Unemployment, employment contracts, and compensating wage differentials: michigan in the 1890s

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economic History
Year: 1991
Volume: 51
Issue: 3
Pages: 605-632

Authors (2)

Hatton, Timothy J. (Australian National University) Williamson, Jeffrey G. (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Surveys taken by the Michigan Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics in the 1890s reveal that unemployment was pervasive among unskilled workers. The incidence of unemployment was not associated with personal characteristics, but rather with the type of employment contract and job: those with high risk of layoff commanded a wage premium. Seasonality is an important part of this late nineteenth-century story, and the subsequent demise of seasonal activities may have had an important impact on the evolution of labor market institutions.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:cup:jechis:v:51:y:1991:i:03:p:605-632_03
Journal Field
Economic History
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25