Why did agricultural labour productivity not converge in Europe from 1950 to 2005?

Miguel Martín-Retorillo () and Vicente Pinilla
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Miguel Martín-Retorillo: Universidad de Zaragoza
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Miguel Martín-Retortillo

No 25, Working Papers from European Historical Economics Society (EHES)

Abstract: This paper offers a long-term analysis of agricultural labour productivity differences in Europe using econometric techniques. The results show the crucial importance of the land/labour ratio. The continuous exit of manpower from the sector, coupled with increased use of productive factors originating in other sectors of the economy, caused the efficiency of agricultural workers to rise. The different relative importance of these processes across countries largely explains why labour productivity did not converge. In turn, institutions have apparently conditioned differences in productivity, as a direct and inverse relation is detected between membership of the EU and the Communist block and the productivity of agricultural labour.

Keywords: Agricultural labour productivity; European agriculture 20th century; European economic development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N50 N54 O13 Q10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 42 pages
Date: 2012-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-eff and nep-his
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hes:wpaper:0025

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