In the mid-19th century, women made up 40% of the working population in Barcelona. As spinners and weavers, they were just as important in the mechanised textile industry as they had been in the traditional sector. Their wages were often much lower than men's and their tasks were more monotonous and less highly valued. In 1905, the textile and making-up industry in Barcelona employed 30,000 women and 12,000 men, as well as 5,000 children. In addition, there were the women who worked at home as tailoresses, seamstresses, dressmakers, laundresses and ironers. Work in the factory had to be combined with the domestic chores at home.