STRUCTURAL HETEROGENEITY: AN ANALYSIS ACCORDING TO SIZE, SECTOR AND AGE OF BRAZILIAN INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES (2007-2016)

ABSTRACT Several recent studies show that structural heterogeneity is an important feature of the Brazilian manufacturing sector. This paper carries out a statistical analysis of heterogeneity examining the Brazilian manufacturing structure in terms of firm size, age, and sector of activity, from 2007 to 2016. Our descriptive analysis used datasets extracted from Pesquisa Industrial Anual Empresa (PIA/Empresa) and Cadastro Central de Empresas (CEMPRE), both collected by the IBGE, the Brazilian official statistics bureau. The analysis of the labor productivity indicator shows that structural heterogeneity goes beyond firm size, being likewise significant in terms of firm's age and sector of activity. In addressing the issues of firm size and longevity, our work contributes to discussing the situation of domestic manufacturing sectors in the ongoing deindustrialization of the Brazilian economy.