For a historian relying on non-quantitative sources, Pinchbeck did an admirable job of describing the patterns and trends in women's work. Later historians using more quantitative methods generally agree with her descriptions. Other historians have also supported Pinchbeck's claims. Snell's examination of the records of parish apprentices confirms Pinchbeck's observation that women were apprenticed to a wide variety of trades. Pinchbeck's most controversial conclusion is her claim that the Industrial Revolution made women better off.
Many historians see the period as one during which women lost rather than gained.
The disagreement seems to be mainly one of interpretation. Pinchbeck notes that many women withdrew from the labor force, and she interprets this as a gain. Women had more leisure, and more time to devote to their housework. Other historians, observing the same change, have interpreted it as a decline in women's position as they were forced out of the labor market. Women may have gained leisure, but they lost independence and bargaining power.