Unemployment and Labour Market Flexibility in the Great Depression.

In historical studies of the labour market, one of the most extensively debated subjects has been unemployment during the Great Depression of the 1930s. According to a new panel data, the unemployment rate among construction workers in Helsinki was 45% in spite of extensive relief work. At the same...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Scandinavian Journal of History Vol. 33; no. 2; pp. 139 - 161
Autor principal: Hannikainen, Matti
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd Jun2008
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:In historical studies of the labour market, one of the most extensively debated subjects has been unemployment during the Great Depression of the 1930s. According to a new panel data, the unemployment rate among construction workers in Helsinki was 45% in spite of extensive relief work. At the same time, real hourly wages dropped 25-35% and piecework rates 40-60%, which was an even more exceptional phenomenon. The main reasons for these phenomena were difficulties in financing construction work, the weakness of the trade union and the lack of unemployment benefits.