"Labor Market Evolution" examines the operation and development of labor markets in Western Europe and North America since 1500 and addresses the key questions in this complicated process using new quantitative evidence. First, how closely connected were geographically distant labor markets? Second, how flexible were markets in the past--did wages change in response to demand shocks? Did workers move across space and occupations in response to cyclical or seasonal conditions. Third, were relationships between employees and employers short-term or long-term? Why did relationships change, and what were the implications for the flexibility and integration of markets? In examining these factors, this volume draws on modern labor economic theory and up-to-date quantitative techniques to show how current traditions and systems have evolved.
Contributors include: Robert Allen, University of British Columbia; George Boyer, Cornell University; David Corbett, Williams College; Jan de Vries, UC Berkeley; David Green, University of British Columbia; John James, University of Virginia; Joshua Rosenbloom, University of Kansas; William A. Sundstrom, Santa Clara University; Mark Thomas, University of Virginia; Warren Whatley, University of Michigan; and Gavin Wright, Stanford University.