A Methodology for Estimating the Effects of Department of Labor Programs on Productivity in the Private Sector
Published Date: February 1, 1985
In this paper, a methodology is described and applied for evaluating the effects of individual government programs on aggregate private-sector productivity. Methodological development was needed to allow use of data from the existing professional literature. Earlier studies estimated the effects of the programs on price and quantity. CNA's contribution was to develop methods for translating these price and quantity effects into productivity estimates. The productivity effects of the following programs, all administered by the Department of Labor, were examined: training programs such as CETA and MDTA, minimum-wage laws, the Davis-Bacon Act, unemployment insurance, and OSHA and MSHA legislation on occupational safety.
