FIRM ENTRY AND EXIT IN BRAZIL: CROSS-SECTORAL EVIDENCE FROM MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

Abstract

What are the determinants of firm entry and exit in Brazil? How do entry and exit rates affect productivity? This paper tries to answer these questions using panel data for about 104 Brazilian manufacturing sectors (3-digit level) for the period 1996 to 2002. Our results show that the share of exports in sectoral output is one main determinant of entry and exit rates. The results also suggest that in years of real per capita GDP decline, export propensity is associated with entry rates, while in years of GDP expansion, sectoral growth is positively associated with net entry. Finally, our results show that exit (and to a lesser extent, entry and net entry) is a very robust determinant of total factor productivity across industrial sectors in Brazil.