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Productivity And Effort: The Labor-Supply Decisions Of Late Victorian Coalminers

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  • Treble, John G.

Abstract

It is widely believed that one of the main causes of productivity decline in British coalmining in the late nineteenth century was that when wage rates increased, miners responded by reducing work effort and/or attendance. However, previous empirical studies have conflated behavioral responses with correlations between coal-seam quality and wage rates. Using individual panel data from a single mine, I show that the short-run wage elasticity of worker effort was in fact positive. The true elasticity of attendance is less clear, but there is no support for the idea that absenteeism increased when wage rates rose.

Suggested Citation

  • Treble, John G., 2001. "Productivity And Effort: The Labor-Supply Decisions Of Late Victorian Coalminers," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 61(2), pages 414-438, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:61:y:2001:i:02:p:414-438_02
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    Cited by:

    1. Engellandt, Axel & Riphahn, Regina T., 2004. "Incentive Effects of Bonus Payments: Evidence from an International Company," IZA Discussion Papers 1229, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Riphahn, Regina T., 2004. "Employment protection and effort among German employees," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 85(3), pages 353-357, December.
    3. MacDonald, Daniel & Mellizo, Philip, 2017. "Reference dependent preferences and labor supply in historical perspective," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 117-124.
    4. John E. Murray & Javier Silvestre, 2015. "Small-scale technologies and European coal mine safety, 1850–1900," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 68(3), pages 887-910, August.
    5. Heywood, John S. & Jirjahn, Uwe & Wei, Xiangdong, 2008. "Teamwork, monitoring and absence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 68(3-4), pages 676-690, December.

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