The services sector now accounts for over 70% of employment and value added in OECD economies. It also accounts for almost all employment growth in the OECD area. But despite its growing weight in OECD economies, productivity growth and employment rates in services remain low in many OECD countries.

This report provides an overview of the role of services in economic performance, and the factors that affect services sector performance. This includes the role of labour and product markets, the impact of barriers to trade in services, the role of innovation in services and the impacts of information and communications technology (ICT) on the services sector. The report also includes a paper presenting case studies of successful services firms, which help illustrate the broader analysis from OECD data.

 - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
 - INTRODUCTION AND SYNTHESIS
 - THE SERVICE ECONOMY IN OECD COUNTRIES
 - THE IMPACT OF STRUCTURAL POLICIES ON TRADE-RELATED ADJUSTMENTS AND THE SHIFT TO SERVICES
 - THE ECONOMY-WIDE EFFECTS OF SERVICES TRADE BARRIERS
 - THE IMPACT OF SERVICES BARRIERS ON EFFECTIVE RATES OF PROTECTION IN AGRICULTURE AND MANUFACTURING
 - PROMOTING INNOVATION IN SERVICES
 - POTENTIAL OFF-SHORING OF ICT-INTENSIVE OCCUPATIONS
 - ICT USE IN SERVICES AND THE GROWTH OF DIGITAL CONTENT SERVICES
 - CASE STUDIES OF SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES AND LESSONS FOR PUBLIC POLICY