US workers are 14% more productive than the best of the rest

[BoneCrusher]

US workers top productivity table

US workers are 14% more productive
than the best of the rest

Workers in the US are still more productive per person than any others in the world, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) says in a report.

In 2006 each US worker produced $63,885 (£31,651) of wealth, well ahead of second placed Ireland at $55,986.
But East Asian staff are the most improved - they are now twice as productive as they were 10 years ago.
The ILO productivity figure is found by dividing a country's total output in a year by the number of people employed.
However, the report added that there is still a big productivity gap between the most industrialised nations and the rest of the world.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the lowest productivity, managing only a quarter of the global average.


OUTPUT PER WORKER 2006

USA $63,885
Middle East $21,910
Global average $19,834
LatAm & Caribbean $18,908
North Africa $12,967
East Asia $12,591
SE Asia & Pacific $9,419
South Asia $7,998
Sub-Saharan Africa $5,062
Source: ILO Estimates

Meanwhile, the US figure is boosted by Americans working more hours per year than workers in most developed countries.
Using a different measure of value added per hour worked, Norway comes out on top, followed by the US and then France.

Most improved
Worker productivity levels increased between 1996 and 2006 in all regions except the Middle East.
East Asia made the greatest advances, with output per worker rising from $6,347 in 1996 to $12,591 last year.
In the Middle East it fell from $22,130 to $21,910.
But growth in South-East Asia and the Pacific has been relatively stagnant, with productivity up to just $9,419 from $8,068.
"Development in Southeast Asia and the Pacific has been less impressive than East Asia," the ILO report said.
"Nevertheless, the region has profited from the economic boom in China and India and the good economic performance of most developed economies in recent years," it added.

There is a reason why the US citizen has more than the rest of the world. We work for it.

 

[Fetusaurus Rex]

OUTPUT PER WORKER 2006

USA $63,885

well wtf I dont make anywhere near that, I need to get my ass a raise

 

[FishOrCutBait]

OUTPUT PER WORKER 2006

USA $63,885

well wtf I dont make anywhere near that, I need to get my ass a raise

pretty sure they are talking about how much money the avg american makes their company,

not how much money they recieve.

 

[Fetusaurus Rex]

pretty sure they are talking about how much money the avg american makes their company,

not how much money they recieve.

yea I know, I was joking

but hey I dont think I even make half of that, so wtf, Im making my company a lot of money and Im not getting shit...

kidding again...sort of hahah

 

[min0 lee]

We need to do better.

 

[KelJu]

Wait a minute. Aren't the numbers skewed heavily by the fact that goods made in the US are usually more expensive than goods produced elsewhere which drives the profit up for each product sold. Also, the productivity is high when the process is efficient, and US companies are all about efficiency. The productivity is being measured in a way that is controlled by how well the economy is doing in that particular country.

I don't know this for sure, its only an assumption. I seriously doubt US citizens can hang with the Chinese workforce if they were working the same job.

Again, I'm not taking anything away from people working here. I work my ass off, also. I'm just saying that there is a difference between working hard and having high productivity.

 

[MCx2]

Wait a minute. Aren't the numbers skewed heavily by the fact that goods made in the US are usually more expensive than goods produced elsewhere which drives the profit up for each product sold. Also, the productivity is high when the process is efficient, and US companies are all about efficiency. The productivity is being measured in a way that is controlled by how well the economy is doing in that particular country.

I don't know this for sure, its only an assumption. I seriously doubt US citizens can hang with the Chinese workforce if they were working the same job.

Again, I'm not taking anything away from people working here. I work my ass off, also. I'm just saying that there is a difference between working hard and having high productivity.

Exactly what I was thinking. I work circles around just about everyone I've ever worked with and I consider myself a lazy son of a bitch. Especially when I worked at The Home Depot some years ago. I worked at one in NJ for a few years then I transfered to one here in Florida. My co-workers HATED me because I actually worked. I was working with people that spent 10 years with the company that didn't have the certifications, the licenses or had even held the positions I had held in NJ, nor wanted to. Either the northern workforce is holding down the fort, or these numbers really don't mean jack. I'll go with the latter.

 

[min0 lee]

I have have passed thru some of the southern states and noticed how most of the services are slow. I guess they are more laid back down there I don't know for sure.
I also hear this a lot.

I also notice that the private sector produces more than most, and I mean most Union jobs.
Where I work now I also dance around the other lazy people.

 

[KelJu]

I have never worked anywhere but here, so I can't make a claim to whether we are more or less lazy than Northerners. All I can say is my employers have always treated me well, because I made them money. I can say that most of the people I have worked with a pitiful excuses for workers, and I would have fired them in a second if I were their boss.

 

[BoneCrusher]

The majority or America works harder than the majority of most other countries. Go visit these other countries you consider to be harder working then us ... they're not doing it. We hear about the people in these other countries that work and don't hear squat about the majority of the people that do nothing.

Most of Americans have separate homes when we get past our early 20's. We move away from our parents and get our own groove on. Each and every American is EXPECTED to get a job and get in debt. You either get out from under your family's wings and to work or you are a socially outcasted lazy good for nothing get the hell away from me you work for food sign holding bum. In many of the asian countries including the stans ... it's normal for one household to be 3 and 4 generations deep with most of the family not working. The sons get married and bring the wives home instead of moving out. There is no social security and no system in place for the elderly that would allow them to be on their own.

We produce because we have to or we are homeless. They can have a few people in a household work and all get along just fine. The only people that do not work in our homes are our children. Other than the kids ... we ALLLLLLL work.

In France a 40 hour work week is considered an infringement on their lives and entirely beneath them. Ditto many counties in EU and all of Russia and the former Soviet bloc countries. Most of us consider a 50 hour week acceptable and at times just part of life.

Nah guys ... face it. We are a nation of workaholics.

 

[KelJu]

The majority or America works harder than the majority of most other countries. Go visit these other countries you consider to be harder working then us ... they're not doing it. We hear about the people in these other countries that work and don't hear squat about the majority of the people that do nothing.

Most of Americans have separate homes when we get past our early 20's. We move away from our parents and get our own groove on. Each and every American is EXPECTED to get a job and get in debt. You either get out from under your family's wings and to work or you are a socially outcasted lazy good for nothing get the hell away from me you work for food sign holding bum. In many of the asian countries including the stans ... it's normal for one household to be 3 and 4 generations deep with most of the family not working. The sons get married and bring the wives home instead of moving out. There is no social security and no system in place for the elderly that would allow them to be on their own.

We produce because we have to or we are homeless. They can have a few people in a household work and all get along just fine. The only people that do not work in our homes are our children. Other than the kids ... we ALLLLLLL work.

In France a 40 hour work week is considered an infringement on their lives and entirely beneath them. Ditto many counties in EU and all of Russia and the former Soviet bloc countries. Most of us consider a 50 hour week acceptable and at times just part of life.

Nah guys ... face it. We are a nation of workaholics.

I am glad to hear that. I truly am. I have heard otherwise from sources I can't remember at the moment. I would much rather believe that we are hardworking people, because I believe work builds character and making a living for yourself and your family is noble. I wonder where all the "we are lazy" talk comes from.

 

[iMan323]

Nah guys ... face it. We are a nation of workaholics.

It's true. Americans do work more than anybody else on this planet....I'm talking about the prosperous nations, of course, not the countries where either citizens work 80 hours a week or simply starve. Whether it's a good thing, or not... I don't know.

I also, hold the opinion that NYC has the most demanding bosses/managers/supervisors and that means NY'ers, as a group, are the hardest working people in the US.

 

[BoneCrusher]

I have never worked anywhere but here, so I can't make a claim to whether we are more or less lazy than Northerners. All I can say is my employers have always treated me well, because I made them money. I can say that most of the people I have worked with a pitiful excuses for workers, and I would have fired them in a second if I were their boss.

You are not the norm brother K. None of us are. We do shit that most of our fat co-workers cannot get out of bed to be bothered with. That same work ethic that drives us to work out and eat right translates to how we do our jobs. When I worked in the private sector I was always at the head of the class and caught shit because of it from my co-workers ... the ones that inevitably wound up working for me as I got promoted because of my drive and my desire to get my job done the right way.

Same as you ReproBro ... the guy that doesn't even DRIVE to the gym anymore. You fuggin WALK to the gym so you can maximize the results from your commitment!!!! IM members as a whole ... the ones that are actually committed to working out not the trolls ... are not normal.
You guys cannot look at yourselves and rate America by your standards.

Even with AKIRA geting his puke video posted ... he is still a strong assed dude that is college and degree bound. He's not strong because he was born that way. AKIRA worked his ass of to develop that power. With all our partying and dope smoking, all our promiscuity and our hell raising ... we get more done that any other country on the planet.

 

[DOMS]

It's true. Americans do work more than anybody else on this planet....I'm talking about the prosperous nations, of course, not the countries where either citizens work 80 hours a week or simply starve. Whether it's a good thing, or not... I don't know.

I also, hold the opinion that NYC has the most demanding bosses/managers/supervisors and that means NY'ers, as a group, are the hardest working people in the US.

Sorry man, but I have to call you on this. That titles belongs to the Japanese. Those poor sods literally work themselves to death. As is, "Oh shit, Junchiro-san just died at his desk." It's so endemic that they even have a name for that cause of death.

But yes, Americans are near the top of the list. But it's been fashionable for Americans to dump on themselves since the 80s. And the rest of world is more than happy to dump on us, too.

You don't become number one by slacking off. Hell, just look at Mexico. They have a shit country, with a shit economy, full of shitty people that take a fucking nap in the middle of the work day.

 

[KelJu]

Sorry man, but I have to call you on this. That titles belongs to the Japanese. Those poor sods literally work themselves to death. As is, "Oh shit, Junchiro-san just died at his desk." It's so endemic that they even have a name for that cause of death.

that is what I was thinking at first. I figured there were a few Asian countries that can work us under the table.

 

[tallcall]

I love the holidays! I opt to work on most of them, and I get rewarded pretty well. This week translates into a 60 hour paycheck because of the holiday and 8 hours of overtime that I didn't have to take but did anyway.

This is all coupled with the fact that I'm really not a high ranked employee but I still command and control everything as if I were. Hey, it gets things done quickly and makes me look good, screw the other bastards there!

 

[BoneCrusher]

If you start digging around in the stats on the Asian countries you find that is not the case.

Median retirement age in Japan has recently increased from 55 to 60. We work into our late 60's and early 70's. Since 1 in 4 persons in Japan is age 65 or older that is a huge comparison. Consider that their unemployment rate is within a percentage point of ours at 3.8 to our 4.8. We are close to triple their population and include in those numbers a work force with a greater age span. When you pound those stats and include our older workers the math comes out that on average more Americans work per capita then in Japan.

 

[DOMS]

that is what I was thinking at first. I figured there were a few Asian countries that can work us under the table.

Nope. Only the Japanese work at that level.

 

[DOMS]

If you start digging around in the stats on the Asian countries you find that is not the case.

Median retirement age in Japan has recently increased from 55 to 60. We work into our late 60's and early 70's. Since 1 in 4 persons in Japan is age 65 or older that is a huge comparison. Consider that their unemployment rate is within a percentage point of ours at 3.8 to our 4.8. We are close to triple their population and include in those numbers a work force with a greater age span. When you pound those stats and include our older workers the math comes out that on average more Americans work per capita then in Japan.

But you're missing two crucial numbers in your figures: hour worked per day and days worked per week. The Japanese tend to work 6 days a week and upwards of 12 hours a day.

But, in all fairness, the number of hours spent working doesn't equate to more real work. I'm sure a lot of farmers in China work all day long, but it's simply a work day spread across the entire day.

 

[BoneCrusher]

But you're missing two crucial numbers in your figures: hour worked per day and days worked per week. The Japanese tend to work 6 days a week and upwards of 12 hours a day.

But, in all fairness, the number of hours spent working doesn't equate to more real work. I'm sure a lot of farmers in China work all day long, but it's simply a work day spread across the entire day.

I'd like to see where you got those numbers from your DOMSNESS. What I been seein' is that we work about the same across the board as far as hours per week goes.

 

[DOMS]

I'd like to see where you got those numbers from your DOMSNESS. What I been seein' is that we work about the same across the board as far as hours per week goes.

It's the way it is. Just Google for it ("Japanese hours per week") and pick your source.

Here's an article on Keroshi (working yourself to death). Keep in mind that, for the most part, we're talking about people working to death in white collar jobs.

 

[BoneCrusher]

It's the way it is. Just Google for it ("Japanese hours per week") and pick your source.

Here's an article on Keroshi (working yourself to death). Keep in mind that, for the most part, we're talking about people working to death in white collar jobs.

American Karoshi: Karoshi, or working yourself to death, was thought to be a uniquely Japanese phenomenon. But, as Matthew Reiss explains, Americans are no strangers to it - Overwork

As far as the work week in Japan goes I did google it and though the wiki result was in agreement with you, the majority of the links showed the opposite. The Japanese law regulates the work week down to 40 hours with an additional 4 hours required to be paid at an overtime wage.

I guess what I'm seeing here is what has been a problem in many areas of our culture. We see something in the media and think wow and then we just accept that as the norm or the factual reference we then base our assessments of a given thing on. When we dig in and really look at it we are not the under producers that we as a nation are claimed to be.

 

[Big Smoothy]

There is a reason why the US citizen has more than the rest of the world. We work for it.

What does the US citizen have more of?

Please be specific.

Here's an article on stagnant and declining wages of the US worker.

GDP growth not reaching paychecks
The economic recovery that began in 2001 has lifted productivity growth and employment of late, but has had little impact on many workers' wages.
September 3 2007: 12:09 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The economic expansion that began six years ago has failed to benefit most workers, according to a report from the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute, released Monday.

Productivity growth, although slower of late, has been strong since 2000. After a sluggish start in the period, employment has picked up, although at a slower pace than in past recoveries. Yet, that growth hasn't transferred to workers' paychecks, particularly for workers at the lower and middle end of the pay scale, the report found.

Link: Economic expansion has failed to boost most wages - Sep. 3, 2007

 

[DOMS]

What does the US citizen have more of?

Please be specific.

Right off the top of my head, I'd say "food".

Here's an article on stagnant and declining wages of the US worker.

Link: Economic expansion has failed to boost most wages - Sep. 3, 2007

"most workers real wages have been stagnant in the 2000s, especially since 2003."

Which isn't the gloom and doom that the article, and you, are spreading. Since the GDP is about where it was back in 2003. It crested in 2004 and has since gone down to 2003 levels.

It's like Penn said, "The numbers aren't bullshit, the bullshit is bullshit!"

 

[BoneCrusher]

What does the US citizen have more of?

Please be specific.

Everything. Pick it and we have it in abundance. Fact is there is nothing you could think off that we don't have at our finger tips including an excess of whiners that think we are getting short changed.

 

[danny81]

I have have passed thru some of the southern states and noticed how most of the services are slow. I guess they are more laid back down there I don't know for sure.
I also hear this a lot.

I also notice that the private sector produces more than most, and I mean most Union jobs.
Where I work now I also dance around the other lazy people.

lol ur right when ever im in the south the stores are sooooooooo slow. it pisses me off. also people drive slower and talk slower. compared to New yorkers.

 

[tallcall]

lol ur right when ever im in the south the stores are sooooooooo slow. it pisses me off. also people drive slower and talk slower. compared to New yorkers.

Well, you got to remember that the south is basically a big retirement home! I've said it for years that as people age, they need to have extra driving tests done more and more frequently (for their safety as well as others, reaction time goes up as we all age).

Another thing to remember is that we live and die on the tourism economy we created for ourselves here. This means we MUST show a lot of (sometimes unwarranted) hospitality toward all people (which usually translates to being slower and more calm with everyone - or at least trying not to yell at every dumb-ass customer from New Hampshire who thinks they know more than you do about everything).

 

[Big Smoothy]

Right off the top of my head, I'd say "food".



"most workers real wages have been stagnant in the 2000s, especially since 2003."

Which isn't the gloom and doom that the article, and you, are spreading. Since the GDP is about where it was back in 2003. It crested in 2004 and has since gone down to 2003 levels.

It's like Penn said, "The numbers aren't bullshit, the bullshit is bullshit!"

DOMS,

I'm not trying to spread gloom and doom, but the OP was a bit boastful.

Disposable income (money in our pockets has decreased), and per capita debt ratios are at all time highs.

I think we should look at the big picture (and the big picture isn't all negative), but it should be noted.

 

[danny81]

Well, you got to remember that the south is basically a big retirement home! I've said it for years that as people age, they need to have extra driving tests done more and more frequently (for their safety as well as others, reaction time goes up as we all age).

Another thing to remember is that we live and die on the tourism economy we created for ourselves here. This means we MUST show a lot of (sometimes unwarranted) hospitality toward all people (which usually translates to being slower and more calm with everyone - or at least trying not to yell at every dumb-ass customer from New Hampshire who thinks they know more than you do about everything).

o lol. i guess everything in NYC is really fast to. like everytalks, drives, and does everythign fast.

 

[min0 lee]

o lol. i guess everything in NYC is really fast to. like everytalks, drives, and does everythign fast.

This is true.