ABSTRACT
The increase in manufacturing concentration in recent years is confirmed by estimates made from time to time by the Federal Trade Commission. None of these estimates goes back to 1929, and they all underestimate the actual degree of concentration, partly because con solidation is incomplete and partly because no adjustment is made for the duplication of assets and similar matters. But the estimates are con sistent with each other and show clear evidence of an increase in manufacturing concentration since 1950. This series is given in Table IV and shows a rise in concentration from 40.2 per cent of manufac turing corporation assets held by the largest 100 in 1950 to 45.7 per cent in 1962. When non-corporate manufacturing assets are included, the rate of increase is slightly higher, because a smaller proportion of manufacturing assets remains unincorporated. Census figures for con centration based on value-added for all manufacturing enterprises are indicated in Chart I for 1947-1963. There can be little doubt that manufacturing as a whole became more concentrated in the 15 years from 1950 to 1965 and also in the 36 years from 1929 to 1965.
