The commercialization of labour markets: evidence from wage inequality in the Middle Ages

Claridge, Jordan ORCID: 0000-0002-8064-7394, Delabastita, Vincent and Gibbs, Spike (2025) The commercialization of labour markets: evidence from wage inequality in the Middle Ages. Economic History Review. ISSN 1468-0289 (In Press)

Text (PAPER_Medieval_inequality__EHR_ (3)) - Accepted Version Pending embargo until 1 January 2100. Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (3MB)

Abstract

This paper moves beyond the focus on ‘average’ wage trends in pre-industrial economies by examining the broad diversity of pay rates and forms of remuneration across occupations and regions in medieval England. We find that, while some workers enjoyed substantial growth in wage rates after the Black Death, there was a large group who experienced no real increases. We argue that wage inequality in post-Black Death England reflects the uneven penetration of market forces across occupations and regions, with deep-rooted customary structures continuing to shape remuneration. Its findings suggest that a more nuanced approach is essential for understanding the complexities and continuities of pre-industrial labour dynamics.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2025 The Author(s)
Divisions:	Economic History
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
JEL classification:	J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J3 - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs > J33 - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J4 - Particular Labor Markets > J42 - Monopsony; Segmented Labor Markets N - Economic History > N3 - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Income, and Wealth > N33 - Economic History: Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Income and Wealth: Europe: Pre-1913 N - Economic History > N5 - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment, and Extractive Industries > N53 - Europe: Pre-1913
Date Deposited:	12 Dec 2025 12:48
Last Modified:	12 Dec 2025 14:30
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/130607

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