Will technical change spur conflicts in the labor market? In this study, we examine electricity adoption in Sweden during the first decades of the twentieth century. Exploiting that proximity to hydropowered plants shaped the electricity network independently of previous local conditions, we estimate the impact of electricity on labor strikes. Our results indicate that electricity adoption preceded an increase in conflicts, but strikes were of an offensive nature and most common in sectors with increasing labor demand. This suggests that electrification provided workers with a stronger bargaining position from which they could voice their claims.

中文翻译：

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赋予人民更多权力：电力采用、技术变革和劳工冲突

技术变革会引发劳动力市场的冲突吗？在这项研究中，我们考察了 20 世纪头几十年瑞典的电力采用情况。利用靠近水力发电厂的优势，独立于以前的当地条件塑造了电力网络，我们估计了电力对罢工的影响。我们的研究结果表明，电力的采用先于冲突的增加，但罢工具有攻击性，并且在劳动力需求不断增加的行业中最为常见。这表明电气化为工人提供了更强的谈判地位，他们可以借此表达自己的主张。