"Automation" of Manufacturing in the Late Nineteenth Century
The Hand and Machine Labor Study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4028890 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jeremy Atack (0009-0004-6685-7370, Jeremy Atack is Professor of Economics Emeritus, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts.), Robert A Margo (0000-0003-2709-7490, Robert A. Margo is Professor of Economics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts. Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts.), Paul W Rhode (Paul W. Rhode is Professor of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts.) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 51-70 |
| Publication date | 2019-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Economic Perspectives (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0895-3309 • E-ISSN: 1944-7965 |
| Publisher | American Economic Association (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1257/jep.33.2.51 |
| OpenAlex | W2943044087 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 12 |
| References cited | 13 |
Recent advances in artificial intelligence and robotics have generated a robust debate about the future of work. An analogous debate occurred in the late nineteenth century when mechanization first transformed manufacturing. We analyze an extraordinary dataset from the late nineteenth century, the Hand and Machine Labor study carried out by the US Department of Labor in the mid-1890s. We focus on transitions at the task level from hand to machine production, and on the impact of inanimate power, especially of steam power, on labor productivity. Our analysis sheds light on the ability of modern task-based models to account for the effects of historical mechanization
Automation · Classical economics · Economic growth · Economics · Industrial engineering · Industrial organization · Labour economics · Management · Manufacturing · Manufacturing engineering · Mechanization · Microeconomics · Political science · Productivity · Robot · Robotics · Computer Science · Engineering · Historical Economic and Social Studies · History · Law · Artificial Intelligence · Mechanical Engineering
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The Regional Diffusion and Adoption of the Steam Engine in American Manufacturing
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Steam power, establishment size, and labor productivity growth in nineteenth century American manufacturing
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| Unique citing works | 12 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,71 |
| Citation span | 2019 - 2025 (7) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 12 |