Immigration and the American industrial revolution from 1880 to 1920

Abstract

In this study, we measure the contribution of immigrants and their descendents to the growth and industrial transformation of the American workforce in the age of mass immigration from 1880 to 1920. The size and selectivity of the immigrant community, as well as their disproportionate residence in large cities, meant they were the mainstay of the American industrial workforce. Immigrants and their children comprised over half of manufacturing workers in 1920, and if the third generation (the grandchildren of immigrants) are included, then more than two-thirds of workers in the manufacturing sector were of recent immigrant stock. Although higher wages and better working conditions might have encouraged more long-resident native-born workers to the industrial economy, the scale and pace of the American industrial revolution might well have slowed. The closing of the door to mass immigration in the 1920s did lead to increased recruitment of native born workers, particularly from the South, to northern industrial cities in the middle decades of the 20th century.

Migrants and the Making of America: The Short- and Long-Run Effects of Immigration during the Age of Mass Migration

“…Our findings are consistent with historical accounts of immigrants bringing raw labor and manufacturing know-how, both of which were crucial for the growth of manufacturing during this time (Hirschman and Mogford, 2009).…”

“…Industrialization: Based on various accounts of the historical effects of immigration, a potential explanation for the long-run economic benefits of immigration is that, during the early stages of industrial development, immigration provided a large supply of labor that was necessary for the take-off of industry and sustained modern economic growth (Goldin, 1994, Hatton and Williamson, 1998, Hirschman and Mogford, 2009. Several historians have documented that immigrants were disproportionately represented in the industrial workforce (Engerman andSokoloff, 2000, Alexander, 2007).…”

“…48 There are many examples of immigrants, who were involved in early industrialization in Europe, bringing over more advanced European technologies to the United States (Rosenberg, 1972). It has also been argued that the increased availability of unskilled labor due to immigration facilitated the introduction of technological and managerial innovations, such as assembly lines and the rise of the managerial firm (Abramovitz and David, 2000, Chandler, 1977, Denison, 1974, Hirschman and Mogford, 2009, Hounshell, 1984, Wright, 1990. Others have argued that the increase in the labor force enabled economies of scale in production, leading to increased profits that spurred innovation (Carter and Sutch, 1999).…”

Made in America? Immigrant Occupational Mobility in the First Half of the Twentieth Century

“…However, employers preferred hiring newcomers since ethnic competition reduces worker solidarity and prevailing wage standards (Hatton and Williamson 1998;Lichtenstein 2002; but see Carter and Sutch 1998;Hirschman and Mogford 2009). Consequently, native-born unionists in the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and other antiforeigner groups organized and lobbied at the federal level successfully to restrict future immigration flows (Tichenor 2002).…”

La emigración rural en el desarrollo: Efectos en la calidad de vida de los hogares rurales. Zona norte de la provincia de Los Ríos-Ecuador

“…La ventaja de estas grandes industrias fue su economía de escala, que con la producción en masa por un lado, el aprovechamiento de la energía eléctrica y de las redes de ferrocarriles expandidos por todo el país, por otro, se vieron en la necesidad de contratar cada vez más personal, y este personal lo proveía el sector agrícola. Un indicador del cambio de la estructura laboral fue que en 1880 eran 2,5 millones de trabajadores en el sector industrial, mientras que en 1920 ascendían a 10 millones, urbanizándose la población, porque las fábricas y oficinas se concentraban en las ciudades (Hirschman y Mogford, 2009). …”