An Anatomy of the Geographical Concentration of Canadian Manufacturing Industries

Abstract

We document the location patterns of Canadian manufacturing industries – as well as changes in those patterns over the first decade of 2000 – using detailed micro-geographic data. Depending on industry definitions and years, 40 to 60 percent of industries are clustered. According to our measures, manufacturing industries become less geographically concentrated in Canada, i.e., localization is decreasing. Yet, some of the most localized industries are becoming even more localized. We also document the locational trends specific to small firms, young firms, and exporters. We find that their location patterns do not differ significantly from that of the other firms in their industries.