For the United States, detail the growth of real labor productivity (GDP per capita) over the period 1960-2019 (or as closely as possible to these dates depending on data availability). You should make sure that you show the following information

GEOGRAPHY 150

ASSIGNMENT 1

Due Date: Wednesday April 20 (11.55pm PST)

Turn in (electronically) to the Assignment 1 Link on the class website

In this assignment you are going to be examining some labor productivity (GDP per capita) data for the United States and another country of your choice (starting with the same letter as your last name).

1. For the United States, detail the growth of real labor productivity (GDP per capita) over the period 1960-2019 (or as closely as possible to these dates depending on data availability). You should make sure that you show the following information:

a. Make a figure showing the annual values of labor productivity over time (label all axes etc.).

In a short discussion (paragraph) under your figure write up the following:

b. Report the start year and end year values of labor productivity.

c. Calculate and show the simple growth rate of labor productivity for the period as a whole.

d. Calculate the annual average compound rate of growth of labor productivity in the United States, for the study period as a whole and for important sub-periods that you identify from your plot.

2. Choose a second country beginning with the first letter of your last name (or as close to it as possible) and discuss the changes in this country’s labor productivity over the same time period (1960-2019) or as close to that period as possible. (Repeat the analysis above (1a-1d) for your second country. Note that data are unavailable for some countries until the 1970s or even more recently.)

3. Compare the productivity performance of the U.S. and your second country over the years examined.

DATA SOURCES:

Use the Penn World Tables, Version 10 from https://www.rug.nl/ggdc/productivity/pwt/ (链接到外部网站。)

1. For Version 10 just download and save all the data to your computer clicking on the Excel link in blue near top of page.

2. Open the data file in Excel (or any other spreadsheet program) on your personal computer.

3. You will then select the data you need for the U.S. and your second country.

4. You will need two variables, real GDP (choose rgdpo – output-side real GDP in chained PPP US2017 $millions), and pop (population in millions). Note that these data are already deflated.

5. Select these two variables for your two countries over a consistent time-period around 1960-2019 or 1970-2019, depending on availability

6. Save your data for the two countries. (You can delete the other data, but only if you’re sure you have what you need.)

HINTS:

1. I am not looking for any historical information, that is, explanations for the trends that you observe. I simply want you to present the figures and explain what they tell you, reporting data values and growth rates.

2. You will need to calculate GDP per capita for the two years of data, the average annual compound growth rates for the different countries and then construct your plot.

3. You must produce the scatterplot with Excel or another spreadsheet/data analysis program. You must not draw it free-hand.

4. You do not need to enter any data, everything you need is in the data file. Do all calculations using a spreadsheet, not by hand.

5. I know that some of you may not have produced a figure/scatterplot before. Ask John or me in office hours, and I will also place a couple of YOU-TUBE tutorials on the class website.

6. Ask for help if you are unsure, and START EARLY!!!!!!!!

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