Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The aim of the originating project was to increase understanding of the past and possible future impact of increased international trade, mobility and investment on: i) Differences in income levels between countries (divergence or convergence, and - if convergence - levelling up or levelling down) ii) The relative and real wages of different sorts of 'skilled' workers This aim was addressed in four main ways. The first was to formalise ideas about the disaggregation of skilled workers, and the overlap between the concepts of skill and technology, by theoretical modelling. The second was to test hypotheses suggested by theory on evidence for all countries over the past 30 years. The third was to test hypotheses suggested by theory on evidence for skilled wages in developed countries over the past 30 years. The final way the objective was addressed was by testing the hypotheses suggested by theory against evidence from developed countries over the past two centuries. The data collection is the result of the data gathering exercise undertaken for this fourth approach.

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The dataset brings together a wide range of statistical information relating to patterns of globalisation, technology and wage inequality in a selection of now-developed countries between 1870 and 1970. The countries included are: United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Sweden and Denmark. The information is classified into six broad sections: wages, migration, employment, trade, production and technology. Wages: Wages of skilled relative to unskilled manual workers, United States, 1870-1970 Wages of non-manual relative to manual workers, United States, 1890-1939 Wages of broad occupational categories, United States, 1939-1960 Summary of relative wages, United States, 1870-1970 Wages of non-manual and manual workers, Canada, 1905-1959 Wages of skilled and unskilled manual workers, Canada, 1900-1960 Summary of relative wages, Canada, 1901-1960 Wages of skilled and unskilled manual workers, Australia, 1870-1960 Wages of skilled and unskilled manual workers, United Kingdom, 1870-1968 Wages of broad occupational categories, United Kingdom, 1871-1970 Summary of relative wages, United Kingdom, 1870-1968 Wages of skilled and unskilled manual workers, Germany, 1871-1962 Wages of skilled and unskilled manual workers, France, 1873-1959 Wages of skilled and unskilled manual workers, Sweden, 1870-1962 Summary of relative wages, Sweden, 1873-1959 Wages of skilled and unskilled manual workers, Denmark, 1870-1965 Wages of clerical relative to manual workers, United States, Canada and United Kingdom, 1870-1965 Migration: Immigration by occupation, United States, 1870-1965 Immigration by occupation, Canada, 1904-1951 Summary of immigration by skill group, Canada, 1881-1951 Total immigration, Canada, 1870-1960 Emigration by occupation, United Kingdom, 1877-1913 Emigration from Ireland by occupation, 1875-1913 Summary of emigration by skill group, United Kingdom, 1877-1913 Total migration, United Kingdom, 1870-1922 Emigration by occupation, Germany, 1871-1924 Summary of emigration by skill group, Germany, 1871-1924 Migration by occupation, Sweden, 1870-1924 Summary of migration by skill group, Sweden, 1871-1924 Emigration by occupation, Denmark, 1872-1924 Summary of emigration by skill group, Denmark, 1872-1924 Employment: Labour force by occupation, United States, 1900-1970 Employment by broad sector, United States, 1870-1960 Gainful workers in manufacturing by industry, United States, 1870-1930 Employment in manufacturing by industry, United States, 1899-1960 Labour force by occupation, Canada, 1891-1961 Employment by broad sector, Canada, 1891-1971 Employment by manufacturing industry, Canada, 1911-1971 Employment by occupation, Australia, 1911-1971 Employment by broad sector, Australia, 1891-1969 Employment in manufacturing by industry, Australia, 1891-1969 Employment by occupation, United Kingdom, 1911-1971 Labour force by broad sector, United Kingdom, 1871-1971 Employment by manufacturing industry, United Kingdom, 1871-1961 Labour force by occupation, Germany, 1882-1961 Employment by broad sector and by manufacturing industry, Germany, 1870-1960 Employment by broad sector and by manufacturing industry, France, 1906-1954 Labour force by broad sector, Sweden, 1870-1960 Employment in manufacturing by industry, Sweden, 1870-1930 Labour force by broad sector, Denmark, 1870-1960 Trade: Exports by commodity, United States, 1870-1965 Imports by commodity, United States, 1870-1965 Trade statistics, United States, 1870-1965 Exports by commodity, Canada, 1870-1965 Imports by commodity, Canada, 1870-1960 Trade statistics, Canada, 1870-1965 Total exports, Australia, 1870-1965 Total imports, Australia, 1870-1965 Trade statistics, Australia, 1870-1965 Exports by commodity, United Kingdom, 1870-1965 Imports by commodity, United Kingdom, 1870-1965 Trade statistics, United Kingdom, 1870-1965 Exports by commodity, Germany, 1880-1960 Imports by commodity, Germany, 1880-1960 Trade statistics, Germany, 1880-1960 Exports by commodity, France, 1870-1959 Imports by commodity, France, 1870-1959 Trade statistics, France, 1870-1959 Exports by commodity, Sweden, 1870-1965 Imports by commodity, Sweden, 1870-1965 Trade statistics, Sweden, 1870-1965 Exports by commodity, Denmark, 1870-1965 Imports by commodity, Denmark, 1870-1965 Trade statistics, Denmark, 1870-1965 Production: Production by industry group, United States, 1869-1919 Production by commodity group, United States, 1869-1913 Production indices by manufacturing sector, United Kingdom, 1860-1914 Production indices by manufacturing sector, Germany, 1860-1913 GDP per capita in United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Sweden, and Denmark, 1870-1965 Technology: Number of patents granted in 23 countries, 1870-1970 Please note: this study does not include information on named individuals and would therefore not be useful for personal family history research.

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