A clear-eyed look at the eight-hour question in late 19th-century England.
This book weighs both sides of the shorter working day debate, drawing on reform arguments, economic theory, and contemporary experiments to ask what a shorter day would mean for workers, industry, and society.
It surveys proposed benefits and likely costs, from boosted demand and education to potential dips in profits and changes in wages. Readers will see how economists and workers viewed the shift, and how factors like capital, interest, and competition might be affected. The text also looks at comparisons with Australia and the practical questions of implementing change in a mature industrial economy.
- Explains the core arguments for and against a shorter working day.
- Discusses how wages, profits, and capital could be influenced.
- Includes perspectives from artisans and economists of the period.
- Considers international comparisons and real-world implications.
Ideal for readers of social science, labor history, and economic reform debates.