Demand Fluctuations and Productivity of Service Industries

         
Author Name MORIKAWA Masayuki  (Senior Fellow, RIETI)
Creation Date/NO. August 2008 08-J-042
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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically the relationship between demand fluctuations and productivity of service industries. Specifically, by using unique establishment-level data on service industries in Japan, this paper estimates production functions for six narrowly defined personal-service industries. In almost all the examined service industries, statistically and economically significant negative effects of demand variation on establishment-level productivity are found. This result suggests dispersing holidays may have positive effects on the productivity of service industries.