The Growth of Service Industries The Paradox of Exploding Costs and Persistent Demand

Problems arise if budgets for services are held constant whilst prices rise. Education, cultural activities and health services are under constant budgetary pressure. The authors argue that the price of commodities is linked to demand and price increases would therefore seem to threaten the very existence of these services. The paradox of these services is that in spite of their exploding costs, demand persists.

Policymakers struggle with the problematic question of whether to limit public service budgets as costs for their provision rise. The service sectors of advanced economies are surprisingly vigorous - the employment of an ever increasing share of the labour force is one phenomenon. Economists are perplexed by the interplay of slow service and fast goods productivity growth and wonder why the demand for services is so persistent.

The Growth of Service Industries is intended for use by both policymakers and economists and serves as a useful introduction to service productivity analysis.

Edited by Thijs ten Raa, Utrecht University, the Netherlands and Ronald Schettkat, Professor of Economics (em.), Schumpeter School of Economics, University of Wuppertal, Germany