John T. Dunlop (1914–2003)

John T. Dunlop was a labour economist who became pre-eminent as an industrial relations scholar. However, his empirical work and theoretical contribution is less well known than it deserves among contemporary economists. He disputed the idea that increasing unemployment would reduce inflation because wages do not change to clear labour markets when there is excess labour supply—nor would it be a good thing if they did so. Dunlop detailed the actual operation of labour markets in support of that Keynesian proposition with a particular emphasis on the decision-making that goes on inside companies and the influence of labour organisations in advanced economies.