Local Labor Effects of Hydropower Adoption in Norway 1891-1920

This dataset supports a study on the impact of hydropower facility construction on labor markets in Norway from 1891 to 1920. It provides data for a quasi-experimental analysis of structural transformation and occupational mobility in municipalities with suitable natural endowments for hydropower.

Use Cases

• Analyze labor market outcomes across municipalities to measure the local effects of hydropower technology adoption.
• Study structural transformation by comparing occupational mobility in hydropower municipalities versus others.
• Investigate the skill bias of early 20th-century technology by examining shifts into new skilled jobs.
• Assess the quasi-experimental impact of natural endowments for hydropower on local economic development.

Strengths

• Data covers a 30-year historical period from 1891 to 1920.
• Supports a quasi-experimental research design based on natural endowments.
• Associated with a forthcoming paper in the Journal of Economic History.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and file details are not provided in the input.
• Data is in Stata format, which may require specific software to access.
• The analysis is geographically limited to municipalities in Norway.

Provenance

Source

Replication package for a paper by Stefan Leknes and Jørgen Modalsli.

Collection Method

Data compiled for a historical economic study on hydropower adoption.

Time Range

1891–1920

Freshness

Dataset was last updated on 2026-02-23.

Geography

Municipalities in Norway.