Final answer:
Around the turn of the twentieth century, wages in the South decreased significantly due to the shift from agrarian jobs to factory work, coupled with deteriorating working conditions and a shift from hourly wages to piecework.
Step-by-step explanation:
Around the turn of the twentieth century, the South's wages experienced significant changes. Following the end of the Civil War, factory work became more prevalent, replacing the previously dominant agrarian lifestyle. While this transition did bring about a significant shift in the types of jobs available, it also led to changes in the compensation that workers earned. In many mills, working conditions worsened, and employers increased the workloads of their employees while simultaneously cutting wages. Workers found themselves being paid less for their labor as they were switched from hourly wages to piecework, being paid based on the amount they produced rather than the hours they worked. So in essence, at the turn of the twentieth century, wages in the South had decreased significantly.
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