TRABAJO Y SALARIOS EN CHILE DESPUÉS DE LA INDEPENDENCIA: OBRAS DE CONSTRUCCIÓN EN SANTIAGO-VALPARAÍSO, C.1810S-1850S

This article provides one of the first pieces of evidence on wages (both nominal and real) in Chile during the early decades following independence (c.1819-1852), as well as on the dynamics of the urban labor market (in Santiago, Valparaíso, and surrounding areas) in the first half of the 19th century, focusing on a key sector of the economy such as public works construction, based on the available wage records. The research findings challenge the interpretation of Chile's economic performance in the first half of the 19th century as «lost decades», by showing the presence of wages paid in cash, above subsistence levels, and with notable differences according to the worker's skill/productivity. This suggests a departure from the view of extremely poor economic development.