Wages, Productivity, and Work Intensity in the Great Depression

Arbeitspapier

We show that U.S. manufacturing wages during the Great Depression were importantly determined by forces on firms' intensive margins. Short-run changes in work intensity and the longer-term goal of restoring full potential productivity combined to influence real wage growth. By contrast, the external effects of unemployment and replacement rates had much less impact. Empirical work is undertaken against the background of an efficient bargaining model that embraces employment, hours of work and work intensity.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 543

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Economic History: Manufacturing and Construction: U.S.; Canada: 1913- ; Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials ; Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
• Subject: wages ; productivity ; work intensity ; Great Depression ; Lohn ; Arbeitsproduktivität ; Arbeitsintensität ; Lohnverhandlungstheorie ; Konjunktur ; Wirtschaftsgeschichte ; Schätzung ; Vereinigte Staaten

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Darby, Julia ; Hart, Robert A.
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2002

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/21385
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:45 AM CET