Author Description

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.