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Industrious migrants: gender and the earnings of migrants in Swedish manufacturing around 1900

Eriksson, Björn LU and Stanfors, Maria LU (2022) In Scandinavian Economic History Review 70(2). p.142-166
Abstract
Migration played a central role in industrialisation by reallocating labour from the countryside to urban areas and centres of manufacturing where it was in high demand, and better remunerated, with implications for economic growth and individual well-being. We investigate the labour market performance of internal migrants in Sweden around the turn of the last century; a period of industrialisation and increasing migration. We add to the literature in two ways: first by focusing on earnings instead of occupational attainment; second by extending the scope beyond the prevailing focus on men by also considering women. To assess how migrants fared compared to locals, we use detailed matched firm-individual data covering three manufacturing... (More)
Migration played a central role in industrialisation by reallocating labour from the countryside to urban areas and centres of manufacturing where it was in high demand, and better remunerated, with implications for economic growth and individual well-being. We investigate the labour market performance of internal migrants in Sweden around the turn of the last century; a period of industrialisation and increasing migration. We add to the literature in two ways: first by focusing on earnings instead of occupational attainment; second by extending the scope beyond the prevailing focus on men by also considering women. To assess how migrants fared compared to locals, we use detailed matched firm-individual data covering three manufacturing industries which varied in terms of production, organisation, and composition of the workforce. We find that migrants, irrespective of gender, performed well in that their earnings were higher than those of locals in general and of co-workers in the same firm. These premia are consistent with a Roy model in which migrants’ sort into locations where returns to skills match individual ability. An increase in both hours worked and effort further explains the observed earnings premium among female migrants. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Migration, gender, wage premium, industrialisation, firm-worker matched data, J61, J31, J16
in
Scandinavian Economic History Review
volume
70
issue
2
pages
142 - 166
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85113925625
ISSN
1750-2837
DOI
10.1080/03585522.2021.1931431
project
Stronger together? A micro-history of collective action and working life in turn of the last century Sweden
The Emergence of Wage Discrimination
Manufacturing gender inequality
The Emergence of Wage Discrimination: Gender wage differentials before the modern labor market (VR)
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
8489eeca-196a-4bd4-926b-720064cbb7e2
date added to LUP
2021-09-01 08:31:17
date last changed
2022-09-01 11:07:24
@article{8489eeca-196a-4bd4-926b-720064cbb7e2,
  abstract     = {{Migration played a central role in industrialisation by reallocating labour from the countryside to urban areas and centres of manufacturing where it was in high demand, and better remunerated, with implications for economic growth and individual well-being. We investigate the labour market performance of internal migrants in Sweden around the turn of the last century; a period of industrialisation and increasing migration. We add to the literature in two ways: first by focusing on earnings instead of occupational attainment; second by extending the scope beyond the prevailing focus on men by also considering women. To assess how migrants fared compared to locals, we use detailed matched firm-individual data covering three manufacturing industries which varied in terms of production, organisation, and composition of the workforce. We find that migrants, irrespective of gender, performed well in that their earnings were higher than those of locals in general and of co-workers in the same firm. These premia are consistent with a Roy model in which migrants’ sort into locations where returns to skills match individual ability. An increase in both hours worked and effort further explains the observed earnings premium among female migrants.}},
  author       = {{Eriksson, Björn and Stanfors, Maria}},
  issn         = {{1750-2837}},
  keywords     = {{Migration; gender; wage premium; industrialisation; firm-worker matched data; J61; J31; J16}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{142--166}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Economic History Review}},
  title        = {{Industrious migrants: gender and the earnings of migrants in Swedish manufacturing around 1900}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03585522.2021.1931431}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/03585522.2021.1931431}},
  volume       = {{70}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}