Plant Turnover and Productivity Growth in Canadian Manufacturing

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.