Mexican Real Wages Before the Revolution: A Reappraisal

Javier L. Arnaut

doi:10.16993/iberoamericana.421

Abstract

Seminal literature has documented broadly the living conditions of Mexican workers before the Revolution of 1910. Various authors argue that a continuous deterioration of real wages in the preceding years of the Mexican revolution contributed to the social unrest that lead to the armed conflict. Yet, most of the quantitative evidence has focused on aggregate estimates overlooking the regional wage dynamics. Through regional historical data, this article reevaluates quantitatively the patterns of Mexican regional real wages providing new estimates for the period 1877-c.1910. The analysis reveals that a divergent pattern between sectors and regions emerged during these years. However, the study also shows that in general, locally-adjusted regional real wages remained relatively stable throughout the period.

Highlights

RESEARCH ARTICLESeminal literature has documented broadly the living conditions of Mexican workers before the R evolution of 1910
One of the most important features of the international economy from the mid-nineteenth century until the start of the First World War was the rapid process of globalisation
Concluding remarks The Mexican Revolution has been a topic of recurrent dispute among historians interpreting the origins behind the uprising in Mexico in 1910

Summary

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Seminal literature has documented broadly the living conditions of Mexican workers before the R evolution of 1910. Various authors argue that a continuous deterioration of real wages in the preceding years of the Mexican revolution contributed to the social unrest that lead to the armed conflict. Most of the quantitative evidence has focused on aggregate estimates overlooking the regional wage dynamics. This article reevaluates quantitatively the patterns of Mexican regional real wages providing new estimates for the period 1877-c.1910. The analysis reveals that a divergent pattern between sectors and regions emerged during these years. The study shows that in general, locally-adjusted regional real wages remained relatively stable throughout the period

Introduction

United Kingdom France United States Mexico Latin American average*

Limitations

Findings

North Gulf