London was at once the financial, commercial and political centre of the country as well as being a major international entrepôt. The capital also set the ton socially, especially during the Season, and its huge size and dramatic growth during this period generated domestic demand for goods and services. The benefits arising from this vibrant, expanding economy, however, were not shared by all, or even most, Londoners. To understand the impact economic factors had upon plebeian social relations, it is necessary to examine the kinds of employment on offer to men and women, and the state of the most populous trades. Economic fluctuations, seasonality and, in the manufacturing sector, market pressures from provincial competition were all critical factors affecting employment, and, as such, had direct consequences influencing plebeian Londoners' aspirations and behaviour. The role of work in the retention of customary culture needs to be examined.

While the metropolitan economy, unlike those of northern industrial towns, was broadly based, this did not guarantee stability, particularly for workers in a number of trades in central London. Historical interpretation of the standard of living for these people has been fraught, and frequently contradictory. Michael Ball and David Sunderland, in their sweeping but polemical study of the structures, processes and changes in London's economy between 1800 and 1914, are dismissive of most previous interpretations – especially pessimistic accounts.