From Sundsvall to Saltsjöbaden: A regional perspective on strikes at the Swedish labor market

In this project we analyze labor market conflicts in Sweden during the period 1859-1938. Instead of seeing Sweden as a unit, we apply a regional perspective. Our starting point is to use regional variations using modern quantitative methods to capture the importance of changing economic, social and technological conditions. The project consists of two consecutive parts. In the first part, we study what causes strikes. In the second part we analyze the consequences of the strikes, with particular emphasis on the origin of the Swedish model. In both parts, we are particularly interested in spatial diffusion patterns.
In the project, we build a database of information about local labor conflicts combined with geographic information, such as local economic conditions, union organization, proximity to natural resources and infrastructure.