Question

In the middle of the fourteenth century, an epidemic known as the Black Death killed a third of Europe’s population, about 34 million people. While this was an enormous tragedy, the macroeconomic consequences might surprise you: over the next century, wages are estimated to have been higher than before the Black Death

Answer 1

Answer:

The black death epidemic resulted to death about 34 million European, left more job vacant. This was becuase many workers died while the jobs the were working on as at that time remained almost unchanged. The remained workers after the black death demanded for rise in wages, although the lords stood against the demand.

Explanation:

Although worker population decreased because of the plague, the amount of land and the tools did not change much. Some farm animals died when the people who took care of them died. Because the remaining workers had more tools and land to work, they became more productive, producing more goods and services. When workers are more productive, employers are willing to pay higher wages. The Statute of Laborers and similar laws in other countries were not very effective. Some lords avoided violating the statute by making “in kind” pay-ments—paying workers with food or other goods rather than wages—or providing other “fringe benefi ts.” Some lords began to pay illegally high wages. Wages increased because there were fewer workers—labor had become more scarce