AGRICULTURAL WORKERS' STANDARD OF LIVING DURING CENTRAL CHILE'S AGRARIAN EXPANSION, 1870-1930. (March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Robles-Ortiz, Claudio; González-Correa, Ignacio; Reyes Campos, Nora; González Aliaga, Uziel
• Is Part Of: Revista de historia económica. Volume 41:Number 1(2023)
• Page Start: 183
• Page End: 212
• Publication Date: 2023-03
• Subjects: real wages -- living standards -- agricultural workers -- agrarian expansion -- Chile; N16 -- N56 -- N96; Salarios reales -- condiciones de vida -- trabajadores agrícolas -- expansión agraria -- Chile; Economic history -- Periodicals; Economics -- Periodicals; Spain -- Economic conditions -- Periodicals; 330.05
• DOI: 10.1017/S0212610921000100
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0212-6109

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this paper is to determine trends in the wages and living standards of male agricultural labourers in Central Chile during the agrarian expansion, c . 1870-1930. We found that nominal wages increased eightfold; this is relevant because wage labour became the main rural labour regime in this period. Nominal wages rose steadily from the early 1870s until 1910, and with significant fluctuations thereafter, before plummeting with the Great Depression. Real wages also increased, but only slightly. Furthermore, during certain short periods, agricultural labourers' real wages were similar to or higher than those of low-skilled urban workers. However, the persistent gap between agricultural and non-agricultural wages was one of the causal factors of the outmigration of rural workers.