Asia's Economies Can Embrace Services to Boost Growth and Productivity

October 30, 2024--Manufacturing has been the engine of growth in Asia, but a transition to modern, tradable services could be new source of growth and productivity
The Asia-Pacific region prospered by becoming the source of more than half of global factory output, but another transformation to higher-productivity services has the potential to further support growth.

Employment and production typically move from agriculture to manufacturing to services, as part of natural progression that comes with rising income.

Today, many Asian countries-including China, Indonesia, Korea, and Thailand-are highly industrialized. If history is a guide, industry's share of production will shrink as more activity passes to services.

Indeed, the growth of services has already drawn about half of the region's workers into that sector, up from just 22 percent in 1990, as hundreds of millions moved from farms and factories.

China's Economy Has Not Peaked

January 7, 2025--Chinese policymakers should allow for a more market-driven allocation of land, money, and labor.
Summary
China's GDP is growing. Youth unemployment is down. And the property-market crisis is moderating. But the economy's dynamism is missing.