Kurt W. Rothschild (October 21, 1914 — November 14, 2010) was an Austrian economist. In his research, Rothschild always took into account the larger economic and socio-political context of the questions he investigated. His research interests covered a wide range of topics: employment and the labor market, income distribution, the theory of wages, power relations, and ethical questions of economic theory.

After studying law in Vienna, Rothschild had to flee to Scotland in 1938, where he completed a degree in economics at the University of Glasgow. As a young economist, he soon made a name for himself in Scotland with his contributions to academic research. After the war, he returned to Austria, where he worked at the Austrian Institute for Economic Research from 1947 to 1966. In 1966, he was appointed professor at the newly founded University of Linz.

Main works: Theory of wages (1954), Lohntheorie (1963), Wirtschaftsprognose, Methoden und Probleme (1969), Power in economics (1971), Einführung in die Ungleichgewichtstheorie (1981), Theorien der Arbeitslosigkeit (1988), Ethik und Wirtschaftstheorie (1992), Employment, wages and income distribution (1993), Die politischen Visionen großer Ökonomen (2004)

Further information on the life and work: www.kurt-rothschild.at

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