Labor
There were plenty of people available for work. The people they used were not just men, but also women and children. The working conditions were harsh, and their wages were low.
Miners worked in some of the worse conditions. The dust was harmful to their lungs, and they worked in the dark. There was always a high risk of flooding, collapsed tunnels, and explosions. They worked in small dark spaces under ground.
Children started working as young as seven and eight years of age. Due to their small size, they were able to crawl under machinery to fix broken threads. This caused many deaths and permanent disabilities. "Factory Acts" were passed in the 1800's. Under these laws a child's workday was reduced to twelve hours. Also, Children under the age of eight and nine were not allowed to work in the cotton mills. Adults also rallied together and protested against unfair labor. These protests led to organized labor unions.
With Industrialization came urbanization. Urbanization is the movement of people to cities. This happened due to the fact that workers who lived on farms and in rural areas wanted to be closer to the factories and work. In the 1750's, the city of Manchester had a population of around 17,000. In 1780, the population was 40,000, and in 1801 it rose to 70,000. This vast amount of people lived in tenements, which is a multistory building divided into apartments.