Did industrialization improve the skill composition of the population? Evidence from Sweden, 1870 to 1930
Abstract
This paper documents the changing skill composition during industrialization
in Sweden using population censuses and HISCO/HISCLASS scheme. The results
reveal a general shift from unskilled to more-skilled occupations, though the trend
differs by gender and sector. First, the skill upgrading was more pronounced for
women, who left agriculture for better job opportunities elsewhere. Second, within
manufacturing, there was a shift from medium-skilled to low- and unskilled
occupations, consistent with the workshop-to-factory shift. However, this trend is mirrored
by skill upgrading within services, where the expansion of trade and transport
introduced new more-skilled jobs. Finally, I show that skill distribution in Sweden
exhibited similar trends to the United States, though with greater deskilling and slower
increase in white-collar employment.
Date
2024-03Author
Heikkuri, Suvi
Keywords
Industrialization
Technological change
Structural change
Occupational structure
Skills
Sweden
Publication type
report
ISSN
1653-1000 online
1653-1019 print
Series/Report no.
Göteborg Papers in Economic History 39
Language
eng