The commercialization of labour markets: evidence from wage inequality in the Middle Ages

Much of our understanding of the dynamics of historical economies has been shaped by insights drawn from long-run wage series. Behind much scholarship concerning pre-industrial wages lies the quest for a representative ‘average’ wage trend. Indeed, much methodological discussion surrounds what characterizes an ‘average’ labourer and how best to capture their wages. This paper offers an alternative perspective by undertaking a comprehensive assessment of the diverse forms and levels of remuneration, including both pay rates and methods of payment. We find groups of workers whose working and earning was seemingly unaffected by the societal transmutations which followed the Black Death. At the same time, we find evidence of the ‘commercialization’ of labour markets: a process in which cash wages on lords’ demesne farms were increasingly shaped by market forces, and a more professionalized labour force was supplemented by a variety of higher-paid peripheral jobs. This paper highlights the need for a holistic perspective to fully appreciate the dynamics and statics of pre-industrial labour markets.