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Working days in a London construction team in the eighteenth century: evidence from St Paul's Cathedral
Author(s) -
Stephenson Judy Z.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the economic history review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.014
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1468-0289
pISSN - 0013-0117
DOI - 10.1111/ehr.12883
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , work (physics) , relation (database) , economic history , sociology , economy , economics , history , archaeology , engineering , database , mechanical engineering , computer science
Abstract This article provides new information and data on the work and pay of skilled and semi‐skilled men on a large London construction project in the early 1700s. It offers firm‐level evidence on the employment relation in the construction industry at the time and sheds some light on the number of days worked per year and per week, showing that employment was more irregular and seasonal than current estimates of income infer. The patterns are considered in the context of new debates about industriousness and economic growth.