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Concentrated Growth: The Role of the IT Sector


Abstract: Productivity is the engine of economic growth and a key factor in determining standards of living and economic well-being. In this article, we study the distribution of total factor productivity (TFP) growth across sectors of the U.S. economy—i.e., the composition of TFP growth—and demonstrate that over approximately the past four decades, U.S. TFP growth has been highly concentrated, with the information technology (IT) sector in particular playing a large and outsized role.

JEL Classification: D24; E24; O11; O40; O47;

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Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Part of Series: Chicago Fed Letter

Publication Date: 2025-11

Volume: 515

Pages: 9