How did working conditions change during industrialization?

At first glance, one might think that working conditions moving from an agricultural society to an industrialized one, would improve. People would no longer be spending long hours working in the fields but would be working indoors, out of the elements, in factories. However, overall, working conditions far from improved. As factories opened, long lines of workers applied. Employees were in an abundance. Employers could hire them at obscenely low wages. Not only men worked...

At first glance, one might think that working conditions moving from an agricultural society to an industrialized one, would improve. People would no longer be spending long hours working in the fields but would be working indoors, out of the elements, in factories. However, overall, working conditions far from improved. As factories opened, long lines of workers applied. Employees were in an abundance. Employers could hire them at obscenely low wages. Not only men worked however, and the women and children hired to work in the factories, made even lower wages than the men. Children often worked up to 15 hours a day for only ten cents an hour. Low wages were not the only problem. The working conditions were deplorable. Factories had limited light, mostly from sunlight coming through windows. Safety was not regulated and many machines were dangerous because of the way they operated or because of the smoke and fumes they spewed into the factory air which was for the most part not ventilated well. Eventually, labor unions formed to attempt and change the ways that factories did business however, they had limited success for most of this time period. As workers realized that together they could have a powerful voice and create change, slowly conditions improved.