Productivity Growth Plant Turnover And Restructuring In The Canadian Manufacturing Sector

This paper outlines the size of the turnover in plants that have entered and exited the Canadian manufacturing sector during the three periods: 1973-1979, 1979-1988 and 1988-1997. It also examines the contribution of plant turnover to labour productivity growth in the manufacturing sector over the three periods. Plant turnover makes a significant contribution to productivity growth as more productive entrants replace exiting plants that are less productive. A disproportionately large fraction of the contribution of plant turnover to productivity growth is due to multi-plant or foreign-controlled firms closing down and opening up new plants. The plants opened up by multi-plant or foreign-controlled firms are typically much more productive than those opened by single-plant or domestic-controlled.

Over the past few decades there have been surges in productivity in a number of countries, in particular in the UK under the Thatcher government. Explanations of these changes have not been satisfactory. This compelling 1996 book examines the data relating to these changes at an individual establishment level. Chapters cover the UK, the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Belgium, Norway and Sweden, and comparisons also include Germany and the Netherlands. Using a variety of the most up-to-date methods of analysis, the contributors show that there is no single simple explanation. Changes in competitive conditions, skills, innovation and the growth of small firms all have their part to play, as does the widespread closure of the least productive establishments.

This note examines recent developments in the Canadian labor market to provide a partial assessment of the magnitude and nature of industrial restructuring in Canada. The implications of industrial restructuring for the medium- and long-term prospects for the Canadian economy are examined. The evidence presented in this note suggests that the recent increases in labor productivity may represent a cyclical phenomenon rather than a permanent increase in the rate of growth of productivity.

Entry is important because new firms and new plants provide an important source of competition to incumbents. They are a source of new products and technologies. In this article, we outline the size of the turnover in plants that have entered and exited the Canadian manufacturing sector over each of three periods-1973-1979, 1979-1988, and 1988-1997. We also examine the contribution of plant turnover to labor productivity growth in the manufacturing sector over the three periods. Plant turnover makes a significant contribution to productivity growth as more productive entrants replace exiting plants that are less productive. We also find that a disproportionately large fraction of the contribution of plant turnover to productivity growth is due to multi-plant or foreign-controlled firms closing down and opening up new plants. The plants opened up by multi-plant or foreign-controlled firms are typically much more productive than those opened by single-plant or domestic-controlled firms.

This volume is contemporary in focus, and explores key issues in current debates concerning international trade policy. The contributors are leading economists and political economists from Britain, Europe, the United States and Japan.

Economists have long recognized the gains from international trade. The question is, does international trade – or more broadly, globalization – increase growth? Notwithstanding the debates, there are still many questions, old and new, need to be explored in order to improve our understanding on various aspects of globalization, including its consequences. This book addresses some of these questions, utilizing micro datasets of some East Asian countries. The focus on East Asia is particularly interesting for the reason that most of these countries have relatively more opened economy and experienced a rapid de facto integration quite recently. The book puts forward questions which are related to the relationship between globalization on the one hand, and firm performance, activities, or characteristics, on the other. The chapters draw recent theoretical framework from the relevant literatures, and then empirically test – mostly by econometric analysis – the hypotheses on these relationships. The extent or magnitude of the globalization impact is also demonstrated by the means of descriptive analysis. Finally, there are useful insights for policy decision-makers to be drawn from the empirical results. The book presents rigorous empirical analysis based on recent theoretical framework in international economics, focusing on the highest growing region in the world. The use of micro-data analysis – a key feature of this book – gives us much richer information on various issues of globalization. This book, therefore, should be of the interest to scholars and postgraduate students of international economics, development economics, and East Asian economics.