Series

This quarter’s emerging trends report looks at strategic issues gaining recent attention. Reflecting on the issues explored can help ensure that your current strategy and business model are future-ready.

Projections of economic growth and labor quality changes in member countries up to 2030 are new features of the 2018 APO Productivity Databook, with expanded total factor productivity estimates and city productivity coverage, taking the effects of the smart digital revolution into account. Detailed analyses of productivity and economic performance in Asia-Pacific and reference economies enable comparisons at different development stages. These precise productivity measurements are part of APO efforts to improve policymaking, contributing to higher standards of living.

Five emerging trends that could seriously disrupt APO member economies in the future are examined. The report covers the essentials and status of each trend, their implications, and how member countries could respond.

Driving forces emerging during the quarter around the region are identified, with predictions on how they could affect member economies in terms of productivity and competitiveness.

The 2017 APO Productivity Databook builds on the comparative analysis approach covering APO members, reference economies, and economic groupings to give a comprehensive picture of factors affecting productivity gains. New introductions include: total factor productivity estimates for Lao PDR; revisions of economic growth figures from the late 1990s for nonmember Myanmar; and analyses of hourly wage differentials among employees, the self-employed, and contributing family workers, which are especially relevant for mid- to long-term economic research and planning.