Productivity in the mining industry: measurement and interpretation

The measurement and interpretation of productivity frequently presents significantchallenges, especially when conducted at the industry level. In this regard themining industry is no exception. This report identifies measurement andinterpretation issues of relevance to productivity estimates for the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Topp, V., Soames, L., Parham, D., Bloch, Harry
Format: Working Paper
Published: Productivity Commission staff Working Paper 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/17345
Description
Summary:The measurement and interpretation of productivity frequently presents significantchallenges, especially when conducted at the industry level. In this regard themining industry is no exception. This report identifies measurement andinterpretation issues of relevance to productivity estimates for the mining industryin Australia. Quantitative evidence is presented regarding the effect on miningindustry productivity growth of two important factors: systematic changes in theunderlying quality of natural resource inputs used in mining; and production lags inresponse to increases in capital investment.