LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC, 1970-2014

Labour productivity is an important and widely used indicator of economic development. In the simplest form, it is estimated as gross value added at constant prices per worker. Such indicators cannot provide detailed description about the development of the economy but it refers to its crucial form. Assessment of this indicator in the long run needs comparable statistical data that are quite scarce. For such reason we constructed time series of gross value added at constant prices and number of workers for the period of socialism of the Czech Republic covering years 1970 - 1989. Our results are broken down by sections of CZ-NACE. These figures were prepared in line with ESA 2010 methodology and they are fully compatible with official statistical data published 1990 onwards. Data for the period between 1970 and 1989 come from our original research. They were calculated on the basis of published economic indicators based on the Material Product System used in socialist countries and transformed to the System of National Accounts. Our paper presents deep elaboration of the development of labour productivity by industries in the long time period. It brings an original view on the Czech economy.