The article discusses the productivity and growth of the service sector in various countries. It explores the importance of producer services, the relationship between trade and manufacturing sectors, and the impact of industrial and service prices on unemployment. The researchers also analyze the growth of the market service sector in Italy and the indirect productivity of business services. Additionally, they investigate whether productivity converges across countries and sectors, and compare the performance of industrial and service firms. Key findings include the acceleration of service sector expansion in the 1980s, the implications of distribution system changes on efficiency, and the differential in productivity between manufacturing and services in Italy.