NCERT · Class 10 · Social Science · History: The Age of IndustrialisationWhy did many industrialists in Victorian Britain prefer hand labor over machines?

In Victorian Britain, there was no shortage of human labor. Poor peasants and vagrants moved to the cities in large numbers in search of jobs. When there is an abundance of labor, wages are low. Therefore, industrialists had no incentive to introduce machines that replaced human labor and required large capital investment. Many industries had seasonal demand. For example, gas works and breweries were especially busy through the cold months. In industries where production fluctuated with the season, industrialists usually preferred hand labor, employing workers for the specific season. Moreover, a range of products could be produced only with hand labor. Machines were oriented to producing uniforms and standardized goods for a mass market. However, the market demand was often for goods with intricate designs and specific shapes, which required human skill. In Victorian Britain, the upper classes—the aristocrats and the bourgeoisie—preferred things produced by hand. Handmade products came to symbolize refinement and class. They were better finished, individually produced, and carefully designed.