PRODUCTIVITY IS on the rise in South Africa, making exports more competitive, according to the South African Reserve Bank's report for the last quarter of 1999.
According to the recently-released report, the growth in real output per worker, or labour productivity, in the formal non-agricultural sectors of the economy rose continuously from a year-on-year rate of 2,1% in the first quarter of 1999 to 4,6% in the fourth quarter.
This increase occurred despite labour volatility, says the bank.
On average, production per worker increased at a year-to-year rate of 3,3% in 1999, according to the report.
The improvement in labour productivity was due to a combination of declining employment, a broad-based economic recovery in the second half of 1999 and efficiency gains from the introduction of modern production technologies by South African producers.
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