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• Location of SMEs

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• Structure and Dynamics

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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 greatest numbers located in Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury.

Figure 9

Employment generated by SMEs is greatest in Tasman and Northland

The regions where the highest proportion of employment is generated by SMEs are Tasman (50 percent) and Northland (48 percent). The lowest proportions are observed in the larger metropolitan areas of Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury, where larger businesses employ a greater proportion of the labour force.

Figure 10

⁷Statistics drawn from Business Activity Statistics 98, Statistics New Zealand. Figures are as at February 1998.