The last thing a crisis weary Europe needs is a new competitiveness gap. But ambitious climate targets, as Germany and other successful European economies have shown, are not the problem.

In a monetary union, there are only two ways to close a competitiveness gap between countries transfers from the more competitive to the less competitive, or internal devaluation, which means real wage cuts.

South Korea ranks 26th on the World Economic Forum s Global Competitiveness Index, whereas Japan ranks sixth. Based on the gap in GDP per worker with that of the US, South Korea is more than 20 years behind Japan.

Competitiveness Surveys

First, the eurozone authorities misread the real causes of the debt crisis, which stemmed mainly from a growing competitiveness gap between the core and periphery countries. The resulting private sector imbalances culminated in banking problems that were eventually transferred to sovereigns.

Without external constraints, public and private expenditure grew precipitously in many countries on the eurozone periphery, while wages rose faster than productivity. As these countries posted current account deficits, northern European countries accumulated current account surpluses, exposing a widening competitiveness gap.

Does OFDI increase competitiveness of firms and how could competitiveness from OFDI be measured?

Climate and Competitiveness

But perhaps the other, bigger gap is what we call the hope gap.

How can such a huge price gap not have an impact on competitiveness? But if high energy prices lead to declining exports, how is it that Germany, which boasts some of the world s most ambitious climate policies, has doubled its exports since 2000?

See that gap there? There's a gap, and it affects all the other stories.

Europe s Competitiveness Shell Game

OFDI and enterprise competitiveness

Enhancing productivity and competitiveness

Enterprise competitiveness and development

Enterprise competitiveness and development

Enterprise competitiveness and development

Investment and enterprise competitiveness

In some cases, such a course can be so perilous that it should not be wished upon any society. The gap is simply too large between what is needed to restore competitiveness and what citizens can stomach if they remain part of the monetary union.

Closing Europe s Strategy Gap

There's a gap here.

The Transatlantic Growth Gap

Beyond the Gender Gap

Closing Asia s Security Gap

Closing the Skills Gap

The UN s Mandate Gap

The gap filling role

GAP Private Assistance Group

Addressing the Widening Gap

OFDI and enterprise competitiveness 11

It provoked the missile gap.

And this gap really narrows.

Programme Component F.2.2 Competitiveness Surveys

C Investment climate and international competitiveness

C. Investment climate and international competitiveness

C. Investment climate and international competitiveness

In the government sector, the unadjusted pay gap is 15 , and the adjusted pay gap was 3 in 2000.

And that gap is very intimidating.

And that gap continues to widen.

Why is there a gap there?

Have a look at the gap.

The gap between them has narrowed.

Programme Component F.2.2 Competitiveness Surveys 83

Service Module 3 Industrial competitiveness and trade

_______________ (2004d). Promoting the export competitiveness of SMEs.