EH442 Half Unit
Labour Markets in Historical Perspective
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Prof Chris Minns
Availability
This course is available on the MSc in Economic History, MSc in Economic History (Research), MSc in Financial History, MSc in Global Economic History and MSc in Political Economy of Late Development. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.
How to apply: All Economic History courses are controlled access and capped. Priority will be given to students for whom the course is within their programme regulations.
All course choices submitted before the deadline will be considered. It is advisable that students submit a statement in support of their course choices as these will be used to allocate places where a course is oversubscribed.
Deadline for application: First round offers will be sent on Monday 29 September 2025. Students who submit their course choices after the deadline and students wishing to take an Economic History course as an outside option will be waitlisted initially and informed by Wednesday 1 October 2025 whether they have been successful.
Once an offer has been sent, you have 48 hours to accept it before it times out. Once an offer has timed out, it will be re-allocated to someone on the waitlist. In all cases, it is strongly advised that you have an alternative course choice as a back-up in case you are unable to secure your first choice.
For queries contact: If you have any questions, please contact the MSc Programmes Officer (o.harrison1@lse.ac.uk) A list of all taught master's courses in this Department are listed on LSE's course guide webpages. Guidance on how to apply to individual controlled access courses can also be found on LSE for You.
Course content
This course explores a selection of topics related to the history of labour markets. The course is divided into four parts.
The first part is an introduction to issues and concepts from economics and other social sciences relevant to understanding labour markets in the past.
The second part of the course focuses on the role of human and physical capital in determining long-run patterns in wage levels, productivity, and the adoption of new technology and forms of organization.
The third part of the course explores issues related to geographical mobility and economic development, with particular focus on international migration and the immigrant experience at the destination.
The fourth and final part of the course address disparities in historical labour markets, with particular attention to differences in inequality and economic mobility over space and by gender and race.
The course draws on findings from a range of historical contexts to illustrate how social scientists have used theories, methods, and evidence to understand labour market developments in the past, and in turn considers what these findings imply about the relevance of different social science approaches.
Teaching
20 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.
The course will be taught as 10 two-hour seminars during Autumn Term
Formative assessment
Students will be expected to produce 1 essay in the AT.
One 2,500 word formative essay in the Autumn Term.
Indicative reading
The following indicative readings preview course topics:
- Abramitzky and Boustan, Streets of Gold (2022)
- Bayer and Charles, "Divergent Paths: a New Perspective on Earnings Differences Between Black and White Men Since 1940." Quarterly Journal of Economics (2018)
- Goldin, Career and Family: Women's Century-Long Journey Towards Equity (2021)
- Goldin and Katz, The Race Between Technology and Education (2008)
- Hatton and Williamson, The Age of Mass Migration: Causes and Economic Impact (1998)
- Humphries and Weisdorf, "Unreal Wages? Real Incomes and Economic Growth in England, 1260-1850." Economic Journal (2019)
A detailed, article-based reading list will be provided at the beginning of Autumn Term.
Assessment
Exam (100%), duration: 120 Minutes in the Spring exam period
Key facts
Department: Economic History
Course Study Period: Autumn Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: 9
Average class size 2024/25: 9
Controlled access 2024/25: YesCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
Personal development skills
- Self-management
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Application of information skills
- Communication
- Application of numeracy skills
- Specialist skills