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Labor-Market Regimes in U.S. Economic History

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Author Info
Joshua L. Rosenbloom
William A. Sundstrom
Abstract

In much economic analysis it is a convenient fiction to suppose that changes over time in wages and employment are determined by shifts in supply or demand within a more or less competitive market framework Indeed, this framework has been effectively deployed to understand many episodes in American economic history. We argue here, however, that by minimizing the role of labor-market institutions such an approach is incomplete. Drawing on the history of American labor markets over two centuries, we argue that institutions--by which we mean both formal and informal rules that constrain the choices of economic agents--have played a significant role in the determination of wages, employment and other market outcomes over time. The historical evolution of American labor markets can best be characterized as a sequence of relatively stable arrangements punctuated by shifts in institutional regimes. Our narrative emphasizes the importance of understanding the historically contingent role of institutional regimes in conditioning the operation of supply and demand in empirical and policy analysis of the labor market.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 15055.

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Date of creation: Jun 2009
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:15055

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J0 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General
J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
N3 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Income, and Wealth
N31 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Income, and Wealth - - - U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913
N32 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Income, and Wealth - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-
N4 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, and Regulation
N41 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, and Regulation - - - U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913
N42 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, and Regulation - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-

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