工业革命时期英国工人的实际工资

Workers' Real Wages during British Industrial Revolution

众所周知,现代经济增长肇始于英国工业革命时期,然而,对此期间的工人阶层的生活水平是否提高却存在着争论。作为影响生活水平的最重要指标,工业革命时期英国工业工人的实际工资经历了一个复杂的变化过程。从整体上看,他们实际工资在经历了18世纪90年代到19世纪10年代的普遍下降后,自1820年开始总体有所改善。工业革命并没有导致工人生活水平的普遍恶化,相反,正是工业的发展带来了实际工资和生活水平的提高。但是,实际工资的改善程度在所有工人群体中绝非均匀一致,各行业、各地区间存在不同程度的差异,生活水平从来没有得到改善甚至恶化的情况也是客观存在的。

It is a well-known fact that the modern economic growth began with British industrial revolution.However,the question of the living standards of working class was in dispute.The workers' real wages,as a most important factor affecting the standard of living,had been finally improved during the industrial revolution,especially more noticeable after 1820,although the trend was complicated.The living standards of working class did not become worse in the beginning of the industrial revolution.On the contrary,it was the industrial development that brought the real wages and the standard of living to a rise.On the other hand,the degrees of improvement of real wages among various worker groups were not uniform.Differences existed according to branches and regions,and there were also cases of none improving even worsening.