General Motors continued to make impressive strides toward closing the productivity gap with Japanese automakers.

By the end of seven years, virtually all of the pre-takeover productivity gap between companies had been eliminated.

A reduced fiscal deficit will not remedy this productivity gap and may even exacerbate our problems if certain expenditures are curtailed.

The productivity gap began to widen again in the 1990s, particularly in the manufacturing sector.

Not surprisingly, economic growth in Japan has slowed over the last two decades as it narrowed the productivity gap with America and Europe.

"How do we close the productivity gap without costly work stoppages is the clear focus in my head," Mr. Smith said.

I will focus on the productivity gap.

Until the mid-1990s, the productivity gap between the EU and the US narrowed steadily.

I welcome this report by my colleague, Malcolm Harbour, who has set out ways in which Europe can begin to close that productivity gap.

Cohesion policy must contribute not only to reducing productivity gaps generated by the crisis, but also to putting productivity gains on track.