FOREWORD

I am pleased to present the 2008 edition of the APO Productivity Databook. This edition marks a clear departure from the methodology and approach used in the previous ones. Time series analyses and crosscountry comparisons are now at the heart of the data presented. This has enabled assessments of the recent progress made by APO member countries in the context of past trends and indicative benchmarks, and hence offers a fresh perspective on regional development and growth. With a firmer grasp of the role and sources of labor productivity growth, it is hoped that this publication will serve as an informative guide for national policymakers and respective national productivity organizations in identifying priorities among development goals and planning further projects that address their specific needs.

This publication is the tangible achievement of the APO Productivity Databook Project, recently reembarked as a response to the increasing awareness among member countries of the importance of internationally harmonized productivity data. During the project, many data-related problems were surmounted to bring this publication into fruition. This APO Productivity Databook 2008 therefore marks a milestone in the APO’s plan to improve and expand the productivity data and analyses available to member countries.

This publication would not have been feasible if not for the contributions of all 19 national experts who provided the original national data. Gratitude is also extended to the team of productivity specialists-cumauthors of this publication at the Keio Economic Observatory: Professor Koji Nomura, Ms. Eunice Y. M. Lau, and Mr. Hideyuki Mizobuchi. They worked painstakingly to ensure internal and international consistency of data and made significant contributions to advancing our data analysis and methodology. I hope that readers will enjoy referencing this publication and find multiple uses for it.

Shigeo Takenaka, Secretary-General, Tokyo
March 2008