Employment, hours and wages in the Engineering Employers' Federation, 1914-1968

Abstract

The complete Engineering Employers' Federation (EEF) payroll data have been transcribed from records kept at the University of Warwick's Modern Record Centre in order to provide electronic access. This is an especially rich source of data, representing roughly 30 percent of UK engineering. Detailed information are provided on wages (rates and earnings) and hours of work at engineering district, section, and occupational levels. Statistics separate pieceworkers and timeworkers as well as males and females. Information on apprentices, journeymen, boys and youths is also given. The statistics cover the period 1914 to 1968 and provide exceptional detail for the inter-war period (including the Great Depression), WWII, and the post-war recovery period. Unemployment rates covering 1926-1968 and matching 28 of the 56 engineering districts are also provided. To date, research work carried out at the University of Stirling on these data include: (a) A comprehensive descriptive analysis of all main features of the data.(b) Wages and hours in British engineering in the inter-and post-war periods.(c) The effect of the business cycles on the piece rates and time rates of pay.(d) Female work and pay in engineering during WWII.(e) Apprenticeship and journeymen relative pay and employment in the interwar period.