A New Benchmark for Industrial Wages in Mid-1880s Sweden

Abstract

Most researchers interested in Swedish wages during early industrialization have depended on the first of two parts of Wages in Sweden, published in 1933. Whereas we have reasons to believe that the series presented in Wages in Sweden tracks well the movements of wages over time, we have grounds for doubts whether levels of wages across industries represent an accurate account of the wage structure. This questionable attribute of Wages in Sweden is problematic because, lacking other sources, we also depend on this source for comparisons across industries, regions and other countries. Based on hitherto-unused source material from a large, nationwide public inquiry, we have estimated industrial wages in the mid-1880s. The population consists of industrial workers with different levels of experience, skills, and workplace categories. The new figures we present in this article include industry-specific wages as well as an average wage for manufacturing at large, weighted by employment. Whereas our new average for manufacturing at large is relatively close to that of Wages in Sweden, the wage levels of several industries are very different. In addition, the wage structure of our investigation is much more compressed. Our findings caution against the use of Wages in Sweden for industry-specific wage levels.