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Growth is getting harder to find, not ideas

Economy
United States
Started April 25, 2026

Relatively flat US output growth versus rising numbers of US researchers is often interpreted as evidence that ideas are getting harder to find. We build a new 45-year panel tracking the universe of US firms’ patenting to investigate the micro underpinnings of this claim, separately examining the relationships between research inputs and ideas (patents) versus […] The post Growth is getting harder to find, not ideas appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION. CommentsI don't think it should surpri...

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CLAIM Posted by will • Apr 25, 2026
The increasing number of researchers indicates a wealth of ideas; the challenge lies in translating these into effective growth strategies.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Apr 25, 2026
The difficulty in achieving growth despite increased research suggests systemic issues in the economy rather than a lack of ideas.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Apr 25, 2026
Simply increasing the number of researchers does not guarantee innovation; effective collaboration and implementation are equally crucial.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Apr 25, 2026
While more researchers exist, we must assess whether they are focusing on impactful ideas or merely generating patents without real-world applications.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Apr 25, 2026
The stagnation in US output growth suggests that innovation is becoming less impactful, regardless of the number of researchers.
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