The Evolution of Working Conditions

Lawren Szilagy
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In this paper, I will analyze the evolution of working conditions during the Industrial
Revolution to that of the present day. According to history.com, The Industrial Revolution,
which took place from the 18th to 19th centuries, was a period during which predominantly
agrarian, rural societies in Europe and America became industrial and urban. This time period
brought drastic changes in how and where people worked. Before the Industrial Revolution,
manufacturing was mostly done in peoples homes using hand tools, but the Industrial
Revolution marked a shift to powered, complex machinery, factories, and mass production. This
shift brought improvements in things such as technology, transportation, communication, and
banking. However, with all of these improvements also came along dangerous and harsh
employment and living conditions for the working class, and many families had their children
work in order to survive. I argue that working conditions, besides the incorporation of labor
unions, have drastically changed from the time of the Industrial Revolution. This is blatantly
seen when presented with a comparison of child labor, hours and wages, and labor unions of the
Industrial Revolution to those of the twentieth century.
First, I will discuss child labor during the Industrial Revolution and how much it
contrasts with child labor today. In order to survive, many families had to have every member of
the family work, leading to a high rise in child labor in factories. Labor in the factories was
brutal for everyone during the Industrial Revolution, including children. Just like the adults,
children as young as six years old had fourteen to sixteen hour workdays and worked six days a
week. Even though working as long and in as dangerous of conditions as the adults, children got

paid only a fraction of what the adults were paid. Lewis W. Hine states in July 1909 in a letter
titled, Child Labor in the Canning Industry of Maryland, There are several dangers connected
with this work when children do it. On every hand, one can see little tots evident that the work is
too hard. Then there are machines which no young persons should be working around.
Unguarded belts, wheels, cogs and the like are a menace to careless children. The child labor
conditions of this time contrast incredibly to those of the twentieth century. Today, children are
protected, as stated by dol.gov, The federal child labor provisions, . . . also known as the child
labor laws, were enacted to ensure that when young people work, the work is safe and does not
jeopardize their health, well-being or educational opportunities. Children must meet the age
requirement, must be paid minimum wage or higher, and must be given breaks if working
multiple hours in a row. Going from no laws or protection to strict laws and much protection,
child labor has drastically changed from the time of the Industrial Revolution.
Second, I will analyze working classs hours and wages during the Industrial Revolution
and how they compare to that of today. During the Industrial Revolution, factory workers, both
adults and children, worked anywhere from fourteen to sixteen hours a day. These people worked
six days a week and were extremely underpaid. According to firstindustrialrevolution.com, The
majority were unskilled workers, who only received about $8-$10 dollars a week, working at
approximately 10 cents an hour. Skilled workers earned a little more, but not significantly more.
Women received one-third or sometimes one-half the pay that men received. Children received
even less. Because there was such a large amount of people looking for work, employers were
able to set wages as low as they desired. These conditions significantly contrast to those of the
twentieth century. For example, it is illegal if an employer does not pay their employees at least
minimum wage, and if employees work more than their weekly hours, they are paid more money

since they are working overtime. As stated by dol.gov, For covered, nonexempt employees, the
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires overtime pay (PDF) to be at least one and one-half
times an employee's regular rate of pay after 40 hours of work in a workweek. From the time of
the Industrial Revolution to today, wages have increased while hours generally decreased, which
can be seen as an amazing change from the Industrial Revolution to today.
Lastly, I will review the labor unions of the Industrial Revolution and how they compare
to todays unions. During the Industrial Revolution, reformers pressed for laws to improve
working conditions. This is when labor unions, which are workers organizations, came about.
These unions won the right to bargain for better wages, hours, and working conditions. Todays
unions continue to serve the same purpose for which they were originally founded. As stated by
unionplus.org, Current union agendas include increasing wages, raising the standard of living
for the working class, ensuring safe working conditions, and increasing benefits for both workers
and their families. Labor unions have always had the same goal of protecting and benefiting the
working class. In the case of labor unions, not much has changed from the time of the Industrial
Revolution to the twentieth century.
Overall, there has been a drastic change in working conditions of the Industrial
Revolution to the working conditions of the twentieth century. Children worked long hours in
dangerous conditions for very little pay. Today, child labor laws protect children from harsh labor
treatment. The working class has gone from low pay and long hours to higher pay and shorter
hours. Although there have been great changes, there has not been a drastic change in labor
unions. Labor unions have maintained the same objective of protecting and giving benefits to the
working class. It is frightening to imagine a country with no labor laws or unions. Think of how
differently everyone in society would live and how differently our world would operate.