689 B
689 B
Market-Town Economy
Definition
The economic organisation of small urban centres that provide limited but essential market access for surrounding rural areas. Market towns enable a degree of specialisation beyond what is possible in isolated villages, though they cannot support the full division of labour possible in larger cities.
Source Chapter
Book I, Chapter 3
Context
Smith uses the example of a porter who can find employment and subsistence only in a great town, not in a village or even an ordinary market-town. This illustrates how different sizes of markets support different degrees of specialisation and division of labour.
Economic Domain
Exchange