Alt Causes to slow productivity---they can’t solve manufacturing or retail.

In the past, the industrial sector, particularly manufacturing, has been a major source of productivity gains. Efficiency improvements in most manufacturing industries has drastically slowed, but for a while computers and electronics picked up the mantle and kept manufacturing productivity growing. As “Moore’s law”—the seemingly inexorable climb in electronics performance—has proven harder to sustain, even productivity gains in this industry have slowed. Wholesale and retail trade has also contributed to productivity growth. Stiff competition among large companies like Walmart, Kroger, and Costco forced the industry to consolidate and speed distribution and point-of-sale efficiency. These gains also have faded, unfortunately, despite the revolution in online retail.