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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Competitiveness Surveys

The gap in technological capabilities is increasing.

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.

But the OMT scheme has not been reinforced by a reduction in key interest rates, which would boost inflation in core countries with external surpluses and thus help to close the competitiveness gap with the periphery. Crucially, monetary policy measures do not address the underlying problem of lack of demand.

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

Sometimes there was a gap in the normative framework.

As a result, competitiveness in international markets would be reduced.

In July 2002, New Brunswick convened a Wage Gap Roundtable to look at the wage gap in its entirety and to identify its causes and possible solutions.

Assist small island developing States in enhancing their competitiveness in international markets.

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

China recognizes, too, that what separates less developed from more developed countries is not only a gap in resources, but also a gap in knowledge. So it has laid out bold plans not only to reduce that gap, but to create a basis for independent innovation.

Employment of women in the garment industry was reversing this trend to some extent, but the gender gap in education and training indicates that the gap in remuneration is likely to continue.

It provoked the missile gap.

And this gap really narrows.

But this leaves us with a big gap in our knowledge.

Large discrepancies exist within the eurozone, reflected in structural trade imbalances between the core and the periphery that lie at the heart of the debt crisis. The eurozone s cohesion and future growth depend critically on creating a framework through grants and loans for investment capital to flow to the poorer countries in order to close the competitiveness gap.

Programme Component F.2.2 Competitiveness Surveys

C Investment climate and international competitiveness