India is witnessing a surge in productivity

Although labour productivity in South Asia continues to be amongst the lowest in the world,

Although labour productivity in South Asia continues to be amongst the lowest in the world, right above Sub-Saharan Africa, at $7,998 per worker, there is reason to cheer as it shows there is scope for improvement and hence for sustained

economic growth.

In India productivity has been rising by 3.7% per year, with services seeing the highest growth at 4.6% followed by manufacturing at 3.4% and agriculture at 1.5%, compared to China which saw an increase of 5.7% on an average. As per studies, productivity gains are strongly linked to poverty reduction, which the ILO attributes to ‘decent’ employment opportunities “that not only provide a sufficient income level but also ensure social security, good working conditions and a voice at work.” As of 2003, 87.5% workers in South Asia did not have such decent opportunities, while it was only 49.2% for East Asia, which might help explain the differences in the rate of productivity increases between India and China.

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