Geographic labor mobility in nineteenth century England and Wales

Historical evidence suggests that successful economic development efforts have been characterized by a structural transformation of the developing economy from one dominated by agricultural employment and production to one dominated by nonagricultural employment and production. Such transformations have typically involved the migration of relatively sizeable fractions of the nation's agricultural work force to centers of nonagricultural employment and production. In this study we employ regression analysis to examine the magnitudes in which various factors influenced intercounty migration in England and Wales during the Nineteenth Century. Our evidence suggests that out-migration tended to be lower the higher the agricultural wage that prevailed in a county. The results also reflect the attractiveness of job opportunities in the nonagricultural sector and the deterring effects of distance.