Why did workers migrating to British cities in the nineteenth century often spend weeks without work, despite the rapid growth of industries during that period?
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 14:57 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Despite rapid industrial growth, many migrating workers spent weeks without work because:
- Abundance of labour kept wages low and industrialists preferred cheap hand labour over machines, so new jobs were not always created quickly.
- Seasonality of work — industries like gas works, breweries, and bookbinding hired workers only during peak seasons; after the busy season, workers were back on the streets.
- Lack of social connections — getting a job depended heavily on existing networks of friends or relatives in factories. Those without such contacts had to wait, sleeping under bridges or in night shelters.
Source: The Age of Industrialisation, Section 2 and 2.1
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Explanation
Examiners expect two to three clear reasons for a 2-mark answer. Pick any two well-explained points — seasonal nature of work and dependence on social networks are the most direct answers from the passage. Mention of labour abundance adds context. Avoid writing long paragraphs; crisp points score better here.