Life for laborers in the "Golden Twenties" was not all that great. They received very little pay and worked many hours. Laborers worked under very poor conditions. A lot of laborers lost jobs and suffered from unemployment.
             The pay laborers received was very little. They worked many hours for literally pennies. Laborers worked anywhere from 8-hour workdays to 16-hour workdays. They worked six or seven days a week just so they could survive. The average industrial worker's wages in 1920 was $0.56 an hour and by 1929, after going down a few times to as low as $0.49 an hour, workers received $0.57 an hour. They worked until they were exhausted and were paid barely enough for them to survive.
             Laborers often worked under extremely poor conditions. The workers had to survive their day at work before they could collect their pennies. They worked in places that were too unsanitary and unsafe to even be near, let alone work in. These work places often led to the formation of unions. There were many strikes during the Twenties. The Seattle General Strike of 1919 and the Boston Police Strike were just a few. Union membership was mainly in transportation, printing, building, public service, and theatre. These occupations made up over 90% of total union membership.
             Employers often didn't support these unions. If people joined them, they were fired and left unemployed. If they were fired for being in a union, they could be blacklisted. That means their name could be put on a list and be sent to all of the other business owners in town, making it almost impossible for them to get a job. Many laborers had families to support, and if they were not making even the small amount they could get paid, they couldn't survive. If a lot of people are unemployed the entire economy suffers.
             In conclusion, life for laborers was pretty hard in the Twenties. They were paid too little and worked too long. ...