235/2015 Alexander Klein & Nicholas Crafts

We investigate the role of industrial structure in labour productivity growth in U.S. cities between 1880 and 1930 using a new dataset constructed from the Census of Manufactures. We find that increases in specialization were associated with faster productivity growth but that diversity only had positive effects on productivity performance in large cities. We interpret our results as providing strong support for the importance of Marshallian externalities. Industrial specialization increased considerably in U.S. cities in the early 20th century, probably as a result of improved transportation, and we estimate that this resulted in significant gains in labour productivity.

Economic History

The Economic History Review

https://doi.org/10.1111/ehr.12786