Some countries even apply different criteria for specific sectors. (See Appendix 1 for further consideration of the definitions applied to SMEs internationally.) Nevertheless, research suggests that SMEs are the major contributors to employment in all regions, although the scale of the contribution varies. Regional variations are revealed in Table 1.3 on page 10, which shows the median contribution of SMEs to employment in different regions, defining SMEs by relation to employee numbers. For example, SMEs employing up to 500 people account for almost 57% of employment in North America, but 88% in the South Asian region.
1. See WBSCD (undated) and the sources cited therein for the figures on Morocco, Bangladesh