McKinsey Global Institute

Productivity & Prosperity

A puzzle consisting of various pieces featuring images of individuals dressed in professional attire. A few pieces are absent, resulting in an unfinished puzzle.

Help wanted: Charting the challenge of tight labor markets in advanced economies

-
For almost two decades, labor markets across advanced economies have tightened—and the trend is set to continue. This article provides a data-driven look via charts to understand the implications.

MORE INSIGHTS

Image of an EKG pulse waveform.
Investment: Taking the pulse of European competitiveness
-
Investment is the simplest way to gauge Europe’s competitiveness—and the region’s investment pulse is low.
Portrait of a rural Latin American family in front of their new house and looking at the camera smiling
A better life everyone can afford: Lifting a quarter billion people to economic empowerment
-
Lowering the costs of basic goods and services to improve living standards.
An image of a small business owner sharing a laugh at her design studio, where she makes leather goods to sell in her shop.
A microscope on small businesses: Spotting opportunities to boost productivity
-
MSMEs are vital for growth and jobs, but struggle with productivity. The route to higher productivity lies in creating a win-win...
Maintenance engineer working in a factory using robotic arm
Investing in productivity growth
-
It’s time to raise investment and catch the next productivity wave.
Image of polygon digital network lines forming the shape of a strong arm.
Accelerating Europe: Competitiveness for a new era
-
Turbulent times have highlighted new fragilities in Europe’s economies. Addressing them could be the catalyst for a new...
A still-life photograph of unopened lilies set against a black background.
Asia on the cusp of a new era
-
Asia will be the furnace in which a new era is forged—and may experience heightened versions of global challenges.
Two arms extend toward the middle of the image with a turning globe cradled in their hands. Two large leaves stretch out from either side of the arms and softly move as if in a breeze. The image resembles a flower, with the outstretched arms the stalk and the ring of people the petals.
From poverty to empowerment: Raising the bar for sustainable and inclusive growth
-
What would it take to raise minimum living standards and get on a net-zero path in this decade? Our research explores twin ambitions...
Three wild llamas staging on rocky grass lands against a white rocky hill background, with the sunlight falling on them.
What could a new era mean for Latin America?
-
Current global challenges could usher in a new era. What might this mean for Latin American economies?
A photorealistic scene of a mixed-use development with older office buildings looming in the background.  The foreground is bustling with shoppers and office professionals walking along wide sidewalks alongside multistory buildings with stores and eateries on the lower levels and offices and apartments above them.
Empty spaces and hybrid places: The pandemic’s lasting impact on real estate
-
Real estate in the world’s superstar cities has not kept up with shifts in behavior caused by the pandemic. The cities’...
Map of Africa filled in with images
Reimagining economic growth in Africa: Turning diversity into opportunity
-
Africa’s economy downshifted over the last decade, yet half of its people live in countries that have thrived on the continent....
A woman in black rock-climbing clothing navigates a large overhanging bolder without a rope. She has a firm hold with both hands but seeks a foot hold as she makes her way over the protruding rock.
The future of wealth and growth hangs in the balance
-
The past two decades have generated $160 trillion in paper wealth but sluggish growth and rising inequality. What comes next?