The reality of de-industrialization meant that for those used to working high-wage industrial jobs, they were forced to find work in low-wage service jobs (180). Those displaced from industrial jobs, such as the steel-working industry, were then forced to find new employment in a scarce job market. The reallocation of labor had racial and gender dimensions as well as educational (184). Women, suddenly, were thrown into the health care industry after their husbands lost their jobs (215). For black men, they were laid off first from industrial jobs, which created opportunity and need for black women to enter the workforce as well (180). The working class struggled with the lack of work and relied heavily on support from the government.
The effect that deindustrialization had on Pennsylvania could be seen across the economic, political, and social spheres of the late 1970s and early 1980s. As Winant points out, “the social fabric of Pittsburgh had been woven around the steel industry” (217). Unemployment in Pittsburgh climbed with the destruction of the steel industry and industrial jobs. This placed the economy into a recession before the national recession hit and left them in a recession after the national one had ended (188). Thousands relied on government assistance. The poor were punished through mass incarceration. The lack of steel employment caused disruption to the normal patterns of life (194). The population aged, and soon pressures were placed on care for the elderly as well (196). The effects on health due to joblessness were also seen following deindustrialization. Increased rates of depression, addiction, schizophrenia, and more were the result. Additionally, domestic violence increased in the wake of mass joblessness (200). The economic recession caused by the collapse of the industrial industries had ramifications felt throughout life.
Social welfare was not meant for the large masses of people who found themselves out of work during the late 70s and early 80s. Thus, pressure was placed on many of the programs designed to protect citizens. Winant discusses how local governments relied on tax revenue from industrial property. This decrease in revenue led to cutbacks in services when people needed these services the most (189). When the government created these programs, they were made for times of uncertainty. I don’t think the government was prepared to handle the mass unemployment and dependency on programs that came after the collapse of the steel industry.
Will Wright 
I also think that another influence showing the lack of preparedness was the drawback on systems. During this same timeframe, there was a decrease in funding for social programs, and the fearing of the “welfare state” influenced how politicians responded to things like poverty and such. This was only made worse by the co-current deindustrialization process and seeing the steel industry collapse as it left many out of work. Unfortunately, these policy issues impacted minority communities disproportionately as well. Therefore, in many ways, there is a build up here of contemporary issues that we are still experiencing the impacts of today.
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