The impact of public transportation and commuting on urban labour markets: evidence from the new survey of London life and labour, 1929-32

Seltzer, Andrew J. and Wadsworth, Jonathan (2022) The impact of public transportation and commuting on urban labour markets: evidence from the new survey of London life and labour, 1929-32. CEP Discussion Papers (1868). London School of Economics and Political Science. Centre for Economic Performance, London, UK.

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Abstract

This paper examines the consequences of the commuter transport revolution on working-class labour markets in London, circa 1930. Using GIS-based data constructed from the New Survey of London Life and Labour, we examine the extent of commuting and estimate the earnings returns to commuting. We show that commuting was an important feature for most working-class Londoners in the early-twentieth century. Using a variety of identifying procedures to address the endogeneity of distance commuted, we estimate a likely causal return of between 1.5 to 3.5 percent of earnings for each additional kilometre travelled. We also show that commuting was an important contributor to improvements in quality of life in the early-twentieth century.

Item Type:	Monograph (Discussion Paper)
Official URL:	https://cep.lse.ac.uk/_new/publications/discussion...
Additional Information:	© 2022 The Authors
Divisions:	Centre for Economic Performance
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory
JEL classification:	N - Economic History > N3 - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Income, and Wealth > N34 - Economic History: Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Income and Wealth: Europe: 1913- N - Economic History > N7 - Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, Technology, and Other Services > N74 - Europe: 1913- N - Economic History > N9 - Regional and Urban History > N94 - Europe: 1913- J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J0 - General > J01 - Labor Economics: General L - Industrial Organization > L9 - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities > L91 - Transportation: General
Date Deposited:	23 Jan 2023 16:33
Last Modified:	14 Sep 2024 04:22
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/117986

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