Chapter 20: Problem 19
What do economists mean when they refer to improvements in technology?
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Chapter 20: Problem 19
What do economists mean when they refer to improvements in technology?
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An economy starts off with a GDP per capita of \$5,000. How large will the GDP per capita be if it grows at an annual rate of \(2 \%\) for 20 years? \(2 \%\) for 40 years? \(4\%\) for 40 years? \(6\%\) for 40 years?
How is GDP per capita calculated differently from labor productivity?
Assume there are two countries: South Korea and the United States. South Korea grows at 4\% and the United States grows at \(1 \% .\) For the sake of simplicity, assume they both start from the same fictional income level, \(\$ 10,000\). What will the incomes of the United States and South Korea be in 20 years? By how many multiples will each country's income grow in 20 years?
Over the past 50 years, many countries have experienced an annual growth rate in real GDP per capita greater than that of the United States. Some examples are China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Does that mean the United States is regressing relative to other countries? Does that mean these countries will eventually overtake the United States in terms of the growth rate of real GDP per capita? Explain.
Say that the average worker in the U.S. economy is eight times as productive as an average worker in Mexico. If the productivity of U.S. workers grows at \(2 \%\) for 25 years and the productivity of Mexico's workers grows at \(6 \%\) for 25 years, which country will have higher worker productivity at that point?
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