Location of SMEs in New Zealand
Most SMEs are located in the major centres
Due to reasons of data availability, SMEs in this section will be defined as geographic units employing 9 or fewer FTEs. The graphs below give an indication of the concentration of these firms around New Zealand. Not surprisingly, the majority of SMEs are found in the larger centres, with the highest numbers of these enterprises located in Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury.
Figure 9. Geographic Units of SMEs by Regional Council Area
Employment generated by SMEs is greatest in Tasman and Northland
The regions where the highest proportion of employment is generated by SMEs are Tasman (45 percent) and Northland (42 percent). The larger metropolitan areas of Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury show the lower proportions, where larger businesses employ a greater proportion of the labour force.
Figure 10. Percentage of FTEs Employed by SMEs by Regional Council Area
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