Earlier quoted context omitted.
There was a time when 90% of the labour force worked in agriculture. If I lived in the 1600s I'd be terribly concerned that mass unemployment would coincide with large increases in agricultural productivity. However, when the agricultural sector became more productive the 'winners' wanted bigger houses, travel, education, healthcare etc and this provided enough opportunity for the displaced workers to find jobs. Thes…
This is a common trope, but the reality is that the winners bought the farms from folks who couldn't compete. The ex-farmers did not go on to find better compensation, they just became poor. Their children perhaps found a larger salary in the information economy, but ask them how many acres they can pass on to their grandchildren.
Some of the farmers pushed out of agriculture were in a truly terrible position. Some effectively exiled into other countries (e.g highland clearances in Scotland) or left with no choice beyond military service in poor conditions.
Other ex-farmers were pulled into the high wage new economy sectors. I imagine this was a comparatively happier experience, although not without its difficulties. For example, the shipbuilding or railway workers. In a more modern example, the Chinese factory worker.