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Structural Change, Work Tasks and Urbanization in Early Modern England

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Abstract

This article unites evidence of male occupations from probate records with a new dataset of work tasks from court depositions to re-estimate economic structural change in early modern England. Urbanization rates have long been used to measure the latter, while more recent research has tracked sectoral shares of the economy via occupational data. Both approaches suggest pronounced decline in agriculture and rise in industry, yet questions remain. By-employment may have muted sectoral change; urbanization did not necessarily signal non-agricultural activity. By factoring in the constituent tasks of occupations and locales into measures previously based on occupations alone, we reveal much higher levels of work in services, growing structural differences between town and countryside, and significant drops in primary sector participation

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  • Taylor Aucoin & David Chilosi & Justin Colson & Mark Hailwood & Patrick Wallis & Jane Whittle, 2025. "Structural Change, Work Tasks and Urbanization in Early Modern England," Working Papers 39, Department of Economic and Social History at the University of Cambridge, revised 27 Jan 2025.
    • Handle: RePEc:cmh:wpaper:39
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    JEL classification:

    • N33 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology

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