From: Gerald_A_Levy@MSN.COM
Date: Thu Feb 24 2005 - 08:55:52 EST
> I am looking for data on the degree of concentration in US industry > (mfg and non-mfg), and how it has evolved over the past decades (a > century would be great). > Someone suggested I look at the concentration within the Fortune 500 > -- but that leaves open the question of their weight in the overall > economy. > Does anyone have any leads one where one might find such data? Paul A: This would seem as if it would be a relatively simple statistic to keep track of. But, at least in the US, comprehensive statistics on market concentration are not published by the government. The most likely source -- since these numbers are not published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics or the Bureau of Commerce -- would be the U.S. Census Bureau, but if you look at the _Statistical Abstract of the United States_, Section 17 (Business Enterprise) [< http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-us.html > ], you will _not_ find the statistics you are looking for. Sorry. Statistics on market concentration in *selected markets*, rather than comprehensive statistics across industries, are sometimes published in industrial organization books and articles. Perhaps comprehensive statistics on concentration in other nations are published regularly. If you do manage to locate comprehensive statistics on concentration for all industries, please let us know. In solidarity, Jerry
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