Manufacturing productivity in Northern Ireland: a re-examination

Abstract

This paper considers the influence of plant-level productivity and industry-mix/plantsize structure on manufacturing productivity in Northern Ireland. It demonstrates that from 1981-91 around two-thirds of the productivity gap between the UK and Northern Ireland was due to the region's structural weakness rather than shortfalls in the productivity performance of individual plants. To maintain or increase the wealth creating potential of Northern Ireland manufacturing, future policy will need to address both firms' competitive position and the region's structural disadvantage.