Labour productivity distribution (dispersion) is studied both theoretically and empirically. Superstatistics is presented as a natural theoretical framework for productivity. The demand index κ is proposed within this framework as a new business index. Japanese productivity data covering small-to-medium to large firms from 1996 to 2006 is analyzed and the power-law for both firms and workers is established. The demand index κ is evaluated in the manufacturing sector. A new discovery is reported for the nonmanufacturing (service) sector, which calls for expansion of the super¬statistics framework to negative temperature range.
Paper submitted to the special issue “Reconstructing Macroeconomics”