Health, education and public administration are being blamed for the widening gap between the UK and other OECD economies. According to the office for National Statistics output for each worker in the USA was 27% higher than in the UK in 2004 and 11% below the G7 average (which includes the USA, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan).

GDP per worker in 2004

The figures for 2005 are likely to be even worse because the economy slowed dramatically in that year.