I was watching a programme on youtube made in 1985 about the massive Swindon rail works, it employed 14,000 people, and was one of the largest factories in the world, they could make and did make everything and anything in metal, even ships and ships engines. Then you had the mining industry which employed millions, the engineering industry making everything from knitting needles to nuclear reactors, the armourments industry, huge factories like Vickers, BSA, Enfield, Fazakerly etc. The motorcycle industry, BSA (again), Triumph, Norton, AMC, Vincent, Panther, Brough, Excelsior, and about 100 other. The motor industry, Fords massive Dagenham plant, The Rootes group, Rovers Longbridge plant, etc. Sheffield, everything in steel, excellent tools, excellent razors, knives etc etc. Birmingham and its gun quarter, dozens of really good makers of sporting rifles, shotguns and pistols, The mills in the north, the pottery trade i could go on for hours.
My point is every town had a big factory or mill, or mine and there was work, social clubs, sports teams etc. When that factory or whatever closed, that town became an unemployment blackspot. All the usual horrible things then happened in these places, drugs, drunkiness, domestic violence and families breaking up, gang warfare, murders etc.
Its dangerous to say about people "oh they are scroungers, don't want to work, Layabouts etc". I seen several areas of dublin go from proud places to slums when the work ran out, usually because some property developer seen the chance to make a quick buck.