<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The paper deals with an analysis of dynamics and the differentiation of basic features that characterize employment in European Union countries. The conducted research considered characteristics of the labour force such as the share of total labour compensation in the GDP, the number of hours worked and labour productivity. According to economic theory, this last variable plays a crucial role in the formation of the long-term economic growth. Also examined in the paper was the influence of the economic crisis on the behaviour of the indicated variables. A main statistical data source was the Total Economy Database published by the Conference Board. It can be seen from the results of the research that there exists growing international differences between the basic characteristics of labour force utilization and productivity. The conclusions were drawn on the grounds of a cluster analysis, which allowed deriving homogenous groups of countries according to the specificity of labour utilization and efficiency.</p></abstract>

The paper deals with an analysis of dynamics and the differentiation of basic features that characterize employment in European Union countries. The conducted research considered characteristics of the labour force such as the share of total labour compensation in the GDP, the number of hours worked and labour productivity. According to economic theory, this last variable plays a crucial role in the formation of the long-term economic growth. Also examined in the paper was the influence of the economic crisis on the behaviour of the indicated variables. A main statistical data source was the Total Economy Database published by the Conference Board. It can be seen from the results of the research that there exists growing international differences between the basic characteristics of labour force utilization and productivity. The conclusions were drawn on the grounds of a cluster analysis, which allowed deriving homogenous groups of countries according to the specificity of labour utilization and efficiency.

Labour Contribution and Productivity in the European Union: A Cluster Analysis

Faculty of Economics and Management, Institute of Econometrics and Statistics

Folia Oeconomica Stetinensia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Labour Contribution and Productivity in the European Union: A Cluster Analysis"}

The paper deals with an analysis of dynamics and the differentiation of basic features that characterize employment in European Union countries. The conducted...

Labour Contribution and Productivity in the European Union: A Cluster Analysis

Published Online: Dec 27, 2017

Page range: 7 - 18

Received: Jul 15, 2017

Accepted: Oct 09, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/foli-2017-0015

Keywords
labour force, productivity, cluster analysis, European Union

© 2017 Jacek Batóg, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Labour Contribution and Productivity in the European Union: A Cluster Analysis

Published Online: Dec 27, 2017

Page range: 7 - 18

Received: Jul 15, 2017

Accepted: Oct 09, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/foli-2017-0015

Keywordslabour force, productivity, cluster analysis, European Union

© 2017 Jacek Batóg, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
labour force, productivity, cluster analysis, European Union