16.4. Movements in Real Wages, Agricultural and Non-Agricultural

The comparisons between the wages indices and the expenses indices give the following results. (In all cases, in the five-yearly data, the figures for 1840 and for 1855 are not representative of the general trend, as exactly these years had abnormal inflation; the recommendation is to mentally draw a straight line from 1835 to 1845, and another from 1850 to 1860.)

Wages and Expenses Agricultural Laborers

	Wages index	Expenses index	Real Wages
	Agr Lab	Agr Lab	Agr Lab
1770	100.0	100.0	100.0
1775	101.5	105.5	96.2
1780	107.7	85.8	125.6
1785	107.7	97.4	110.6
1790	113.8	112.2	101.4
1795	136.9	139.1	98.4
1800	143.1	175.2	81.7
1805	163.1	161.6	100.9
1810	173.8	179.5	96.9
1815	186.2	150.6	123.6
1820	180.0	148.6	121.1
1825	167.7	147.1	114.0
1830	160.0	129.8	123.2
1835	156.9	108.3	144.9
1840	169.2	153.9	110.0
1845	146.2	129.2	113.1
1850	146.2	111.0	131.7
1855	167.7	162.4	103.3
1860	169.2	139.3	121.5

a

COMPARISON 1770 TO 1860 AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS  WEEKLY WAGES 1770 = 100  WAGES             169 EXPENSES       139 REAL WAGES  121

For the whole period from 1815 onwards, the real wages are about 20 to 25 % higher than in 1770.

Wages and Expenses Non-Agricultural Occupations

	Wages index	Expenses index	Real Wages
	Non Agr	Non Agr	Non Agr
1770	100.0	100.0	100.0
1775	103.0	109.1	95.9
1780	108.9	102.7	106.5
1785	113.9	107.0	108.1
1790	123.3	114.1	111.4
1795	149.5	133.9	114.4
1800	152.5	188.2	81.9
1805	158.4	175.1	89.8
1810	164.4	196.9	84.9
1815	163.4	174.8	95.1
1820	153.5	166.4	92.3
1825	155.4	162.0	94.7
1830	155.4	138.8	110.0
1835	158.4	123.0	125.8
1840	158.4	154.7	99.5
1845	161.4	136.2	115.5
1850	165.3	124.7	129.3
1855	182.3	161.0	109.3
1860	195.0	150.3	124.7

a

COMPARISON 1770 TO 1860 NON-AGRICULTURAL WORKERS 1770 = 100  WAGES                  195 EXPENSES            152 REAL WAGES       128

The real wages for non-agricultural workers are in negative territory for the period 1800 to 1830, as they did not compensate for the high prices caused by the bad harvests up to 1815, and the financial recession in 1815-1822.

The Industrial Revolution for a number of industries/occupations only impacted the technology and the business model starting in 1820, and thus there was not a great movement in the average wages in the country.  

            Possibly the most interesting method for showing the movements in the incomes and expenses of the workers, is to compare the average weekly wage with the cost of 15 quartern loaves (approx. corresponds to one bushel of wheat). The cost of one bushel of wheat – or a little less – was taken to be enough to cover the normal expenses of a family. 

	Average wage	Quartern Loaf
	Shillings week	Pence
	Present study
1770	10.1	6.0
1775	10.4	8.0
1780	11.0	6.0
1785	11.5	6.5
1790	12.5	8.0
1795	15.1	10.3
1800	15.4	18.3
1805	16.0	14.0
1810	16.6	17.0
1815	16.5	10.0
1820	15.5	10.0
1825	15.7	10.5
1830	15.7	10.5
1835	16.0	7.0
1840	16.0	10.0
1845	16.3	7.5
1850	16.7	6.5
1855	18.4	10.3
1860	19.7	8.0

We see that the average incomes of the families at the beginning of our period show a surplus of about 30 % above the normal expenses, then are below the required amount in the years 1800-1810 due the high prices of corn, revert to 30 % surplus for 1815-1830, and increase considerably up to 1860. In 1860 the families, after paying for their necessary expenses, have an equal amount free for any other sort of goods or services; they will not be using this extra money for paying for a second quantity of bread! For this reason they are a lot richer than before 1830.

            But we must note that these figures are averages of averages. They are averages of a number of occupations, and inside each occupation, they are averages of a range of job descriptions and personal circumstances. The fact that the country average is around the 17 line in a given year, does not mean that everyone is eating enough. It probably means that as an estimate 25 % of the population is between 10 and 15, and 5 % of the population is below 10, which means that they are really suffering.