ABSTRACT: We develop new aggregate TFP growth estimates for the United States between 1899 and 1941, and sectoral estimates at the most disaggregated level so far, 38 industries. We include hard-to-measure services, and a refined measure of sectoral labour quality growth. Continue reading “Article: The Sources of Growth in a Technologically Progressive Economy”
ABSTRACT: A great deal of research in economics and business is devoted to the study of efficiency of individuals, organisations or entire economies. This chapter introduces a family of innovative techniques Continue reading “Chapter: Frontier Analysis”
ABSTRACT: The African Commodity Trade Database (ACTD) aims to stimulate and deepen research on African and global economic history. The database provides export and import series at product level for more than two and a half centuries of African trade (1730-2010). Continue reading “Article: An Introduction to the African Commodity Trade Database, 1730-2010”
ABSTRACT: We use a new trade dataset showing that nineteenth century Sub-Saharan Africa experienced a terms of trade boom comparable to other parts of the ‘global periphery’. A sharp rise in export prices in the five decades before the scramble (1835-1885) Continue reading “Article: An Economic Rationale for the West African Scramble?”
ABSTRACT: Labor productivity in German manufacturing lagged persistently behind the United States in the early twentieth century. Traditionally, this is attributed to dichotomous technology paths across the Atlantic. Continue reading “Article: The Yankees of Europe?”
ABSTRACT: This article re-examines how and when the USA closed the gap and ultimately overtook the UK in terms of both labour productivity and real income. On the basis of a set of sectoral productivity benchmarks for the year 1910 Continue reading “Article: Taking Over”
ABSTRACT: The debate concerning the exact timing and causes of changes in economic leadership constitutes one of the central themes in economic history. This study aims to improve the measurement of economic performance in the United States and Western Europe Continue reading “Article: Changing Economic Leadership”
ABSTRACT: A recent study in American economic history has shown that the 1930s, though scarred by relentless unemployment, mass migration and profound social and cultural change, were far from gloomy in terms of technological and business innovation. In light of these dynamic productivity developments Continue reading “Dissertation: The Roaring Thirties”
