JF Ptak Science Books Quick Post
Having a quick look at the jobs of Americans in 1880 (according to the Compendium of the U.S. Census, 1884) reveals a number of interesting things, not the least of which are the jobs lost to dust, replaced jobs of no-longer-applicable mass labor. Some of the jobs have obviously
moved into niche/specialist markets (like the 45,000 harness and saddle makers kept busy in 1880 now moved into the luxury field), some changed their names (like carriage makers to automobile assembly) while the others have just moved
on, entirely (like bleachers and bone workers). It would take decades for many of these occupations to finally succumb to change–slower in many ways than some jobs have disappeared from today’s employment market.
The number/signifier following each position states the number of
thousands of people employed in 1880.
See also earlier posts here An Alphabet of Occupations, 1850 and An Alphabet of Occupations 2, 1844]