Most productive nations

The top five nations in worker productivity, according to a recent UN study, are:

1. United States: $63,885 of wealth per worker per year

2. Ireland: $55,986

3. Luxembourg: $55,641

4. Belgium:$55,235

5. France: $54,609

The figures are found by dividing the country's GDP by the number of people employed.

American workers also put in the most hours per year (1,804), but that doesn't fully explain the results, the report says, as the U.S. also ranks very well in amount of wealth created per hour of work ($35.53), right behind the leader, Norway ($37.99).

The U.S.'s productivity growth outpaces that of many other developed economies, and this

"...has to do with the ICT (information and communication technologies) revolution, with the way the U.S. organizes companies, with the high level of competition in the country, with the extension of trade and investment abroad," says Jose Manuel Salazar of the International Labor Organization, a specialized agency of the UN.

The gap between the leaders and poorer nations is widening.

Third-world workers from southeast Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have potential but need more investment in training, equipment and technology.

"China and other East Asian countries are catching up quickest with Western countries. Productivity in the region has doubled in the past decade and is accelerating faster than anywhere else."

Workers in East Asia are still only about one-fifth as productive as laborers in industrialized countries. Note the difference in output between the U.S. and China:

• Industry: $104,606 (U.S.) vs. $12,642 (China)

• Farming: $52,585 (U.S.) vs. $910 (China).

More info here.

Key indicators here.

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