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The Condition of the Working-Class in England, 1209-2004

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  • Gregory Clark

    (Department of Economics, University of California Davis)

Abstract

The paper uses building workers? wages 1209-2004, and the skill premium, toconsider the causes and consequences of the Industrial Revolution. Real wageswere trendless before 1800, as would be predicted for the Malthusian era.Comparing wages with population, however, suggests 1640 actually was thebreak from the technological stagnation of the Malthusian era, long before theclassic Industrial Revolution and even the arrival of modern democracy in 1689.Building wages also conflict with human capital interpretations of the IndustrialRevolution, as modeled by Becker et al. (1990), Galor and Weil (2000) and Lucas(2002). Human capital accumulation began when the rewards for skills wereunchanged, and when fertility was increasing.

Suggested Citation

  • Gregory Clark, 2005. "The Condition of the Working-Class in England, 1209-2004," Working Papers 279, University of California, Davis, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:cda:wpaper:279
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Oded Galor & Omer Moav, 2002. "Natural Selection and the Origin of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 117(4), pages 1133-1191.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    human capital; industrial;

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • N10 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • N50 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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