Employment Growth and Change in Sierra Leone Small Scale Industry: 1974-1980

摘要

Surveys of small-scale industries in Sierra Leone, conducted in 1974 and 1980, are herein compared, in order to examine recent growth and change in this sector. First, rates of enterprise and employment growth are examined. It is shown that while employment in small-scale enterprises increased over the 6-year period, the magnitude of the increase varied importantly by industry and by locality size, with the greatest increases being in urban areas and in food-related industries. Rates of industrial entry and closure are then examined, and a high rate of early business failures is found. Patterns of change and reinvestment are also analyzed to determine whether or not the country's entrepreneurs introduced new goods, new production methods, new kinds of equipment, and invested new capital into their businesses. Finally, following the observation that small-scale industries have continued to play an important role in creating jobs despite the absence of favorable economic policies and promotional efforts in Sierra Leone, suggestions are made for supporting their further growth. Appended is a description of the 1980 survey methodology.