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Inequality and the working class in Scandinavia 1800 to 1910. Workers’ share of growing income

Bengtsson, Erik LU (2016) In Lund Papers in Economic History. Education and the Labour Market
Abstract
One of the major ways in which economic inequality can increase is when the development of wages of ordinary workers trail productivity and GDP growth, meaning that the increasing riches fall in the hand of other social groups (top employees, owners of land and capital). This

paper investigates the relationship between wages and GDP in Denmark, Norway and Sweden from 1800 to 1910, using wage series for workers in agriculture as well as crafts and industry. It shows wages trailing especially in Norway from 1840 to the mid- 1870s but also in

Denmark in the 1850s and 1860s. On the other hand, wages generally

increase faster than GDP in the 1880s and 1890s. These developments are explained with labour supply... (More)
One of the major ways in which economic inequality can increase is when the development of wages of ordinary workers trail productivity and GDP growth, meaning that the increasing riches fall in the hand of other social groups (top employees, owners of land and capital). This

paper investigates the relationship between wages and GDP in Denmark, Norway and Sweden from 1800 to 1910, using wage series for workers in agriculture as well as crafts and industry. It shows wages trailing especially in Norway from 1840 to the mid- 1870s but also in

Denmark in the 1850s and 1860s. On the other hand, wages generally

increase faster than GDP in the 1880s and 1890s. These developments are explained with labour supply (population growth, migration) as well as class conflict and social policy. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
keywords
wages, living standards, inequality, working class, Denmark, Norway, Sweden
in
Lund Papers in Economic History. Education and the Labour Market
issue
142
pages
33 pages
publisher
Department of Economic History, Lund University
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
631983a5-2d45-487c-be0e-f735cd781812 (old id 8514798)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:52:50
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:41:25
@misc{631983a5-2d45-487c-be0e-f735cd781812,
  abstract     = {{One of the major ways in which economic inequality can increase is when the development of wages of ordinary workers trail productivity and GDP growth, meaning that the increasing riches fall in the hand of other social groups (top employees, owners of land and capital). This<br/><br>
paper investigates the relationship between wages and GDP in Denmark, Norway and Sweden from 1800 to 1910, using wage series for workers in agriculture as well as crafts and industry. It shows wages trailing especially in Norway from 1840 to the mid- 1870s but also in<br/><br>
Denmark in the 1850s and 1860s. On the other hand, wages generally<br/><br>
increase faster than GDP in the 1880s and 1890s. These developments are explained with labour supply (population growth, migration) as well as class conflict and social policy.}},
  author       = {{Bengtsson, Erik}},
  keywords     = {{wages; living standards; inequality; working class; Denmark; Norway; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{142}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Economic History, Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund Papers in Economic History. Education and the Labour Market}},
  title        = {{Inequality and the working class in Scandinavia 1800 to 1910. Workers’ share of growing income}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5412345/8514799.pdf}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}