Meta Description- Immigrants coming into the American workforce led to the Industrial Revolution, which helped them grow further.
The few decades from 1894 to 1915 were a period of commotion, flux and economic apprehension for the workers of the US. This period saw the change from a rural agrarian society to an industrial economy that was centered in big metropolitan cities.
In recent years, immigrants and their US-born children have been the chief drivers of the US workforce. You will be amazed to know that immigrants are responsible for 83% growth of the labour force from 2010-to 2018, and in this period, they became 28% of US workers.
The History of Immigrants in the American Workforce
Before America's Industrial Revolution, most Americans were brought up in small towns that had largely isolated agricultural households and were connected to the outside world by horse-drawn wagons. Only a few rural towns were linked to the other cities by ships or railroads.
The lack of connectivity means that various rural communities were self-sufficient in clothing, food, and other essential items. But, all this changed drastically in the 20th century, when the supply of the products increased and their costs decreased. This was seen as a big revolution in both urban and rural households.
Many goods and products that did not exist a couple of years ago were now available in abundance and that too at reasonable prices. This was due to the improved distribution system because of the expanding networking of highways and rail lines. Half of the northern farms had telephones and automobiles by the year 1920.
American Industrial Revolution
After the World War II, industrialism grew rapidly in the US; there were loads of new opportunities and problems simultaneously. It drew immigrants from eastern and southern Europe, and this influx was about to change the American workforce.
A deflation in 1893 resulted in the closure of many manufacturing units that left many workers unemployed. This also caused increased disputes between the workers and manufacturers.
Various efforts were considered to stabilize the economic condition that exists even today. Some of these efforts include the inclusion of females in the workforce, increased worker benefits, reasonable work hours, safe working conditions, and much more.
In 1880, cities grew as more Americans moved from agriculture to urban industrial work. Many small firms and workshops were set up that required artisan technology for creating furniture, tools, and other goods for local markets. It gradually grew bigger, and the US now had numerous big enterprises that were involved in the manufacturing of iron, textile, crude oil, etc.
There was a massive shift from agriculture to labor sector. Immigrants came to the cities to work as laborers in factories and earn wages for their living.
The development of electricity in the commercial sector in the 19th century enabled the industries to take advantage of laborers even more in the large cities. A positive change was seen as there was increasing urbanization of the society and shifting of people from agriculture to factories and offices.
The 19th century was not just seen as a period of growth but an age of immigration as well. It was observed that around three-quarters of the residents of the big cities comprised immigrants and their children. Some of these cities are Milwaukee, New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Detroit.
It is the immigrant workforce that caused the industrial revolution in the US. It also enabled the economic mobility of native-born workers during the shift in industrialization.
FAQs
Q1. Were there any actions taken to prevent immigrants?
A1. In 1882, there was an act released called the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882; it was released to avert the Chinese people from working in the US. They were taking fewer wages than the US people, which made Americans threatened in their job security.
Q2. What was the role of immigration in altering the industrial sector of the American economy between 1880 to 1920?
A2. The immigrants played a vital role as they were majorly responsible for expanding the manufacturing economy from 1880 to 1920.
Q3. What kind of jobs were initiated from the end of the nineteenth and the start of the twentieth century?
A3. Various kinds of jobs started, such as cattle breeding, industrial jobs, and public service jobs.
Q4. Did the coming of immigrants have a negative impact on the US Economy?
A4. There are no facts on it, but a few studies state that the coming of immigrants led to a negative impact on the per-capita economic growth and the wages of the American workers.
Q5. What was the fundamental effect of immigration?
A5. The increase in immigration helped raise the number of working people compared to dependants.
