Work and Pay in Twentieth-Century Britain

From assembly line to call centre, this volume charts the immense transformation of work and pay across the 20th century and provides the first labour focused history of Britain. Written by leading British historians and economists, each chapter stands as a self-contained reading for those who need an overview of the topic, as well as an introduction to and analysis of the controversies among scholars for readers entering or refreshing deeper study. The 20th century was a period of unrivalled change in the British labour market. Technology, social movements, and political action all contributed to an increased standard of living, while also revolutionizing what workers do and how they do it. Covering a range of topics from lifetime work patterns and education to unemployment and the welfare state, this book provides a practical introduction to the evolution of work and pay in 20th century Britain.

Table of Contents:
Ian Gazeley and Andrew Newell: Introduction 1: Nicholas Crafts: Living standards 2: Andrew Newell: Structural change 3: Ian Gazeley: Manual Work and Pay, 1900-1970 4: Florence Kondylis and Jonathan Wadsworth: Wages and wage inequality 1970-2000 5: Paul Johnson and Asghar Zaidi: Work over the life course 6: Sara Horrell: The household and the labour market 7: Sara Connolly and Mary Gregory: Women and work 1970-2000 8: Pat Thane: The 'Welfare State' and the labour market 9: Christopher Wrigley: Industrial relations 10: Ian Gazeley and Andrew Newell: Unemployment 11: Michael Sanderson: Education and the labour market 12: Stephen Broadberry and Mary O'Mahony: Britain's twentieth century productivity performance in international perspective 13: Dudley Baines: Immigration and the labour market

About the Author :
Nicholas Crafts, Professor of Economic History at the University of Warwick, is one of the leading international experts on productivity and the causes of economic growth, and especially the role of new technologies. This expertise about technologies of the past has made him one of the most interesting thinkers on the new technologies of today, and he is currently co-directing a major research project on large-scale technological change. Ian Gazeley is Senior Lecturer in Economic History at the University of Sussex. Ian works on living standards and poverty in Britain 1880-1950. His research has been primarily concerned with quantitative measures of working class living standards. Andrew Newell is Head of the Department of Economics and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sussex. He is a labour economist with research interests in wage determination and unemployment, with a special interest on the impact of structural economic change.

Review :
This is an important and interesting book. The chapters of this book, each written by appropriate experts, dig down and uncover the forces at work and the complex interactions between them. The rise and fall of trade unions, the rise of the service sector, the decline in fertility, the fall and rise of earnings dispersion are some of the dramatic changes which are analysed and explained. Overall, the book builds a picture of the workings of the 20th century British labour market which will fascinate anyone interested in how the world works. The British labor market experienced a series of dramatic transformations in the course of the 20th century. Is the current regime of high employment and wage flexibility here to stay, or is it just another passing phase? Do Britain's arrangements reflect a distinctive historical experience, or might they be emulated by Continental Europe? This important book by Crafts, Gazeley and Newell provides the perspective needed to contemplate these questions. This is an important and interesting book. The chapters of this book, each written by appropriate experts, dig down and uncover the forces at work and the complex interactions between them. The rise and fall of trade unions, the rise of the service sector, the decline in fertility, the fall and rise of earnings dispersion are some of the dramatic changes which are analysed and explained. Overall, the book builds a picture of the workings of the 20th century British labour market which will fascinate anyone interested in how the world works. The British labor market experienced a series of dramatic transformations in the course of the 20th century. Is the current regime of high employment and wage flexibility here to stay, or is it just another passing phase? Do Britain's arrangements reflect a distinctive historical experience, or might they be emulated by Continental Europe? This important book by Crafts, Gazeley and Newell provides the perspective needed to contemplate these questions.