Question

During the Industrial Revolution, most people were “unskilled labor,” and there were many workers available for jobs. Why did this decrease their negotiating power and protection at work?

Workers were not smart enough to stick up for themselves or ask for better working conditions.

Unskilled workers did not deserve protection at work until they learned the skills of the workplace.

Working conditions were not bad; there were always workers willing to take the job.

Everyone was replaceable; if an unskilled worker was fired for asking for fair wages, another worker was ready to take the job immediately.

Answer 1

Everyone was replaceable; if an unskilled worker was fired for asking for fair wages, another worker was ready to take the job immediately.

Explanation: with a large supply of unskilled labor, employers had the leverage — workers could be easily replaced, so asking for higher pay or safer conditions risked immediate dismissal and replacement. That oversupply reduced bargaining power and slowed the development of workplace protections until unions, laws, or labor shortages changed the balance. The other options blame workers’ intelligence or imply conditions were fine, which are incorrect.