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Escaping Labor Scarcity: Innovation and Human Capital after WW1 in France

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  • Bergeaud, Antonin
  • Chaniot, Jean-Baptiste
  • Malgouyres, Clément

Abstract

We use quasi-random local variation in the number of young men who died as a result of World War I to estimate the impact of this demographic shock on innovation and structural change in France. Our analysis shows that excess mortality led to an increase in patenting activity in counties with high pre-war education levels, driven predominantly by innovations in labor-saving technologies. Our estimates imply that an additional 6,000 patents were filed in the 15 years following the war, amounting roughly to the average annual number of patents filed pre-war. We find a positive association between war-related mortality and wage growth as well as with the adoption of machines in the agricultural sector, providing additional evidence that incentives to escape labor scarcity are driving the innovation response to mortality.

Suggested Citation

  • Bergeaud, Antonin & Chaniot, Jean-Baptiste & Malgouyres, Clément, 2025. "Escaping Labor Scarcity: Innovation and Human Capital after WW1 in France," CEPR Discussion Papers 20492, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:20492
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    JEL classification:

    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • N34 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: 1913-
    • N14 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: 1913-

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