The Impact of Public Transportation and Commuting on Urban Labour Markets: Evidence from the New Survey of London Life and Labour, 1929-32

75 Pages Posted: 14 Aug 2021

See all articles by Andrew Seltzer

Andrew Seltzer

University of London, Royal Holloway College - Department of Economics

Jonathan Wadsworth

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Centre for Economic Performance (CEP); IZA Institute of Labor Economics; William Davidson Institute; Royal Holloway College University of London

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Abstract

This paper examines the consequences of the commuter transport revolution on working class labour markets in 1930s London. The ability to commute alleviated urban crowding and increased workers’ choice of potential employers. Using GIS-based data constructed from the New Survey of London Life and Labour, we examine the extent of commuting and estimate the earnings returns to commuting. We obtain a lower-bound estimate of two percent increase in earnings per kilometer travelled. We also show that commuting was an important contributor to improving quality of life in the early-twentieth century.

JEL Classification: N94, J39, N34

Suggested Citation

Seltzer, Andrew and Wadsworth, Jonathan, The Impact of Public Transportation and Commuting on Urban Labour Markets: Evidence from the New Survey of London Life and Labour, 1929-32. IZA Discussion Paper No. 14628, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3905063 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3905063

Andrew Seltzer (Contact Author)

University of London, Royal Holloway College - Department of Economics ( email )

Royal Holloway College
Egham
Surrey, Surrey TW20 0EX
United Kingdom

Jonathan Wadsworth

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) ( email )

Houghton Street
London WC2A 2AE
England

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
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Germany

William Davidson Institute

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Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1234
United States

Royal Holloway College University of London

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London, TW20 0EX
United Kingdom

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