Skill choice and skill complementarity in eighteenth century England

Naomi E. Feldman; Karine van der Beek

doi:10.1016/j.eeh.2015.09.001

Skill choice and skill complementarity in eighteenth century England

Naomi E. Feldman, Karine van der Beek^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper analyzes the effects of technological change on skill acquisition during the British Industrial Revolution. Based on a unique set of data on apprenticeships between 1710 and 1772, we show that both the number of apprentices and their share in the cohort of the fifteen year-olds increased in response to inventions. The strongest response was in the highly skilled mechanical trades. These results suggest that technological change in this period was skill biased due to the expansion of the machinery sector they induced.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	94-113
Number of pages	20
Journal	Explorations in Economic History
Volume	59
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eeh.2015.09.001
State	Published - 1 Jan 2016
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Keywords

Apprenticeship
Eighteenth-century England
Human capital
Industrial revolution
Machine making
Mechanical trades
Skill-biased technological change

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.eeh.2015.09.001

Cite this

@article{5a26468976244299bf6f7b15f3713213,

title = "Skill choice and skill complementarity in eighteenth century England",

abstract = "This paper analyzes the effects of technological change on skill acquisition during the British Industrial Revolution. Based on a unique set of data on apprenticeships between 1710 and 1772, we show that both the number of apprentices and their share in the cohort of the fifteen year-olds increased in response to inventions. The strongest response was in the highly skilled mechanical trades. These results suggest that technological change in this period was skill biased due to the expansion of the machinery sector they induced.",

keywords = "Apprenticeship, Eighteenth-century England, Human capital, Industrial revolution, Machine making, Mechanical trades, Skill-biased technological change",

author = "Feldman, {Naomi E.} and {van der Beek}, Karine",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 Published by Elsevier Inc.",

year = "2016",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.eeh.2015.09.001",

language = "אנגלית",

volume = "59",

pages = "94--113",

journal = "Explorations in Economic History",

issn = "0014-4983",

publisher = "Academic Press Inc.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Skill choice and skill complementarity in eighteenth century England

AU - Feldman, Naomi E.

AU - van der Beek, Karine

PY - 2016/1/1

Y1 - 2016/1/1

N2 - This paper analyzes the effects of technological change on skill acquisition during the British Industrial Revolution. Based on a unique set of data on apprenticeships between 1710 and 1772, we show that both the number of apprentices and their share in the cohort of the fifteen year-olds increased in response to inventions. The strongest response was in the highly skilled mechanical trades. These results suggest that technological change in this period was skill biased due to the expansion of the machinery sector they induced.

AB - This paper analyzes the effects of technological change on skill acquisition during the British Industrial Revolution. Based on a unique set of data on apprenticeships between 1710 and 1772, we show that both the number of apprentices and their share in the cohort of the fifteen year-olds increased in response to inventions. The strongest response was in the highly skilled mechanical trades. These results suggest that technological change in this period was skill biased due to the expansion of the machinery sector they induced.

KW - Apprenticeship

KW - Eighteenth-century England

KW - Human capital

KW - Industrial revolution

KW - Machine making

KW - Mechanical trades

KW - Skill-biased technological change

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84955183175&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.eeh.2015.09.001

DO - 10.1016/j.eeh.2015.09.001

M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???

AN - SCOPUS:84955183175

SN - 0014-4983

VL - 59

SP - 94

EP - 113

JO - Explorations in Economic History

JF - Explorations in Economic History

ER -

Skill choice and skill complementarity in eighteenth century England

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this