Births and Deaths
| SMEs account for the majority of all births and deaths | As would be expected, enterprise births and deaths are dominated by firms employing less than 5 FTEs, accounting for over 90% of total number of births and deaths, both in 1998, as illustrated below, and in previous years. |
Figure 11 - Enterprise Births 1998
Figure 12 - Enterprise Deaths 1998
| Enterprise dynamic, particularly among SMEs, is increasing | Over the decade from 1988 to 1998, enterprise dynamic has increased significantly, with births rising 136 percent and deaths rising 112 percent. 95 percent of this increase can be attributed to a rise in births and deaths among small enterprises, as illustrated in table 3. This increase should not be seen as a negative as it may reflect greater risk-taking in the economy and a mobility of resources to more efficient uses. |
Table 3. - Percentage Changes in Births and Deaths 1988-1998
Enterprise Size | % increase in births | % increase in deaths |
| 0-5 FTEs | 142 | 126 |
| 6-9 FTEs | 84 | 35 |
| 10-19 FTEs | 90 | 27 |
| 20-49 FTEs | 37 | 7 |
| 50-99 FTEs | 14 | 12 |
| 100+ FTEs | -6 | 13 |
| Total | 136 | 112 |