Robert Allen
An economic historian at the University of Oxford known for research on wage and output data during the British Industrial Revolution and for proposing the 'subsistence wage basket' methodology. His related findings are known as Engels' Pause.
Timeline (last 90 days)
Between 1780 and 1840, during the British Industrial Revolution, output per capita rose by about 46%, while real wages after adjusting for prices grew by only 12%.
Robert Allen is an economic historian at Oxford University who systematically estimated wage and output data from the Industrial Revolution in works such as The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective.
Allen's core methodology is the "subsistence wage basket": using the bundle of goods needed to maintain basic subsistence as a benchmark and converting nominal wages into real purchasing power via its prices.
Allen's estimates show that from the late 18th century to the mid-19th century, British workers' real wage growth was far slower than per capita output growth, a finding known as the "Engels' Pause."
Allen's data are mainly based on wage records of urban manual workers such as construction workers, with limited coverage of sectors such as agriculture and textiles, so conclusions drawn by different scholars using alternative data diverge.
All Facts (5)
Between 1780 and 1840, during the British Industrial Revolution, output per capita rose by about 46%, while real wages after adjusting for prices grew by only 12%.
50%UnverifiedRobert Allen is an economic historian at Oxford University who systematically estimated wage and output data from the Industrial Revolution in works such as The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective.
50%UnverifiedAllen's core methodology is the "subsistence wage basket": using the bundle of goods needed to maintain basic subsistence as a benchmark and converting nominal wages into real purchasing power via its prices.
50%UnverifiedAllen's estimates show that from the late 18th century to the mid-19th century, British workers' real wage growth was far slower than per capita output growth, a finding known as the "Engels' Pause."
50%UnverifiedAllen's data are mainly based on wage records of urban manual workers such as construction workers, with limited coverage of sectors such as agriculture and textiles, so conclusions drawn by different scholars using alternative data diverge.
50%