1.
Describing and
explaining shifts in
labour relations using a
micro-macro approach
Richard Zijdeman and Rombert Stapel, DH Benelux 2014, The Hague

2.
Global Collaboratory on the History of
Labour Relations, 1500-2000
• The relationship with the activity performed to
foresee in ones subsistence
• E.g.: slave, self-employed, wage-earner
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)

3.
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)
Taxonomy of labour relations

4.
Progression of indexing labour relations
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)

5.
Status quo and current questions
- Collaboratory of researchers world wide
- Do labour relations change over time and differ
between regions?
- How can we explain such shifts and spatial
differences?
Can we use digital sources to speed up answers
on both questions?
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)

6.
Approach
- Digitized US census data (1850 – 2012)
- Source: IPUMS-USA
- Derive labour relations from occupations from
census data
- Derive labour relation from additional ‘variables’
- First steps in finding about regional and spatial
shifts in labour relations
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)

7.
Old School Advanced flow chart
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)

8.
Labour relations over time
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)

9.
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)
Labour relations over time (US 1850-2010)

10.
Macro vs. micro derivation of labour
relations
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1850 1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010
Agricultural sector (OCC1950-coding)
Percentage of wage-earners (in comparison with self-employed)
Females (OCC1950-coding) Females (OCC1950-coding; incl. 'unpaid family workers')
Males (OCC1950-coding) Males (OCC1950-coding; incl. 'unpaid family workers')

11.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1850 1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010
Agricultural sector (CLASSWKR-coding)
Percentage of wage-earners (in comparison with self-employed)
Females (CLASSWKR-coding) Females (OCC1950-coding)
Females (CLASSWKR-coding; incl. 'unpaid family workers') Females (OCC1950-coding; incl. 'unpaid family workers')
Males (CLASSWKR-coding) Males (OCC1950-coding)
Males (CLASSWKR-coding; incl. 'unpaid family workers') Males (OCC1950-coding; incl. 'unpaid family workers')
Macro vs. micro derivation of labour
relations
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)

12.
Macro vs. micro derivation of labour
relations
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1850 1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010
Agricultural sector (incl. slaves 1850-1860)
Percentage of wage-earners (in comparison with self-employed)
Females (CLASSWKR-coding) Females (OCC1950-coding)
Females (CLASSWKR-coding; incl. 'unpaid family workers') Females (OCC1950-coding; incl. 'unpaid family workers')
Males (CLASSWKR-coding) Males (OCC1950-coding)
Males (CLASSWKR-coding; incl. 'unpaid family workers') Males (OCC1950-coding; incl. 'unpaid family workers')
Males: slaves Females: slaves
Females: slaves (projected percentage)

13.
Shift in labrel over time: midwives
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
1850 1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010
Midwives
Midwives (combined; 1850-1910) Midwives, wage-earners Midwives, self-employed

14.
Shift in labrel over time: meat cutters
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000
350000
400000
1850 1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010
Meat cutters, except slaughter and packing house
Meat cutters (combined; 1850-1910) Meat cutters, wage-earners Midwives, self-employed

15.
Regional variation in labour relations (GIS)
percentage self employed in 1870 and 1910
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)

16.
The importance of household level
Variable
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Age
Household of: Meat cutters, except slaughter and packing house (1920; age distribution)
Non-working Self-employed Wage-earner

17.
The importance of the individual level
life cycle of labour relations
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Age
Meat cutters, except slaughter and packing house (1920; age distribution)
Non-working Self-employed Wage-earner

18.
Added value of ‘digital’ methods
• Validation of construction of labour relations
• Assessment of 100-year intervals
• Describe and explain shifts over space and
time
• Introducing the individual and household
level as unit of analysis
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)

19.
On shifts in labour relations
In addition to hypothesized shifts:
• Evidence for ‘structural’ shifts:
occupations that change in nature
• Life cycle shifts in labour relations
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)

20.
contact
richard.zijdeman@iisg.nl
rombert.stapel@iisg.nl
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)

21.
Macro vs. micro derivation of labour relations
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Shifts in labour relations using a micro-macro approach (DH Benelux 2014)