Part-Year Operation in Nineteenth Century American Manufacturing: Evidence from the 1870 and 1880 Censuses

Jeremy Atack, Fred Bateman and Robert Andrew Margo
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Fred Bateman: University of Georgia

No 106, Working Papers from Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University

Abstract: Using unpublished data contained in samples from the manuscripts of the 1870 and 1880 censuses of manufactures, we examine the extent and correlates of part-year manufacturing during the late nineteenth century. These data are the earliest comprehensive estimates available and, while the typical manufacturing plant operated "full-time," part-year operation was not uncommon. The likelihood of part-year operation varied across industries and location and with plant characteristics and workers in such plants received somewhat higher monthly wages than those in firms that operated year-round, compensating them somewhat for the loss and possible inconvenience.

Keywords: Seasonality; early industrialization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N61 N31 J22 J23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2001-03, Revised 2001-03
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http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Econ/wparchive/workpaper/vu01-w06.pdf Revised version, 2001 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: PART-YEAR OPERATION IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY AMERICAN MANUFACTURING: EVIDENCE FROM THE 1870 AND 1880 CENSUSES (2002)
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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:van:wpaper:0106

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