During the Industrial Revolution, children were often paid very little or not at all for their work. They were considered a cheap source of labor, and their small size and nimble fingers were often seen as an advantage in some industries, such as textile manufacturing. In some cases, children were paid a piece rate, meaning they were paid based on the amount of work they produced. However, these rates were often very low, and children often had to work long hours to earn a meager wage. In other cases, children were paid a fixed wage, regardless of the amount of work they produced. This type of payment was often even lower than the piece rate, and many children were forced to work long hours for little pay.