NEW FIRMS, SMALL FIRMS AND DEAD FIRMS - SPATIAL PATTERNS AND DETERMINANTS IN THE UNITED-KINGDOM

The paper analyses marked county-level spatial variations in new enter prise formation, growth in numbers of small businesses, and business f ailures in the UK 1980-90 as measured by VAT business registration and deregistration statistics. Multivariate econometric models for differ ent periods and sectors are used to identify a range of key determinan ts, chosen from previous theoretical and survey research, notably prev ious population growth, capital availability through housing wealth, p rofessional expertise, firm size structures, urban agglomeration advan tages and dis-economies, and growing market demand. Some evidence is f ound for local enterprise culture, local government expenditure and en terprise agency effects, but not for unemployment-push processes. Poli cy implications are discussed.