# Fixing up the column widths

Hi fellow Stack Exchangers,

I am trying to create a table but the columns are all messed up with text from columns flowing onto adjacent columns and number being broken up over multiple rows.

Does anyone know the code I can use to make this automatic?

If you insert a space between Distributed: and the series of \cite commands, you'll allow LaTeX to insert a line break. The ? marks in the screenshot below arise because I can't resolve the \cite instructions. If need be, insert another space between some of the \cite commands in order to allow still another line break.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{multirow}
\begin{document}

\begin{table}[htbp]\centering
\def\sym#1{\ifmmode^{#1}\else$$^{#1}$$\fi}
\caption{Spillover Effect onto Other Industries}\label{other industries}
\begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{p{2cm}p{1.5cm}p{1.5cm}p{1.5cm}}
\hline\hline & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Baseline} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Economic Slack} \\ \cmidrule{2-2} \cmidrule(lr){3-4}
\multicolumn{1}{c}{Industries}                   &\multicolumn{1}{c}{Public Ed Construction (\$millions)} &\multicolumn{1}{c}{Public Ed Construction (\$ millions)} &\multicolumn{1}{c}{Economic Slack Interaction}\\
\multirow{2}{*}{Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing}& 0.00539 & -0.0130 & 0.0231**\\ &(0.68)& (-1.04)& (2.41) \\ \multirow{2}{*}{Mining}& -0.0109* & -0.0292 & 0.0226\\ &(-2.36)&(-1.85)&(1.53) \\ \multirow{2}{*}{Manufacturing}& 0.0205 & 0.00547 & 0.0183\\&(1.43)&(0.30)& (1.71)\\ \multirow{2}{*}{Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services}& -0.00458* & -0.0137*** & 0.0115*\\&(-2.05)&(-4.38)& (2.07)\\ Wholesale Trade& -0.0125 & -0.0194 &  0.00875\\&(-1.52)&(-1.15)& (0.54)\\ \multirow{2}{*}{Retail Trade}& -0.0117 & -0.0170 & 0.00511 \\&(-1.00)& (-0.76)&(0.32) \\ \multirow{2}{*}{Accommodation and Food Services}& 0.00404 & 0.00193 & 0.00290\\&(1.28)&(0.17)& (0.23)\\ \multirow{2}{*}{Transport, Postal and Warehousing}& -0.00342 & 0.00612 & -0.0120\\&(-0.43)&(0.71)& (-1.45)\\ \multirow{2}{*}{Information Media and Telecommunications}& 0.00766 & 0.0126 & -0.00645\\&(1.82)&(1.88)& (-1.03)\\ \multirow{2}{*}{Financial and Insurance Services}& 0.00355 & 0.0160 & -0.0159\\&(1.20)&(1.41)& (-1.32)\\ \multirow{2}{*}{Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services}& 0.00426 & 0.00165 &  0.00296 \\&(0.71)&(0.22) (0.53)\\ \multirow{2}{*}{Professional, Scientific and Technical Services}& -0.0009 & 0.0399** & -0.0517**\\&(-0.15)&(2.95)& (-2.52)\\ \multirow{2}{*}{Administrative and Support Services}& 0.00519* & -0.00109 & -0.0137\\&(1.92)&(-0.13)& (0.91)\\ \multirow{2}{*}{Public Administration and Safety}& -0.0110 & -0.000109 & -0.0200\\&(-1.50)&(-0.01)& (-1.55)\\ \multirow{2}{*}{Education and Training}& 0.00674 & 0.0227 &\\&(0.57)&(1.17)& -0.0311* \\ \multirow{2}{*}{Health Care and Social Assistance}& 0.00483 & 0.0298 & -0.0311*\\&(0.35)&(1.42)& (-1.25)\\ \multirow{2}{*}{Arts and Recreation Services}& 0.00415 & 0.00948* & -0.00687\\&(1.11)&(2.06)& (-1.37)\\ \multirow{2}{*}{Other Services}& -0.0129 & -0.0141 & 0.00166\\&(-1.76)&(-0.74)& (0.10)
\end{tabularx}
\end{table}
\end{document}

• I've taken the liberty to make your MWE compilable. Apart from that, remove all the occurences of \multicolumn{1}{c}{} in the first column. Also, what's the purpose of using tabularx without any X type column? – leandriis May 23 at 9:56
• @leandriis What do you mean by all the occurrences of \multicolumn{1}{c}{}, there is only one? Do you mean multirow? – Asaf Cohen May 23 at 10:02
• Sorry, I meant "in the headr row" instead of the first column. You could also try to replace \multirow{2}{*} by \multirow{2}{=}. – leandriis May 23 at 10:04

Here is part of your table. The rest of the code can be adapted accordingly:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{multirow}
\usepackage{ragged2e}
\newcolumntype{C}{>{\Centering}X}
\begin{document}

\begin{table}[htbp]\centering
\def\sym#1{\ifmmode^{#1}\else$$^{#1}$$\fi}
\caption{Spillover Effect onto Other Industries}\label{other industries}
\begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{p{4cm}CCC}
\toprule & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Baseline} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{Economic Slack} \\ \cmidrule{2-2} \cmidrule(lr){3-4}
Industries                   &Public Ed Construction (\$millions) & Public Ed Construction (\$ millions) &Economic Slack Interaction\\
\midrule
\multirow{2}{=}{Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing}& 0.00539 & -0.0130 & 0.0231**\\ &(0.68)& (-1.04)& (2.41) \\ \addlinespace
Mining& -0.0109* & -0.0292 & 0.0226\\ &(-2.36)&(-1.85)&(1.53) \\ \addlinespace
Manufacturing& 0.0205 & 0.00547 & 0.0183\\&(1.43)&(0.30)& (1.71)\\ \addlinespace
\multirow{2}{=}{Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services}& -0.00458* & -0.0137*** & 0.0115*\\&(-2.05)&(-4.38)& (2.07)\\ \addlinespace
\end{tabularx}
\end{table}
\end{document}


Changes in comparison to the original:

• Removed \multicolumn commands in the table header as they prevented automatic line breaks
• Replaced \multirow{2}{*} by \multirow{2}{=} as the latter uses the declared width (4cm in this case) for the multirows as well.
• Added some \addlinespace commands for increased readability
• Used a new centered C type column that in based on tabularx's X type column for the data columns.
• ...