Databases
The lab employs a range of digital methods to collect our datasets, including OCR, HTR, Python programming, machine learning, image recognition, and generative AI. These tools allow us to gather and curate datasets on a scale previously unattainable, and at a significantly lower cost.
Urban Lifelines (UrbLife)
We are currently developing our primary dataset, “UrbLife,” which integrates various datasets on individuals in Swedish urban areas, including information on their residence and workplace, covering the period from 1878 to 2020.
The historical portion of the dataset is housed in a SQL database and stored on Uppsala University servers.
Universe of Swedish Plants (USP)
Drawing on Swedish official statistics, we are building a comprehensive database that includes all manufacturing establishments in Sweden during the first half of the 20th century. The dataset captures details such as the size of each establishment in terms of workers, types of engines used in production, production value, and geographic information. By linking establishments through their name and location, we are able to track them over time. From 1940 onward, the dataset also includes information on the owners of each establishment.
The Historical Swedish Population Panel (HISP)
The HISP dataset is a longitudinal sample of men and women born in 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, and 1900, derived from Swedish catechetical examination registers. It follows individuals throughout their lives, documenting all migrations, occupations, and demographic details such as marital status and socio-economic background. Covering the period from the 1870s to the 1930s, HISP provides an in-depth view of rural-urban migration and its impact on occupational income, offering rich yearly observations that allow for detailed analysis of pre- and post-migration dynamics. This makes it a valuable tool for studying long-term socio-economic patterns in Sweden.
The Swedish Interwar Wage Database (SIWD)
The Swedish Interwar Wage database is a repeated cross-section of plants covering more than 10,000 manufacturing establishments between 1922 and 1936. The dataset provides information on the amount of work (overtime, salaried, piece work) done by men, women and minors at each plant. It also provides information on their wages, whether or not they were paid in money or in kind.
