What is meant by the term productivity? It’s a word that’s used a lot and usually with a very grave voice saying it’s in decline. But what does that mean, is it a permanent state and is it linked to our wages?  Listen here for the full interview with Amanda Vanstone on her ABC National Radio show Counterpoint.

Dean Parham is a research economist specialising in productivity analysis.

Until 2008, he was an Assistant Commissioner at the Productivity Commission in Canberra, where he led the Commission’s ‘flagship’ program of research on Australia’s productivity performance. This work helped to highlight the importance of productivity growth and the policy-relevant factors that can foster improved productivity performance. His work has been widely published in Productivity Commission reports, journal articles, book contributions, invited conference papers and working papers.

Since leaving the Commission, Dean has continued to investigate productivity and economic performance on various research projects with private, government and university agencies. Major appointments have been at the Australian Treasury and now as a Visiting Researcher at the Productivity Commission.

Click here to listen to the interview.