History of Labor Turnover in the U.S.

Laura Owen

Economic History
Labor and Demographic Economics

Article

Labor turnover measures the movement of workers in and out of employment with a particular firm. This article explains how the rise of large scale firms in the late nineteenth century and the decreasing importance of agricultural employment meant that a growing number of workers were employed by firms. It was only in this context that interest in measuring labor turnover and understanding its causes began.