Are Small Firms More Profitable than Large Firms?

This article in the Economic Insights series looks at the relationship between firm size and financial performance. It highlights the results from the research paper Firm Dynamics: Variation in Profitability Across Canadian Firms of Different Sizes, 2000 to 2009. The research paper uses a special longitudinal database that follows corporate entities. It is part of a set of research projects being carried out at Statistics Canada on the topic of business dynamics.In the last decade, small businesses have attracted attention, as they are often seen as innovators and job creators. The job and output growth, and contribution to the economy of this group of firms are often compared with those of larger businesses. However, there is little information in Canada on the payoff to small firms for attempting to innovate. Firm performance in Canada has not been comprehensively examined by means of certain financial metrics. This has resulted in a significant information gap because financial performance relates directly to the incentives that entrepreneurs face and the risks undertaken by those who finance firms.