Econ Papers Daily / 期刊论文
为增长而战：英国工业革命时期的劳动力稀缺与技术进步
Fighting for Growth: Labor Scarcity and Technological Progress During the British Industrial Revolution
摘要
We establish a link between labor scarcity and the adoption of labor-saving 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.
中文摘要
我们建立了劳动力稀缺性与工业化英格兰采用节省劳动力技术之间的联系。在拿破仑战争期间，超过10%的男性人口在武装部队服役。在征兵力度较大的地区，更多节省劳动力的机器被采用。以军舰沿海通道为工具变量的海军征兵，提供了劳动力稀缺性的外生变化，表明劳动力短缺与采用之间存在因果关系。在机械技能丰富的地区，劳动力稀缺性对技术采用的影响似乎更大。