Bob Allen
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About
Bob Allen is a preeminent economic historian whose work has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of long-run global inequality, labor markets, and technological change. His research centers on the historical roots of the Great Divergence—why some nations industrialized while others did not—and the evolving interplay between wages, technology, and globalization. Allen’s most influential contributions include his groundbreaking analysis of the "high-wage economy" thesis, arguing that Britain’s uniquely high labor costs incentivized the invention and adoption of labor-saving machinery during the Industrial Revolution. His landmark book, *The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective*, and his widely cited paper on wages and prices across Europe and Asia have amassed thousands of citations, cementing his status as a foundational thinker in the field. More recently, his 2021 study on the UK economy from 1620 to 2020 (cited over 2,000 times) traces how globalization and technological shifts have driven rising inequality and stagnant real wages, offering a powerful historical lens for contemporary policy debates. A Fellow of the British Academy and recipient of numerous honors, Allen’s work remains essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the deep history of economic development and inequality.
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