Full Citation

Title: Economic Consequences of the U.S. Convict Labor System

Citation Type: Working Paper

Publication Year: 2019

ISBN:

ISSN: 1556-5068

DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3347300

NSFID:

PMCID:

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Abstract: I study the economic externalities of U.S. convict labor on local labor markets. Using newly collected panel data on U.S. prisons and convict-labor camps from 1886 to 1940, I show that competition from cheap prison-made goods led to higher unemployment, lower labor-force participation, and reduced wages (particularly for women) in counties that housed competing man- ufacturing industries. At the same time, affected industries had higher patenting rates. I find that the introduction of convict labor accounts for 16% slower growth in U.S. manufacturing wages. The introduction of convict labor also induced technical changes and innovations that account for 6% of growth in U.S. patenting in affected industries.

Url: https://www.ineteconomics.org/research/research-papers/economic-consequences-of-the-u-s-convict-labor-system

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Poyker, Mikhail

Series Title: Ineteconomics WP

Publication Number: 91

Institution: Columbia University

Pages:

Publisher Location: New York, NY

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure, Other

Countries: