Fighting for Growth: Labor Scarcity and Technological Progress during the British Industrial Revolution
Journal
American Economic Review
ISSN
0002-8282
ISSN-Digital
1944-7981
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2026-10-01
Author(s)
Abstract
We establish a link between labor scarcity and the adoption of laborsaving technology in industrializing England. During the Napoleonic Wars, more than 10 percent of the male population served in the armed forces. Where recruitment was heavy, more machines economizing on labor were adopted. Naval recruitment, instrumented by warships' coastal access, provides exogenous variation in labor scarcity and suggests that the link between labor shortages and adoption is causal. Where mechanical skills were abundant, the impact of labor scarcity on adoption appears to be larger. (JEL J24, N13, N43, N63, N73, O14, O31)
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
American Economic Association
Volume
116
Number
10
Start page
3837
End page
3874
Pages
38
Official URL
Subject(s)
Division(s)