Industrialization and Skill Intensity: The Case of Massachusetts

27 Pages Posted: 20 Mar 2008

See all articles by Alexander J. Field

Alexander J. Field

Santa Clara University - Leavey School of Business - Economics Department

Abstract

The impact of industrialization on an economy's overall demands for skill cannot be deduced on purely a priori grounds, but depends, rather, on such variables as the character of the agricultural sector at the onset of industrialization,the particular industries in which manufacturing employment is concentrated,and the distribution of tertiary-sector employment between professional,technical, and scientific occupations, and such relatively low-skill occupations as domestic service. An examination of the evolution of the Massachusetts economy between 1820 and 1880 concludes that there was no major increase in the overall demands for skilled and educated labor during this period, at least before 1870.

Keywords: Human Capital, Industrialization

JEL Classification: J24, J31, N31

Suggested Citation

Field, Alexander J., Industrialization and Skill Intensity: The Case of Massachusetts. Journal of Human Resources, Vol. 15, 1980, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1111427

Alexander J. Field (Contact Author)

Santa Clara University - Leavey School of Business - Economics Department ( email )

500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA California 95053
United States
408 554 4348 (Phone)
408 554 2331 (Fax)

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