They worked 15 hour days, for little to no money, in dangerous and harsh conditions, all for what? Some left their homes for religious reasons, others for political or economic reasons, but they all had one thing in common: they wanted a better life. Immigration during the Gilded Age was advantageous to the American economy along with American social development. It was beneficial to these areas because immigrants brought cultural diversity, provided healthy competition, they contributed back to the economy, and they were willing to work unskilled jobs.
America as we know it now is a melting pot, and much of that is due to immigrants during the Gilded Age. They brought many different cultures into the United States which in turn eventually…show more content… Immigrants had a very high work ethic because they had been brought up in that kind of an environment, making the competition between them and the American workers even greater. This ensured that whoever was doing the work was doing it properly and efficiently or their job would be given away.
Immigrants not only contributed to the economy as workers, they also aided the economy as consumers. Though most had little money, and would only buy what was necessary, the sheer mass of the immigrant population had a large effect on businesses large and small. They created a demand for goods and services which in turn created more jobs for both American and immigrant workers.
Because immigrants had close to nothing, they were willing to work whatever job was available no matter how tiring, dangerous, or stressful. Whether it was performing exhausting physical labor producing steel, or working as a railroad operator in conditions so dangerous that insurance companies would refuse to provide coverage, they would take it to provide for themselves and their family. These were some jobs that American workers refused to do because of working conditions or their