Antanas Kazlauskis Where To Get A Job

Antanas Kazlauskis, an American immigrant born in Lithuania, chronicled his experiences in moving to America and trying to find a job. In his autobiography, Kazlauskis states, “The next morning my friends woke me up at five o’clock and said, ‘Now, if you want life, liberty and happiness,’ they laughed, ‘you must push for yourself. You must get a job,’” (AK Bio). Determination and tenacity proved to be the main qualifications for success, as anyone could get a job in mass production factories. The transition into the industrial age provided lower class citizens the opportunity to receive a sufficient job, regardless of their skills or economic situation. In the agrarian age, the lower class profited from crafting a product from start to finish,

and then going to the local market to barter. Towards the end of the 19th century, as industrialized goods and mass production became the greatest profitable market, the majority of jobs required no dexterity or previous experience.
As the process of creating products shifted from craftsmanship to industrialized factories, the American population received an influx of job opportunities because of division of labor.

Later in the 19th century, factories needed hundreds of workers just to produce one item. Second, the jobs in mass production facilities required no skill, so anyone could apply for the jobs. As opposed to the agrarian age, factory workers performed simple, repetitive tasks over and over. The jobs lacked any application of knowledge or physical labor, which allowed the entire population to succeed economically in factories. Lastly, opportunities during the industrial age depended on one’s character and perseverance. As the jobs proved simple, the qualifications for success became determination and effort. Generally, lower and middle class citizens controlled their economic success because the factories required resolute workers, regardless of knowledge and skills. The industrial revolution provided economic possibility to the entire American population by creating accessible and simple job

opportunities.
Division of labor in production facilities created massive amounts of jobs for previously struggling farmers and lower class citizens. In the industrial age, each factory worker repeated only one task to work towards creating a finished product. Each factory needed hundreds of workers to create the largest possible amount of goods, even though each worker only performed one individual task. As Kazlauskis states, finding a job proved to be easy, as long as one possessed determination and pushed for themselves. Therefore, lower class citizens that barely survived as Yeomen farmers and landless whites could now make a dependable profit. The factory jobs guaranteed each worker consistent pay, so now the lower class could repeatedly bring in economic support for their families, without being subjected to the booms and busts of local markets. The dependability of the factory worker’s profit dramatically aided the general economic standing of the lower and middle class. Division of labor allowed the lower and middles classes to consistently receive a steady compensation for work, regardless of the market trends.
The industrial revolution brought simple jobs to the entire American population which lacked physical labor or skill.

The workers performed one simple, repetitive task each day, and generally, the jobs did not require skill. As opposed to the early 1800s, where farmers developed skills to barter for goods and produce goods, the majority of factory workers during the industrial revolution lost all of the previously necessary skills. The loss of skills proved extremely beneficial to the masses of the population because now, anyone could apply for a job. Even the bottom level of society acted as a sufficient factory worker because mass production required no skills or physical stature. The lack of skills required to be a successful factory worker also helped the upper class by making every citizen capable workers. Therefore, owners of factories had many options for labor, so the workers would work harder to not lose the job, increasing profit and efficiency. The general American population aided as a result of an excess of simple jobs that did not require any

skills.
The success of factory workers depended on tenacity and determination for success, which gave the American population control over their economic position. In the agrarian age, craftsmen and yeomen farmers lived grueling lives full of hardship, and even after days of constant work, success was not a guarantee. Towards the end of the 19th century, where owners judged their workers based on efficiency, a hard working citizen always earned a paycheck. The uncertainty of the cotton or tobacco market no longer played a role in the economic success of workers. The lower class took a certain level of control over their economic position because working hard guaranteed success. In addition to helping the lower class factory workers, the new qualifications for success also drastically increased profit for large companies and CEOs. By giving the lower class workers an incentive to be determined and persevere throughout the workday, companies ran more efficiently and received significant increases in profit.
There is evidence to suggest that the large amount of jobs harmed the lower class because the vacant jobs attracted immigrants from other struggling nations to come to America and apply. However, without the vacant jobs, the lower class would continue to struggle economically as farmers and landless barterers. In addition, there is evidence to suggest that the lack of skill in factory jobs weakened the American population by removing the necessity to have skills and produce goods by hand. However, the jobs that did not require skills proved to be extremely beneficial to the population because anyone could be a sufficient factory worker. Lastly, there is addition to suggest that determination being the trait necessary for success hastened the economic growth of the lower class because it gave company owners the power to force employees to work longer hours and more efficiently. However, the privilege to succeed based on perseverance and not skills allowed the entire American population to be capable factory workers.
The influx of industrial jobs brought newfound economic success to the entire American population. The lower and middle classes excelled because of new job opportunities, while the upper class received dramatic increases in companies’ profits because of improved efficiency. The industrial workforce faces two main problems in 21st century American society. Owners of large industrial companies tend to outsource factories or jobs to foreign countries because the products can be produced cheaper and more effectively outside of the United States. In addition, an expanding number of companies utilize foreign immigrants as workforce because of the economic benefits. In today’s society, it is increasingly important to keep jobs and production within the United States, in an effort to aid the developing economic status of the lower and middle classes.