The Role of Health in Labor Productivity: A Case Study of Member Countries of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

The present paper attempts to estimate the relationship between labor productivity and health, technological progress and education, using panel data observing 57-nation Orgamization of Islamic Coopeation, OIC over the period of 1995-2009. A two-step procedure was used with the first involving an estimate of labor productivity based on observations in the OPEC, GCC and ECO member countries and also African nations within the Islamic countries. The second step involved an estimate of the effect on labor productivity of health, technological progress and education. Our findings indicate that labor productivities in Islamic countries with some exceptions on an average are above 3 with the highest of 12 belonging to Azerbaijan. Exceptions are Somalia and Gabon with negative productivities and Brunei and Cameroun with productivities around one. The only variable influencing labor productivity in the Islamic countries is health with technology and education having no meaningful influence.