Contrasting experience of recession and spatial restructuring: British Shipbuilders, Plessey and Metal Box

Abstract

Peck F. W. and Townsend A. R. (1984) Contrasting experience of recession and spatial re-structuring: British Shipbuilders, Plessey and Metal Box, Reg. Studies 18, 319–338. Trends in aggregate economic indicators in the recent recession conceal marked variations in the experience of different industrial corporations within the meso-economic sector in the UK. This paper demonstrates such variations by comparing the nature of employment decline in three major UK corporations, British Shipbuilders, Plessey and Metal Box. Despite similar employment profiles since 1977, these three corporations have experienced very different trends in output, productivity and profitability suggesting that their respective job losses have occurred for different reasons. The origins of these job losses are examined in detail concentrating in particular on the regional incidence of major redundancies and closures. The conclusion summarizes the factors which influence job loss and suggests extending the analysis to wider groups of corporations.