Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Audretsch, D.B.
Author-Name-Last: Audretsch
Author-Name-First: David
Author-Person: pau27
Author-Name: Klomp, L.
Author-Name-Last: Klomp
Author-Name-First: Luuk
Author-Name: Thurik, A.R.
Author-Name-Last: Thurik
Author-Name-First: Roy
Author-Person: pth26
Title: Gibrat's Law: are the services different?
Abstract: Several noted surveys on intra-industry dynamics have recently reached the conclusion from a large body of evidence that Gibrat's Law does not hold. However, almost all of these studies have been based on manufacturing. There are compelling reasons to doubt whether these findings hold for the services. In this paper we examine whether the basic tenet underlying Gibrat's Law - that growth rates are independent of firm size - can be rejected for the services as it has been for manufacturing. Based on a large sample of Dutch firms the evidence suggests that growth rates are, in fact, independent of firm size. Validation of Gibrat's Law in the services suggests that the dynamics of industrial organisation for services may not simply mirror that for manufacturing.
Creation-Date: 2002-01-22
File-URL: https://repub.eur.nl/pub/153/erimrs20020122160551.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
Series: RePEc:ems:eureri
Number: ERS-2002-04-STR
Classification-JEL: D21, L20, M
Keywords: Gibrat's Law, firm growth, service industries
Handle: RePEc:ems:eureri:153