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Fighting for Growth: Labor Scarcity and Technological Progress During the British Industrial Revolution

Author

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  • Voth, Hans-Joachim
  • Caprettini, Bruno
  • Trew, Alex

Abstract

New evidence demonstrates a link between labor scarcity and the adoption of labor-saving technology in industrializing England. During the Napoleonic Wars, more than 10% of the male population served in the armed forces. Where recruitment was heavy, more machines economizing on labor were adopted. Naval recruitment, instrumented by warships’ coastal access, provides exogenous variation in labor scarcity and suggests that the link between labor shortages and adoption is causal. Where mechanical skills were abundant, the impact of labor scarcity on adoption appears to be larger.

Suggested Citation

  • Voth, Hans-Joachim & Caprettini, Bruno & Trew, Alex, 2026. "Fighting for Growth: Labor Scarcity and Technological Progress During the British Industrial Revolution," CEPR Discussion Papers 21548, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:21548
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    File URL: https://cepr.org/publications/DP21548
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • N13 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N43 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence

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