Big cities during the Industrial Revolution are frequently described as horrible dirty areas of pollution, overcrowding, disease, and violence. Working conditions were terrible, wages were next to nothing, and working hours were routinely 12+ hours. With all this in mind, why did we see a constant immigration of workers from rural to urban areas? What could have possibly made life in the city better than in the farms with how terrible the urban conditions were?
Here is my answer to a similar question: Was factory work really preferred to farming
In short, the element was a lack of choice, or perceived lack of choice by the population.