A large number of the trades, especially where women are employed, are trades where the elements of "season" and fashion enter in.

But even those which, like tailoring, shirtmaking, shoemaking, furniture and upholstery, would seem less subject to periodic or purely capricious changes, are liable in fact to grave and frequent fluctuations of the market.

The average employment in sweating trades is roughly estimated at three or four days in the week.

There are two busy seasons lasting some six weeks each, when these miserable creatures are habitually overworked.

"The remaining nine months," says Mr.Burnett, "do not average more than half time, especially among the lower grade workers." This gives us one clue to the ability of the small workshop to survive-- its superior flexibility from the point of view of the employer.
"High organization makes for regularity; low organization lends itself to the opposite.