Two Centuries of Compensation for U.S. Production Workers in Manufacturing

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvi

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2. Methodology

   • Lawrence H. Officer

   Pages 1-14

3. Data Sources

   • Lawrence H. Officer

   Pages 15-74

4. Existing Earnings and Wage Series

   • Lawrence H. Officer

   Pages 75-95

5. Plan for Construction of New Series

   • Lawrence H. Officer

   Pages 97-101

6. Average Hourly Earnings

   • Lawrence H. Officer

   Pages 103-153

7. Average Hourly Benefits

   • Lawrence H. Officer

   Pages 155-163

8. Nominal Compensation, Real Compensation, and Standard of Living

   • Lawrence H. Officer

   Pages 165-180

9. Back Matter

   Pages 181-224

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Production workers continue to be an important group in the economy. Two Centuries of Compensation for U.S. Production Workers in Manufacturing is the first long-run annual series of average hourly compensation for U.S. production workers in manufacturing. Officer reviews both data sources and existing literature on related historical series as well as using current official statistics. The new series provides original insights into the standard of living of these workers.

• Manufacturing
• methodology
• production

"Highly valuable to scholars interested in quantitative economic history . . ..An intellectual triumph." - Robert E. Hall, Robert and Carole McNeil Joint Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution and Professor of Economics, Stanford University

Lawrence H. Officer is Professor of Economics at University of Illinois at Chicago.

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