The Convergence Dynamics of Agricultural Labor Productivity in OECD Countries

Year 2023, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 273 - 287, 26.06.2023

Ahmet Tunç

https://doi.org/10.33399/biibfad.1267854

Abstract

This study aims to examine the convergence dynamics of agricultural labor productivity in 38 OECD countries. To this end, the data for the period 1995-2019 were analyzed using the log-t convergence test proposed by Phillips and Sul (2007, 2009). The findings indicate that agricultural labor productivity in OECD countries does not converge as a whole, but rather, cross-country differences in agricultural labor productivity have increased over time. The clustering algorithm of the log-t test indicates that four final clubs of convergence characterize OECD countries in terms of agricultural labor productivity. While the first club with the best performance has followed a positive trend in which agricultural labor productivity has increased over time; the second club is positioned around the average limit. However, the long-term trend of agricultural labor productivity of the club, which includes Japan, Costa Rica, Poland, Greece, Chile and Turkey, points to a negative divergence. This negative divergence is more severe in the last club, which includes Colombia and Mexico. As a result, the fact that the clubs that are negatively diverged in terms of agricultural labor productivity include developed countries, as well as developing countries, implies that a high level of development will not guarantee an increase in agricultural labor productivity over time.

Keywords

Agricultural labor productivity, agricultural added value, log-t test, club convergence, OECD countries

OECD Ülkelerinde Tarımsal İşgücü Verimliliğinin Yakınsama Dinamikleri

Abstract

Bu çalışma, 38 OECD ülkesinin tarımsal işgücü verimliliğinin yakınsama dinamiklerini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu amaçla, 1995-2019 dönemine ait veriler Phillips ve Sul (2007, 2009) tarafından önerilen log-t yakınsama testi kullanılarak incelenmiştir. Çalışma bulguları, OECD ülkelerinde tarımsal işgücü verimliliğinin bir bütün olarak yakınsama trendi takip etmediği, bunun yerine tarımsal işgücü verimliliğinde ülkeler arası farklılıklarının zaman içinde arttığına işaret etmektedir. Log-t testinin kümeleme algoritması, tarımsal işgücü verimliliği bakımından OECD ülkelerinin dört nihai yakınsama kulübüyle karakterize edildiğini göstermektedir. En iyi performans gösteren ilk kulüp, dönem başından itibaren tarımsal işgücü verimliliğinin arttığı pozitif bir trendi takip ederken; ikinci kulüp, dönem boyunca ortalama sınırın etrafında konumlanmıştır. Ancak aralarında Türkiye’nin de bulunduğu Japonya, Kosta Rika, Polonya, Yunanistan ve Şili’yi içeren kulübün tarımsal işgücü verimliliğinin uzun dönemli eğilimi, negatif bir ayrışmaya işaret etmektedir. Bu negatif ayrışma, Kolombiya ve Meksika’yı içeren son kulüpte daha şiddetlidir. Sonuç olarak, tarımsal işgücü verimliliği bakımından negatif ayrışan kulüplerin gelişmekte olan ülkelerin yanı sıra gelişmiş ülkeleri de içermesi, yüksek bir gelişmişlik düzeyinin zaman içinde artan bir tarımsal işgücü verimliliğini garanti etmeyeceğini ima etmektedir.

Keywords

Tarımsal işgücü verimliliği, tarımsal katma değer, log-t testi, kulüp yakınsaması, OECD ülkeleri

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