Labor productivity in Western Europe and select countries 1913-1998
In terms of GDP per hour worked, France was the most productive of Western Europe's three major economies at the end of the 20th century. Overall, Western Europe's productivity per hour rose from 3.12 U.S. dollars in 1913 to 28.53 dollars in 1998. The reason for the sharp increases observed over the second half of the century was due to the declining contribution of agricultural and industrial output to overall economic output, which had been offset by the rise in the service sector's output. Automation and mechanization also meant that fewer work hours were needed in many sectors that traditionally relied on manual labor, contributing to growth in productivity.
