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The Size of Plant: A Comparison

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 March 2020

G. F. Ray*
Affiliation:
National Institute

Extract

The purpose of this note is to analyse the size of plant in Britain, Germany and some other European countries, in order to answer the question : are there any differences here which might throw light on Britain's competitive position?

The main conclusion concerns large plants-those employing more than 1,000 people-in Germany and Britain. In Germany these large plants tend to be larger, in terms of employment, than in Britain. This is particularly marked in plants in industries producing for export. In all manufacturing industry, the typical large German plant was one-tenth larger than the British (in employment) ; in the six most important export industries, it was found to be one-third larger.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1966 National Institute of Economic and Social Research

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References

Notes

note (1) page 63 ‘Plant’ is an establishment under single control in one location.

note (2) page 63 Germany means the Federal Republic of Germany, or Western Germany, throughout.

note (3) page 63 Some of the statistical problems of these comparisons are described in the background tables. The size comparisons are for 1958 for Britain and Germany, and for 1961 for Sweden, France and Norway. The figures of net output per worker, by size of plant, in Britain and Germany are for 1954. Where there are major discrepancies in the industry coverage of the categories in the various countries, adjustments are made where possible. This is the case with the comparisons of the chemicals and textile industries as between Britain and Germany; in Germany, synthetic fibres are included in chemicals and in Britain they are included in textiles. The comparison here is on the German basis. In the same way, aircraft are excluded from the British figures for vehicles.

note (1) page 64 Board of Trade Journal, 7 May 1965, page 995.

note (2) page 64 Bericht über das Ergebnis einer Untersuchung der Konzentration in der Wirtschaft. Drucksache IV/2320, dated 5 June 1964, page 91.