27 – European Union average.<br />

Estonian Human Development Report 2012/2013<br />

175

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