Components of Manufacturing Employment Change in Ireland 1973-1981

Abstract

Employment change in Irish manufacturing industry is disaggregated into its basic components of openings, expansions, contractions and closures over the period 1973 to 1981. The components of change are cross-classified at plant level by ownership, grant type, size and sector and this shows that rates of indigenous new firm formation are higher in Ireland than in either of the UK regions. Comparisons of employment change by plant size with the US and the UK reveals that although the direction of change is the same for Irish manufacturing with only plants of below 100 employed recording net increases, the rate of net gain achieved by small plants in Ireland is greater than in either the US or the UK.