Addressing labor’s declining share of GDP
Did you know that the U.S. market share for manufactured goods by domestic producers has been declining steadily for the past 20 years? According to the CPA Domestic Market Share Index, it reached a record low of 66% in 2022. A critical issue cited is a two-thirds fall in labor’s share of U.S. GDP. Economists cite three main factors contributing to this decline:
- Weak productivity growth: Sluggish productivity growth significantly impacts labor’s share, accounting for half of the decline. 2
- Income inequality: The widening gap between average and median wages contributes to the decline, representing 19% of the overall gap in labor’s share. 3
- Technological progress: Unequal effects on labor and capital due to biased technological change play a role. Capital deepening (increased capital relative to labor) is a contributing mechanism. 4
This alarming trend underscores the pressing need for organizations...