The Influence of Input Availability and Market Access on Industrial Growth: A Conceptual and Empirical Investigation

Abstract

The Report of the President's Task Force on Rural Development, issued in 1970, makes recommendations as to what might be done in the public and private sectors to stimulate the economic and social development of the rural communities of America. Although these recommendations include such things as financial investment, expanding educational facilities and programs to increase the nutritional level in rural communities, the report maintains that the creation of employment opportunities in rural communities is a most essential part of their economic and social development. Since manufacturing activities are one possible source of jobs in rural areas, it is relevant to determine what factors influence the growth (location of new establishments or expansion of existing ones) of manufacturing industries in rural areas.