Short-term Labour and Precarious Work in Northern Europe, c. 1620-1870

This open access volume explores the history of short-term employment and precarious work in pre-industrial Northern Europe. Contrary to popular belief, stable, long-term employment—potentially lasting decades—was uncommon in Northern Europe until the advent of large-scale industrialisation and the emergence of the welfare state. Prior to this, most wage earners survived through work that was often temporary, seasonal, and poorly paid, forcing families to rely on multiple jobs and alternative ways of supplementing their modest income. The central aim of this book is to investigate how people dependent on odd jobs or temporary work navigated precarious labour markets. What strategies did they employ to cope with uncertainty? What were their opportunities for social mobility? What do their labour relations reveal about the structure of pre-industrial labour markets in Northern Europe?

The book focuses on two key groups of wage labourers: unskilled manual workers—such as servants and day labourers—and those engaged in temporary employment for institutions like the Crown and the Church, including scribes, clergymen, and military personnel. An uncertain livelihood, vagrant lifestyle, and loose ties with the local community have been traditionally associated with the lower echelons of society, but as this collection demonstrates, this was a reality for multitudes of people. Comprising nine chapters, the volume examines various social groups in both urban and rural settings, primarily within the borders of present-day Finland. Drawing on a rich array of source materials, it offers a fresh perspective on labour market insecurity in early modern Europe, and provides valuable insights for those interested in contemporary working life and culture.