Work and Pay in 20th Century Britain

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.

From assembly line to call centre, this volume charts the immense transformation of work and pay across the 20th century and provides the first labor-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 labor 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.

Introduction