 Ultimately, these events created a Springfield workforce where workers by and large had jobs, but the earning power of those jobs was being diminished, the security of those jobs was laced with uncertainty, and the respect paid to those who held those jobs was seemingly being diminished.In surrounding counties the job prospects were similar or worse and the workforce was less diverse.As Reconstruction came to an end, between 1870 and 1890, the United States was undergoing a massive population increase.