I recall that Robert Gordon wrote about this mystery back in the 1970s.
He made the case that the decline did not seem to be grounded in the
realities of the industry.
>
> Peter Dorman wrote:
>
> >A radical change is taking place in construction. You may remember (or think
> >you remember) it as an exclusive, aristocracy-of-labor operation, staffed by
> >unionized ethnics out to beat up blacks and hippies. Today it is largely
> >nonunion, poorly trained (the breakdown of the apprenticeship system),
> >increasingly nonwhite, often abysmally paid, and therefore more dangerous.
>
> Hmm, here productivity trends run against the morbidity/mortality
> trend. Productivity in construction is in a mysterious decline.
>
> Doug
>
>
--
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929
Tel. 530-898-5321
E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
